Posted on 10/03/2015 6:25:58 PM PDT by Vision Thing
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday channeled 1970s action star Charles Bronson in defending Second Amendment rights in the aftermath of the shooting at an Oregon community college that left nine dead.
Trump said in a rally in suburban Nashville that he has a handgun carry permit in New York. He added that any attacker will be "shocked" if he tries to assault him, and that he would emulate Bronson in the vigilante film "Death Wish."
"Can you imagine with Trump, somebody says, 'Ohhh, all these big monsters aren't around, he's easy pickins, and then ... pu-ching!" Trump said to laughter and applause. "So this is about self-defense, plain and simple."
Trump criticized "gun-free zones," saying that the Oregon shootings could have been limited if instructors or students had been armed. He said better mental health care would help curb future shootings.
"Many states and many cities are closing their mental health facilities and closing them down, and they're closing them because they don't have the funding," he said. "And we have to start looking much stronger into mental health."
While Trump warned that "no matter what you do, you will always have problems," he argued that it doesn't make sense to limit access to firearms.
"It's not the guns," Trump said during his hourlong speech. "It's the people, it's these sick people."
He also criticized President Barack Obama's comments in response to the shootings as "divisive."
Trump's positions on gun control have evolved significantly over the years. While he now touts the National Rifle Association line, he once backed the ban on assault weapons and longer waiting periods for gun purchases.
"I'm a very, very big Second Amendment person," Trump said on Saturday.
Trump reminisced about Bronson's "Death Wish" and got people in the crowd to shout out the title of the 1974 film in unison. In the movie, an affluent, liberal architect embarks on a vigilante mission after his life is shattered by thugs who kill his wife and rape his daughter.
"Today you can't make that movie because it's not politically correct," Trump said.
Saturday marked the second time Trump had spoken in the Nashville area in five weeks. Tennessee is among the states holding their primaries on March 1, also called Super Tuesday, and he noted that his comments brought a strong response from the overflow crowd in gun-friendly Tennessee.
"As soon as I mentioned it the place went absolutely wild," he said.
lol! At least Bronson was able to inflict some pain on the muggers through the movie.
At one point Dustin Hoffman was considered for the role of Paul Kersey.
The most pain inflicted on thugs came from this kid.
‘with my mind on my dirty soros money, and my dirty soros money on my mind’
Never disturb Bronson while he is reading
True.
He’s beginning to remind me of Patton in North Africa. He is in the fight of our lives. I don’t much like Trump. But I have to hand my hat to him. He leads.
LOL! That’s what the GOPe thinks for sure.
I saw Trump’s latest and I think its because he talks to people and doesn’t talk down to people.
Trump is a mega billionaire who speaks the common mans language.
He sure is speaking my language.
Operation Wetbank and Charles Bronson/Vigilante are iconic.
Thank-you!
Awesome indeed video of Trump and the 2nd Amendment
What is not to like about this man!
I’ve noticed that too.
Unsure whether to blame Obama for this one in specific, but it was barking up the same general tree.
“The number of Anti-Trumpers are dwindling.”
I most of the anti-Trumpers here have trouble trusting him, due to his checkered political past. Sure he sounds GREAT now, even on the 2 Amendment, but for every great position he has, he also has something in his past that contradicts it.
What is causing the anti-Trumpers to reconsider a bit is really two things. First he’s SETTING AN EXAMPLE for other Republicans in both staking out positions that are what people want and he could care less as to what Frank Luntz’s (rigged) ‘focus groups’ are telling people. Second, it’s starting to rub off - with people like Carson doubling-down on Islam, for example - not to mention other candidates trying, although not very well, but at least trying to show they have a problem with Open Borders. Does anyone SERIOUSLY think that either would have happened without Trump.
...plus, of course, Trump is giving a lesson on how to deal with both the media and the Republican Paymasters that were CONVINCED that they controlled every position of every candidate.
No doubt...the other day he brings up Patton & McArther and now Bronson. If he works the Ginger/Mary Ann debate into his campaign he may just lock up my vote.
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