Obama on 2A (among other items) in S. Dakota

[Snake Doctor]

I couldn't find an article on it yet (speech ended about two minutes ago) but after making a handful of remarks about the 2A and the NRA, Sen. Obama clarified that he feels the "second amendment is an individual right", and, that if "you're a gun owner who is simply trying to hunt or protect your family, and you're obeying the law, you've got nothing to worry about from me".

I'm putting forth no opinion here, I just thought I'd share what I heard. Thoughts?

[jimlongley]

I couldn't find an article on it yet (speech ended about two minutes ago) but after making a handful of remarks about the 2A and the NRA, Sen. Obama clarified that he feels the "second amendment is an individual right", and, that if "you're a gun owner who is simply trying to hunt or protect your family, and you're obeying the law, you've got nothing to worry about from me".

I'm putting forth no opinion here, I just thought I'd share what I heard. Thoughts?

Well, if he really means it, that's not too bad, but I have a feeling that if held to his word, it will morph.

"If . . . simply trying . . . obeying the law"

"ay, there's the rub."

[AEA]

Sen. Obama clarified that he feels the "second amendment is an individual right", and, that if "you're a gun owner who is simply trying to hunt or protect your family, and you're obeying the law, you've got nothing to worry about from me".

Yep, in his mind, you can do that WITHOUT a CHL! You can have your gun at home.......ONLY (unless hunting Game somewhere)!

[Monkey404error]

If thats true, I may be umm... "hunting" alot more.

[frankie_the_yankee]

I couldn't find an article on it yet (speech ended about two minutes ago) but after making a handful of remarks about the 2A and the NRA, Sen. Obama clarified that he feels the "second amendment is an individual right", and, that if "you're a gun owner who is simply trying to hunt or protect your family, and you're obeying the law, you've got nothing to worry about from me".

I'm putting forth no opinion here, I just thought I'd share what I heard. Thoughts?

Doubletalk. Lying thruogh his teeth. Take your pick.

Favors DC and other local gun bans. Opposes CHL. Has favored ban on possession of handguns.

[The Annoyed Man]

I couldn't find an article on it yet (speech ended about two minutes ago) but after making a handful of remarks about the 2A and the NRA, Sen. Obama clarified that he feels the "second amendment is an individual right", and, that if "you're a gun owner who is simply trying to hunt or protect your family, and you're obeying the law, you've got nothing to worry about from me".

I'm putting forth no opinion here, I just thought I'd share what I heard. Thoughts?

Doubletalk. Lying thruogh his teeth. Take your pick.

Favors DC and other local gun bans. Opposes CHL. Has favored ban on possession of handguns.

Obama has also said that during his first year in office, if elected, he will seek to pass a national law negating state to state reciprocity agreements. If he has his way, no state would be allowed to have reciprocity with any other state.

He is a liar. You don't sit in a church pew for 20 years, donating large amounts of money to that same church, and then later claim that you had no idea your pastor was spouting anti-American and racist tripe from the pulpit. What did he do? Sleep during every church service he attended? In my opinion, he's either stupid, or a liar, and I don't think he's stupid.

[bdickens]

I can't say what I'd like to say about Obama, rhymes with Osama, on this forum. He is a liar and a very dangerous person. If and whan he wins the Demopublican nomination, I can only hope that he gets "swift-boated" by a group that will expose his voting record in public to a wide audience. The June American Rifleman has a good article about this... individual; that information needs o be disseminated to as wide an audience as possible.

[jimlongley]

I can't say what I'd like to say about Obama, rhymes with Osama, on this forum. He is a liar and a very dangerous person.

WAIT???

All this time I thought it should be pronounced like Alabama, I've had it wrong all this time? I suppose the next thing you'll tell this old Army brat that served in the Navy that his first name isn't pronounced like those places we used to live - I mean everyone knows how to say "Barracks" don't they?

I'm beginning to think that the Democrats have a hard time fielding candidates that are not liars.

[barres]

I'm beginning to think that the Democrats have a hard time fielding candidates that are not liars.

Yes, but, unfortunately, the Republicans are only slightly better at finding candidates that aren't liars, either. I want so badly to send a message to the Republican party that they no longer represent conservatives (or at least conservative me), but I'm afraid of how much damage the Hildebeast or Hussein will do to our rights (not just our 2A rights) if one of them is in office for 4 or, God forbid, 8 years.

[melkor41]

cnn has a list of all the senate votes for the canidates for the last few years. Obama does not vote on a lot of issues and the ones he does vote on, he follows party line. He says he is about change but cant seem to think for himself. I did enjoy reading through them where he would vote YES to force a final vote on an issue, but then not vote on the issue at all. It is like hes voting to clear his schedule.

[lawrnk]

The Summary
Ok for states & cities to determine local gun laws. (Apr 2008)
FactCheck: Yes, Obama endorsed Illinois handgun ban. (Apr 2008)
Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok. (Feb 2008)
Provide some common-sense enforcement on gun licensing. (Jan 2008)
2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month. (Oct 2007)
Concealed carry OK for retired police officers. (Aug 2007)
Stop unscrupulous gun dealers dumping guns in cities. (Jul 2007)
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality. (Oct 2006)
Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban. (Oct 2004)
Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)


The Details


Ok for states & cities to determine local gun laws
Q: Is the D.C. law prohibiting ownership of handguns consistent with an individual's right to bear arms?
A: As a general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it.

Q: But do you still favor the registration & licensing of guns?

A: I think we can provide common-sense approaches to the issue of illegal guns that are ending up on the streets. We can make sure that criminals don't have guns in their hands. We can make certain that those who are mentally deranged are not getting a hold of handguns. We can trace guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers that may be selling to straw purchasers and dumping them on the streets.

Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008

FactCheck: Yes, Obama endorsed Illinois handgun ban
Obama was being misleading when he denied that his handwriting had been on a document endorsing a state ban on the sale and possession of handguns in Illinois. Obama responded, "No, my writing wasn't on that particular questionnaire. As I said, I have never favored an all-out ban on handguns."
Actually, Obama's writing was on the 1996 document, which was filed when Obama was running for the Illinois state Senate. A Chicago nonprofit, Independent Voters of Illinois, had this question, and Obama took hard line:

35. Do you support state legislation to:
a. ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns? Yes.
b. ban assault weapons? Yes.
c. mandatory waiting periods and background checks? Yes.

Obama's campaign said, "Sen. Obama didn't fill out these state Senate questionnaires--a staffer did--and there are several answers that didn't reflect his views then or now. He may have jotted some notes on the front page of the questionnaire, but some answers didn't reflect his views."

Source: FactCheck.org analysis of 2008 Philadelphia primary debate Apr 16, 2008

Respect 2nd Amendment, but local gun bans ok
Q: You said recently, "I have no intention of taking away folks' guns." But you support the D.C. handgun ban, and you've said that it's constitutional. How do you reconcile those two positions?
A: Because I think we have two conflicting traditions in this country. I think it's important for us to recognize that we've got a tradition of handgun ownership and gun ownership generally. And a lot of law-abiding citizens use it for hunting, for sportsmanship, and for protecting their families. We also have a violence on the streets that is the result of illegal handgun usage. And so I think there is nothing wrong with a community saying we are going to take those illegal handguns off the streets. And cracking down on the various loopholes that exist in terms of background checks for children, the mentally ill. We can have reasonable, thoughtful gun control measure that I think respect the Second Amendment and people's traditions.

Source: 2008 Politico pre-Potomac Primary interview Feb 11, 2008

Provide some common-sense enforcement on gun licensing
Q: When you were in the state senate, you talked about licensing and registering gun owners. Would you do that as president?
A: I don't think that we can get that done. But what we can do is to provide just some common-sense enforcement. The efforts by law enforcement to obtain the information required to trace back guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers. As president, I intend to make it happen. We essentially have two realities, when it comes to guns, in this country. You've got the tradition of lawful gun ownership. It is very important for many Americans to be able to hunt, fish, take their kids out, teach them how to shoot. Then you've got the reality of 34 Chicago public school students who get shot down on the streets of Chicago. We can reconcile those two realities by making sure the Second Amendment is respected and that people are able to lawfully own guns, but that we also start cracking down on the kinds of abuses of firearms that we see on the streets.

Source: 2008 Democratic debate in Las Vegas Jan 15, 2008

2000: cosponsored bill to limit purchases to 1 gun per month
Obama sought moderate gun control measures, such as a 2000 bill he cosponsored to limit handgun purchases to one per month (it did not pass). He voted against letting people violate local weapons bans in cases of self-defense, but also voted in2004 to let retired police officers carry concealed handguns.
Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.148 Oct 30, 2007

Concealed carry OK for retired police officers
Obama voted for a bill in the Illinois senate that allowed retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons. If there was any issue on which Obama rarely deviated, it was gun control. He was the most strident candidate when it came to enforcin and expanding gun control laws. So this vote jumped out as inconsistent.
When I queried him about the vote, he said, "I didn't find that [vote] surprising. I am consistently on record and will continue to be on record as opposing concealed carry. This was a narrow exception in an exceptional circumstance where a retired police officer might find himself vulnerable as a consequence of the work he has previously done--and had been trained extensively in the proper use of firearms."

It wasn't until a few weeks later that another theory came forward about the uncharacteristic vote. Obama was battling with his GOP opponent to win the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Source: From Promise to Power, by David Mendell, p.250-251 Aug 14, 2007

Stop unscrupulous gun dealers dumping guns in cities
Q: How would you address gun violence that continues to be the #1 cause of death among African-American men?
A: You know, when the massacre happened at Virginia Tech, I think all of us were grief stricken and shocked by the carnage. But in this year alone, in Chicago, we've had 34 Chicago public school students gunned down and killed. And for the most part, there has been silence. We know what to do. We've got to enforce the gun laws that are on the books. We've got to make sure that unscrupulous gun dealers aren't loading up vans and dumping guns in our communities, because we know they're not made in our communities. There aren't any gun manufacturers here, right here in the middle of Detroit. But what we also have to do is to make sure that we change our politics so that we care just as much about those 30-some children in Chicago who've been shot as we do the children in Virginia Tech. That's a mindset that we have to have in the White House and we don't have it right now.

Source: 2007 NAACP Presidential Primary Forum Jul 12, 2007

Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality
I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer's lobby. But I also believe that when a gangbanger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels someone disrespected him, we have a problem of morality. Not only do ew need to punish thatman for his crime, but we need to acknowledge that there's a hole in his heart, one that government programs alone may not be able to repair.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.215 Oct 1, 2006

Bush erred in failing to renew assault weapons ban
KEYES: [to Obama]: I am a strong believer in the second amendment. The gun control mentality is ruthlessly absurd. It suggests that we should pass a law that prevents law abiding citizens from carrying weapons. You end up with a situation where the crook have all the guns and the law abiding citizens cannot defend themselves. I guess that's good enough for Senator Obama who voted against the bill that would have allowed homeowners to defend themselves if their homes were broken into.
OBAMA: Let's be honest. Mr. Keyes does not believe in common gun control measures like the assault weapons bill. Mr. Keyes does not believe in any limits from what I can tell with respect to the possession of guns, including assault weapons that have only one purpose, to kill people. I think it is a scandal that this president did not authorize a renewal of the assault weapons ban.

Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes Oct 21, 2004

Ban semi-automatics, and more possession restrictions
Principles that Obama supports on gun issues:
Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
Source: 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998

Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
A bill to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages, injunctive or other relief resulting from the misuse of their products by others. Voting YES would:
Exempt lawsuits brought against individuals who knowingly transfer a firearm that will be used to commit a violent or drug-trafficking crime
Exempt lawsuits against actions that result in death, physical injury or property damage due solely to a product defect
Call for the dismissal of all qualified civil liability actions pending on the date of enactment by the court in which the action was brought
Prohibit the manufacture, import, sale or delivery of armor piercing ammunition, and sets a minimum prison term of 15 years for violations
Require all licensed importers, manufacturers and dealers who engage in the transfer of handguns to provide secure gun storage or safety devices

[SCone]

Let's keep it real clear here...

Obama = NO CHL
Obama = NO GUNSHOWS
Obama = NO HIGH CAP MAGS
Obama = NO "ASSAULT WEAPONS"
Obama = NO "CASTLE LAW"
Obama = NO GUNS
Obama = NO RIGHTS