GUN CONTROL UNDER
BUSH
By Sam Merier
In late December
2000, Americans suffered another mass shooting that occurred
in Massachusetts (a state with very strict gun control
laws). Consequently, this occurrence-again-opened national
debate on the pros and cons of gun control.
President Bush has
been said to be for the Second Amendment to the Constitution
(which allows Americans the right to bear arms)-more so
than the out-going administration. While much of Bush's
stance on gun control is unclear and open to speculation,
what we do know from President Bush's election platform
is that he favors the following:
-
CHILDSAFE PROJECT-using
tax dollars to buy gunlocks for every existing American
handgun.
-
Limiting the high-capacity
magazines on automatic and 'semi-automatic assault'
weapons. (I just love the politically correct term...seems
the press has conveniently overlooked the definition
of 'assault weapon.' By military definition, assault
weapons are 'select fire.')
-
Instant background
checks on all weaponry purchases.
-
Lowering gun ownership
age to 18 verses the current legal age of 21. (Wonder
if this will affect guns that are family heirlooms?)
-
Enforcing present
gun control laws verses creating more gun control laws.
An excerpt from the
Bush/Cheney website (http://www.georgebush.com/issues/guns.html)
states:
"Governor Bush believes the
best gun control measure is to vigorously prosecute those
who illegally sell guns, those who illegally carry guns,
and those who illegally commit crimes with guns. Governor
Bush's priority as President will be to keep guns away
from criminals and juveniles. He will make federal gun
prosecutions a top priority, reversing the 46% decline
in federal gun prosecutions under the Clinton/Gore Administration.
In addition, he will protect law-abiding citizens' constitutional
Second Amendment Rights while at the same time enacting
reasonable, common-sense restrictions on the unsafe use
of firearms."
The above, we have heard
before. As usual, we wonder how Bush will live up to his
political platform promises or is this just more rhetoric.
Rumor has it that President Bush will try to legislate a
concealed weapon carrying law nation wide. Nothing is in
the pipeline yet. It'll be interesting to see what the new
President will do about gun control. It will be interesting
to see what the new president will do with any of his campaign
promises.
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