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."
We disagree on his "position change", based on a one liner from a Sun Times reporter.
BTW, Obama's record is just as well established, start with a ban on the sale and transfer of all semi-automatic weapons for starters, you get to keep them for now.
And he's not running for the Illinois legislature any more, rather a Senator, so those laws will apply to us all, not just Illinois. On this issue, there's no choice.
As the goverment keeps imposing "safety" restrictions on firearms, it gets to look a lot like not being able to "bear" them...
Ok, then you can assure me by showing me an actual endorsement by the NRA or GOA for this election. Not in 2000, but in the 2004 election for the senate.
Take your time. I can wait.
You are one of the most disingenuous posters I've ever seen around here.
Still itching to drive social conservatives from the GOP 'Big Tent' Robert?
It would seem so.
This Hoosier won't be voting for Keyes in the Illnois Senate race.
Well, it's guys like Keyes that find out for us what the public thinks of ideas like reparations and machine guns. He wasn't in any primaries in this race and so he's probably just beginning to get a real feel for the pulse of the people of Illinois.
We'll know a lot more on November 2. ;-)
Smart girl.
Dhimmitude ain't so bad. We keep quiet, bow our heads a lot, shuffle our feet, go "yessuh, yessuh, yess'm, yess'm" a lot (it gets easier with practice), and learn to keep our heads low, and stay out of trouble.
If only those troublemakers hadn't taught our kind out to read, our lives would have been much easier.
I heard someone say once, though, that in a hundred years or so, our chilllun might be free to speak their minds, and, get "reparations" to make up for what we endure today.
I don't believe it, though.
I agree about Obama, and I agree he is not even a choice I would EVER consider.
However, just because Keyes is running, doesn't mean that everything out of his mouth is gospel. If he doesn't clarify his remarks, he could lose out on a lot of donations, endorsements, etc... and cold also play havoc with the chances of other republicans on the ticket.
I don't want that to happen, and I don't think you do either...
Thanks a lot pal.
I was referring to the post Amelia probably got suspended for, not any on this thread.
Exactly, and what Keyes appears to be proposing is more "restrictions". I may be wrong, though, so I want to make sure he clarifies it...
You are wrong.
You seriously think that Keyes will not garner the endorsement of those groups in this election? You're buying into your own delusions pretty heavy here, Chad.
And I assure you that the gunowners of IL are working diligently on Alan's behalf as we speak.
They are all that counts in the end anyway.
Show me, and I will publically apologize for criticizing Keyes on the second amendment.
Now, what happens if I'm right?
Isn't that rich...
So, what you are saying is "We don't have any endorsements right now" right?
And factual.
You get to hit the abuse button with immunity.
Like others here.
Or support people like Keyes who will confirm judges that respect the Second Amendment of the U S Constitution.
Incorporation of the Second is coming up, you don't want it done by Chief Justice Hillary Clinton.
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