Posted on 08/25/2004 2:09:41 PM PDT by yonif
Declaring "the front line of the war against terror once again involves the citizens," Republican Alan Keyes said Tuesday he believes the U.S. Constitution grants properly trained private individuals the right to own and carry machine guns.
"You're not talking about giving citizens access to atom bombs and other things," the former presidential candidate said. "That's ridiculous."
But the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate argued the founding fathers intended the Second Amendment to allow people to carry the types of weapons "customarily carried in those days by ordinary infantry soldiers."
"And, yes, does that mean that in this day and age people would have the right to have access to the kind of the weapons our ordinary infantry people have access to? With proper training and so forth to make sure that they could handle them successfully, that's exactly what was meant."
Keyes made the remarks at a news conference he called to attack the "ideological extremism" of his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Barack Obama.
The Republican lit into Obama for voting against a bill in Springfield earlier this year that would have allowed people who use handguns to fend off home invaders or attackers to argue self-defense as a possible legal defense against prosecution for violating any local anti-firearm possession ordinances.
The measure passed the Legislature with bi-partisan support, but Gov. Blagojevich vetoed it last week.
Keyes called Obama's vote against the measure an "appalling . . . lack of common sense."
"This seems to be a man who is absolutely determined to make the world safe for criminals, while making sure that law-abiding citizens have no opportunity to defend themselves against the criminals," Keyes said.
Keyes said he supports a system in which guns would be treated similarly to automobiles, with people being required to undergo different levels of training before they would be allowed to own and carry various sorts of weapons.
"I always remind -- even people who support the Second Amendment -- that it has two parts: the right to keep and bear" arms, Keyes said. " 'Bear' means to carry, to carry around. . . . I think it has been proven empirically that . . . allowing law-abiding citizens this access to conceal-carry actually reduces crime."
Keyes said he owns two firearms himself: a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol and a .38-caliber "six-shooter." But he said he does not keep them at his new home in Calumet City.
Keyes only indirectly answered a reporter's question about whether he would "be comfortable if the entire society was walking around with Uzis, as long as they were properly trained."
"Have you ever been to Israel?" Keyes asked the reporter. "Because if you've ever been to Israel, you wouldn't ask that question. And in the midst of terrifying dangers, you walk around the streets of Israel and you see every other person carrying arms and Uzis and so forth and so on, and believe me, you do not feel less safe on that account."
Machine guns, or fully automatic weapons, are firearms that fire multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger.
Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the Chicago division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said private individuals can only own such weapons if they apply with the bureau and clear a series of hurdles, including a background check, fingerprinting and the OK of local law enforcement officials. Additional paperwork is required any time the weapon is to be transported.
"It is heavily regulated," Ahern said.
A spokesman for Obama defended the Democrat's record on guns.
"Certainly he believes in the Second Amendment, but he also believes in common-sense gun safety laws, such as the federal ban on military-style assault weapons." said spokesman Robert Gibbs. "If Alan Keyes truly was concerned about public safety, that would be his position, as well."
Your #185 has a quote, but it isn't mine.
Excuse me, that was Willie's venal suggestion, not mine.
Name one political office that Keyes did not get elected to?
The trick: You must only name one.
Check his website in a few days, hopefully it will be up. Keyes position on the 2nd Amendment is pretty well known, this is a foolish issue to attack him on (not you) unless one agrees with Daley-Obama.
Unfortunately, I believe the 14th amendment, actually, the modern day court's interpretation of the 14th amendment, has thrown a monkey wrench into the works. The federals now think they can lord it over the states. Alan Keyes is one who would like to correct this mess. First step, appoint and confirm constitionalist judges rather than liberal activists. Next step, repeal the 17th amendment and reestablish the sovereign states' constitutional representatives to the federal government (the Senators). As it is, the sovereign interests of the state governments are not being truly represented as intended by the founding fathers and ratified by the states.
US Senate-Maryland
As an NRA member, I think it is perfectly reasonable to vet a candidate's second amendment positions.
In the articles published today it APPEARS he has changed his poition somewhat (and in a way I consider dangerous and unconstitutional)...
I am a reasonable man, and if it appears this way to ME, then it must to many others as well. He needs to clarify this issue ASAP, in my humble opinion. If he doesn't, then it's not just bad for him, but bad for all of us in general.
What you did is actually make a serious blunder, and now you're trying to spin away from it.
By the way, I'm still waiting for that link exposing my support of licenses for illegal aliens. Thus far, you;re stuck in "liar and spineless coward" mode.
I agree. However, that doesn't address my concern over federal beaurocrats dictating whether I can own a weapon or not, and having to "prove" to them I've had the "required training" in order to "get permission" to exercise an inherent god-given right...
THAT is my concern, and the sooner Keyes clarifies this, the better for all of us.
yea I know.
But my opinion and myself don't matter on this thread.
When folks post like leftist Democrats while claiming to be conservative, they should be.
Every state has restricted ownership of advanced weapons since the Constitution was written, and before.
You are the one making the serious blunder. You should know better than falling for the liberal media's anti-Republican anti-second amendment spin.
Awww...you always matter.
As an NRA member, I think it is perfectly reasonable to vet a candidate's second amendment positions.
Doesn't make it right. Of course, they also were not states really until they actually adopted the constitution as the law of the land... THEN they got statehood.
But I digress.
Nothing you will ever say can convince me that government licensing and registration of privately-owned weapons is OK...
It is. And I can assure you that Alan Keyes has their heartfelt support.
ASAP, if not sooner.
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