Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's call for assault weapon ban in U.S. gets blasted by gun lobby

[RamboLiberal]

Secretary of State Clinton called for a new assault weapon ban in the U.S. on Thursday in hopes of cutting off arms flowing to Mexican drug gangs - and was immediately blasted by the gun lobby.

Clinton was naive in thinking that "if Americans give up their freedoms, that it's somehow going to affect the operations of the Mexican drug cartels," said National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs also signaled that President Obama wasn't itching for a fight with Congress to renew the assault weapon ban enacted by former President Bill Clinton. It expired in 2004.

Obama supported the ban during the campaign, Gibbs said, but "I don't know of any plans" for Obama to go immediately to Capitol Hill with new legislation.

On her two-day visit to Mexico, Clinton told MSNBC it'd be "a very heavy lift" to get Congress to take up the issue.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/03/26/2009-03-26_secretary_of_state_hillary_clintons_call.html

[msongs]

1. having a black president has way jackkked up gun sales. hmm wonder why? nt

[DonP]

4. That's funny, the gun store and ranges I go to are very diverse

How about you grow up and recognize that the gun owning audience is deep and diverse. Or don't you think that African Americans, Hispanics and Asians should have guns?

Last weekend I taught an 18 year old from Hammond Indiana how to shoot my Black Powder rifle. He didn't seem to be bothered by using a white man's gun, why should you?

Stop trading in decades old stereotypes, it's way too much like a GOP attitude to fit around here. The gun buying has nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin, and a lot to do with their proposed policies, if you can grasp that concept.

But we get it, you don't like guns or gun owners. You just aren't terribly creative about how you express it.

Have a good weekend, we're going to the range. Where do you gun grabbers gather in your spare time?

[benEzra]

5. The spike in gun sales is a reaction to the actions of a white president 15 years ago...

and fears that some of the same people responsible for that bit of asinine legislation might once again attempt to ban what are now the most popular civilian rifles in the United States. For me personally, Biden worries me much more than Obama on this issue, and so would HRC if she were in a position to set domestic policy. Obama is NOT the one pushing an "assault weapon" ban; that albatross was/is the darling of the pasty-skinned DLC, white repubs at the Brady Campaign, and media elites.

Having said that, I don't think a new ban is likely; Reid, Pelosi, and a whole bunch of Congressional Dems have pretty much put the kibosh on that idiocy.

[Iktomiwicasa]

6. Had Obama adopted a pro RKBA

stance, you'd not see people stockpiling. His record, however, shows that he has gleefully signed on to every piece of gun grabber legislation that has floated his way.

[Tim01]

12. You are the only who thinks it has to do with race. Wonder why?

[spin]

17. Gun control has a hell of a lot to do with race...

The historical record provides compelling evidence that racism underlies gun control laws -- and not in any subtle way. Throughout much of American history, gun control was openly stated as a method for keeping blacks and Hispanics "in their place," and to quiet the racial fears of whites. This paper is intended to provide a brief summary of this unholy alliance of gun control and racism, and to suggest that gun control laws should be regarded as "suspect ideas," analogous to the "suspect classifications" theory of discrimination already part of the American legal system.
http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/cramer.racism.html

Before the Civil War ended, State "Slave Codes" prohibited slaves from owning guns. After President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and after the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery was adopted and the Civil War ended in 1865, States persisted in prohibiting blacks, now freemen, from owning guns under laws renamed "Black Codes." They did so on the basis that blacks were not citizens, and thus did not have the same rights, including the right to keep and bear arms protected in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as whites. This view was specifically articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in its infamous 1857 decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford to uphold slavery.
http://www.lizmichael.com/racistgc.htm

In 1846, the Georgia Supreme Court held in Nunn v State that there was a
constitutional right to carry a pistol openly in Georgia. 9 Then two years later, the
Georgia Supreme Court clarified in Cooper and Worsham v. Savannah that this
right did not extend to free blacks. The court proclaimed that “"Free persons of
color have never been recognized here as citizens; they are not entitled to
bear arms, vote for members of the legislature, or to hold any civil office." 10
This ruling would form the basis for the expulsion of black legislators in 1868.
http://www.georgiacarry.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/racist-roots-of-ga-gun-laws.pdf

[provis99]

2. I wish she'd tombstone this assault weapons ban idea

I waffle on the issue of guns, but this assault weapons ban is just silly. It just bans semi-automatics that look like military weapons, but are still only semiautomatics. These "assault weapons" are basically just inaccurate deer rifles that appeal to the military fetish crowd. Not worth fighting over.

[alstephenson]

3. Innocent people who have been killed in Mexico with these guns..

may beg to differ.

[DonP]

7. Yeah, right.

I believe that Mexican drug gangs with almost unlimited cash resources sneak across the border and pay over $600 each for semi automatic rifles at US Gun Stores, fill out their 4473's, and smuggle them back across the border by the thousands when they can buy full auto versions of them in Mexico and Central America for about half that price. I believe in the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny too.

You one of those that thinks they are buying their grenades and RPGs up here too? I sure see a lot of those at every gun show I've ever been to. Go ahead and take Hillary's word for all of it, aside from all the crap she said about the last assault weapons ban, and what it covered and maybe about half of her campaign in the primaries, she's never lied to us before has she?

That's probably why the one case the BATFE tried to prosecute was thrown out of court by the judge. Because there's so much proof of it.

[benEzra]

8. The cartels are using military automatic weapons, RPG's, and hand grenades.

Those are already restricted to police/military in this country, and banning the sale of the most popular NON-automatic civilian rifles in America won't affect the military hardware.

I have no doubt that a lot of U.S. made handguns and a few non-automatic rifles and shotguns do flow south, but Los Zetas and others are NOT getting their military hardware from the USA unless they are getting them from the U.S. military, U.S. law enforcement agencies, or the Mexican government/military itself. But a lot of the weapons are former Warsaw Pact military hardware, and those have never been made in this country.

[Iktomiwicasa]

10. Presactly

[Iktomiwicasa]

9. The military hardware

that the cartels are using ain't comin' from Joes Guns 'N Bait store. This is an attempt at establishing a new gun control meme," guns from U.S. gun stores are fueling the drug wars, therefore, we need stricter gun control laws". Fuck all if it actually has anything to do with reality.

[gorfle]

33. You hit the nail on the head.

Just what you said: This is an attempt to establish a new gun control meme: American guns are fueling Mexico's drug violence.

This is an absolute crock of shit.

We know this because the articles pushing this angle have already slipped up and noted that the drug gangs are also using grenades, RPGs, and machine guns.

While I have no doubt that pistols and shotguns may cross the border into Mexico, this is not what the big dogs in Mexico are arming their drug armies with.

There's no way that the drug cartels are going to pay $1000 for a semi-automatic civilian version of an AK-47 from the United States when they can have the real-fully-automatic-deal imported from overseas for $200.

This is a big scam, folks.

It's already been clearly demonstrated that assault rifles are hardly ever used for crime in the United States, so now the game is on to try and make it look like US civilian assault rifles are responsible for Mexican crime.

Don't buy it.

[X_Digger]

34. Next up, bizarro world..

Where Administration officials say that full auto machineguns and RPGs are being sent to the US with the coke shipments, and only a new AWB will stop it. Wha huh? (or something else just as crazy..)

Seriously though, i was happy to see the WH stomp on this again.

[lxlxlxl]

11. I think their minds are working this way : Hear anything that disparages guns, jump into 2nd amend

I heard some assjerk on the radio this morning talking about how this shows that Dems want to ban guns, and it made zero sense to me. These people are not acting rationally, and just knee jerk reply if they hear even a peep about something as unrelated as gun exports...

[benEzra]

13. HRC was speaking favorably about a domestic ban on the most popular U.S. rifles

as a way to prevent some of them from being diverted to Mexico. Never mind that the high-profile cartel battles involve actual ex-Warsaw-Pact military hardware that is not available in the USA.

She does appear to have ruled out a new "assault weapons ban" as being politically not feasible, though (which is a good thing).

[Tim01]

14. Holder has said he wants to ban guns. Clinton has said it at least twice.

Her husband actually did it. Obama has on his website that banning guns is his current agenda. There have been recent attempts to stop access to ammo and reloading components.
We are seeing things as they are. The 2nd amendment is being chipped away on multiple fronts at the same time.

[alstephenson]

15. "wants to ban guns"????

That's quite a leap - hope you have your parachute on. Do you have a link to the Obama website that says his current agenda is "banning guns"??? Thanks.

[Tim01]

16. "They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

It's under crime and law enforcement.
Bringing back the AWB would ban a whole shitload of semi-auto rifles,ban normal magazines for pistols, ban a bunch of shotguns, ban normal magazines for a whole bunch of rifles.


http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/urban_policy/

[pipoman]

20. What about that?

Not such a 'leap' after all, huh?

[Tim01]

28. I'll bet you she didn't know untill now.

I'll bet alstephenson is just now finding out that what we have been saying about President Obama and guns it true, even according to what he chose to put on his website.
One person at a time if necessary.

[jody]

31. Link below.

They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.

[spin]

18. This Los Angeles Times article tells the truth...

Reporting from Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and Mexico City -- It was a brazen assault, not just because it targeted the city's police station, but for the choice of weapon: grenades.

The Feb. 21 attack on police headquarters in coastal Zihuatanejo, which injured four people, fit a disturbing trend of Mexico's drug wars. Traffickers have escalated their arms race, acquiring military-grade weapons, including hand grenades, grenade launchers, armor-piercing munitions and antitank rockets with firepower far beyond the assault rifles and pistols that have dominated their arsenals.

Most of these weapons are being smuggled from Central American countries or by sea, eluding U.S. and Mexican monitors who are focused on the smuggling of semiauto- matic and conventional weapons purchased from dealers in the U.S. border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

The proliferation of heavier armaments points to a menacing new stage in the Mexican government's 2-year-old war against drug organizations, which are evolving into a more militarized force prepared to take on Mexican army troops, deployed by the thousands, as well as to attack each other.

These groups appear to be taking advantage of a robust global black market and porous borders, especially between Mexico and Guatemala. Some of the weapons are left over from the wars that the United States helped fight in Central America, U.S. officials said.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-arms-race15-2009mar15,0,229992.story

[jody]

19. What is emerging is an orchestrated effort to renew the assault weapons ban and revise its

definition to ban all semiautomatic firearms.

The effort will fail but it will cause the Dem party to lose seats in the House and Senate.

FACTS:

65 Dem congresspersons say they oppose renewing AWB. Add them to most of the 178 Republican congresspersons gives about 243 opposed to AWB v. 189 max Dems who might vote to renew the AWB.

Senators Baucus And Tester oppose renewing AWB.

Pelosi and Reid oppose renewing AWB

Why is Obama starting a fight he is guaranteed to lose?

[pipoman]

21. And, I might add,

the effort is completely ground in absolute lies. Demonstrable lies about the lethality of so called 'assault weapons', lies about Mexican cartels using US legal 'assault weapons', lies about the effectiveness of the now expired AWB, lies about the reason and utility of the 2nd Amendment, lies about 'we don't want to take your rifles, shotguns or handguns' and more. All of these are known to be lies by the majority of the 80 million gun owners in the US. It isn't a difference of opinion, it is a distortion of truth and facts which will cost this party elections through lost credibility, lost trust, and lost good faith.

[jody]

22. Agree so why is Obama, supposedly a brilliant politician doing something which is incredibly stupid?

[Iktomiwicasa]

24. Because in his heart

he likely thinks that very strict gun control is the right thing to do.

[spin]

23. I wonder if Obama is really behind the push for the AWB...

A lot of people in his administration including Hillary and US Attorney General Eric Holder seem to be pushing the idea. Also anti-gun Democrats like Dianne Feinstein seem tone deaf to the mood of the country.

It should be obvious by the increase in firearm and ammo sales that a lot of people in this country feel that there is a good chance that draconian gun control efforts will succeed. It should also be noted that gun owners who were not enthusiastic about supporting McCain will appear at the polls for the midterm election if new gun laws are threatened or passed. McCain had a C+ rating with the NRA prior to the last election and should have never gained an NRA endorsement. If anything, McCain was seen as more of a threat to gun owner rights than Obama.

So maybe the anti-gun forces and politicians lack confidence in Obama and feel they need to pass their favorite "feel good" gun laws before they lose the ability to do so. For some politicians like Feinstein this may appeal to their political base and even if the law doesn't pass, she will be voted back into office.

But these administration officials and politicians are not doing Obama or the Democratic Party any favors.

Obama would be wise to state that he has no desire to push new gun laws such as the AWB and if they appear on his desk he would not sign them. The very liberal faction of the party will be infuriated but he will gain a lot of support for the Party and will quite possibly increase the number of Democrats in Congress at the midterm.

Democrats have an excellent chance of changing the direction that this country has been headed in. We might actually see some real improvements like universal heath care. We definitely don't need to shoot ourselves in the foot AGAIN!

[jody]

25. Either way he's going to take the blame for supporting AWB that IMO will not be renewed. n/t

[spin]

26. Unfortunately very true. (n/t)

[Iktomiwicasa]

30. I suspect

that the President is behind the new gun grabber push, and is testing the waters by proxy.

[aikoaiko]

27. That's really disappointing to hear.

Rattling the sabers for an AWB is foolish.

[rq4a]

29. I am going to buy a drug cartel RPG and machinegun

Whoooohoooo. I am going to run out and buy an RPG and machinegun that the drug cartels buy in border town gun stores and take to Mexico. They seem to be in all the gun stores. Well that is at least how Clinton seems to paint it. Never mind the average price world price for an AK-47 is about $150. Duh. Those pesky drug cartels rather pay $13000 for a M-16 in the USA and sneak them into Mexico. See, I am going to buy these drug cartel RPGs and machineguns before Clinton bans them.

[spin]

32. Yeah, those drug cartels have so much money...

and so little sense that they would rather buy a the military assault rifle knock off at 3 or 4 times the price of the real thing. Of course then they have to smuggle the crippled assault rifle back across the border.

[virginia mountainman]

35. It goes to show, just how desperate the gun control "advocates" are..

Using crime in a foreign nation, as an excuse to restrict a civil right here...

They have lost...They know it.....They are grasping at straws....

It is hilarious........