Cruz formally asks McCain to examine guns on military bases

[KamaAina]

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/239530-cruz-formally-asks-mccain-to-examine-guns-on-military-bases

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Tuesday formally requested Senate Armed Services chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) convene hearings on whether U.S. troops should be allowed to carry personal weapons on military bases.

“There is great concern that Department of Defense policies which prevent service members from carrying weapons on military installations place an undue restriction on their second amendment rights and detract from their security,” Cruz wrote....

“I once again urge the Senate Armed Services Committee to approach this important policy concern in a thoughtful and bipartisan manner, with input from Department of Defense and outside experts,” Cruz asked.

The missive could bring to a close the latest dust-up between 2016 presidential hopeful and McCain.

[yeoman6987]

1. My Lord! He can't be serious

I was in the Navy for 24 years and except for on duty there is zero reason to allow this. The military personnel are welcomed to have weapons but put them in the base armory. They check it out and go to gun range or hunt or whatever. To have them in the base housing or barracks would be a horrible idea. Remember I was in 24 years and the booze mixed with guns would not be a good mixture. I am not as strict on guns as some here but this is outrageous.

[former9thward]

2. So you when someone goes on a rampage

they are just supposed to take it and wait for the MPs to get there? After a dozen people have died...And most of the booze is off base.

[yeoman6987]

3. It appears you support Cruz

Well that is certainly your right. I don't though

[former9thward]

4. Nice try....

But a failure in logic. I support personal guns on base. I don't care who else supports it.

[yeoman6987]

6. I wasnt trying to be snarky

I told you I am supportive of the 2nd amendment more then most but I just think this goes to far.

[betterdemsonly]

26. The tent is always big enough to support someone who appears to support

teabaggy view on all issues, so long as they never directly criticize Obama or Hillary. It is criticizing them from the left, that makes you a ratfucker, and will create mirt jihad.

[tabasco]

24. How sad it must be to live in fear without your precious!

Home of the brave. LOL.

This is the kind of cowardice and lack of public spirit that indicates the decline of a society.

[former9thward]

31. Now you are calling our military cowards.

Cool, bro...

[arcane1]

33. We can't base every choice we make on the Fear of a Rampage.

Especially considering how rare of an event that is. It's so rare as to be statistically "never".

[former9thward]

34. I am sure the families at Fort Hood are comforted by your post.

And the Norfolk Naval Station and Quantico and the Washington Naval Base and Fort Bragg and Fairchild Air Force Base and Fort Lee. But they are "statistically never"....


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/02/shooting-attacks-military-bases-history/7225403/

[arcane1]

36. Compared to the total number of bases, and the total number of days without a rampage? Yes.

[former9thward]

37. Next time we have a school shooting

will you make the same post?

[arcane1]

38. Guns should be in every place there has ever been a shooting?

To protect us from people with guns?

Sorry, I'm just not that easily frightened.

[former9thward]

39. Just wanted to see if you were going to be consistent

with your "statistical" analysis. Of course I already knew that answer....

[arcane1]

40. How many schools shootings were there today? Yesterday?

Yes, statistically speaking, school shootings are extremely rare. Slightly less rare than military base shootings.

And certainly not enough to justify having a gun in every classroom. That's a cowardly reaction.

[former9thward]

42. You said "statistically never".

So by that reasoning we should not have schools on lock down like a modern school is now. And since it "never" happens we should not worry about it when it does.

[arcane1]

43. We're talking about guns on premises, the topic of the OP.

Please stick to the subject at hand.

Are you saying our military bases are less secure than modern schools??

[Peregrine]

44. Most of the Booz is off base

Haven't heard of Class 6 stores? Cheap and tax free. NCO, Officer, and enlisted clubs. Once again, cheap and tax free. And these off post places are just pretty close to the gates.

[sendit]

30. I was also in the service and I agree with you

We were all 18 , 19 , 20 years old living in barracks.

I know exactly what you mean by the boozing we did.
No way would I have wanted people carrying their own personal weapons on base

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Let's see. Give a bunch of teenaged drunks guns in barracks. Brilliant.

Was Cruz ever in a barracks on payday night? I was and saw plenty of bloodshed after the EM club closed and liberty expired.

[KamaAina]

7. Maybe they don't party as hard in the Canadian army

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. I had two uncles in the Canadian Army in WWII.

They did plenty of partying when they had the chance.

[former9thward]

9. No base I was ever on had "teenage drunks in barracks."

What country's military were you in and during what era?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Marines. '61 - '65

Things must have changed....a lot.... if you didn't see teen aged drunks in the barracks or returning from liberty.

[former9thward]

11. They have and it is 50 years later.

Things change -- even in the military.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. So, what do the teen aged GI's do now? Prayer meetings and hymn singing?

When were you in? No EM clubs? No bars off base? No barracks brawls?

[KamaAina]

14. You must be thinking of the Air Force.

Which is increasingly dominated by fundies.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. I have to admit that poker games were more popular than prayer meetings

when I put in my time. And, smuggled in hooch more common than bibles.

[tabasco]

19. I was in 81-95 and there were plenty of teenagers getting drunk in the barracks

Both stateside and overseas.

What branch of the service were you in and where were you stationed where everybody was choir boys and girls.

LOL!

[tabasco]

17. Either you weren't in the same Army I was in

or you're lying.

[former9thward]

29. I don't know what military you were in.

I served the U.S. Bases I was at did not allow any drinking before 21 and there were few places to do it on the base for enlisted. BTW I live in a college town that has concealed carry for absolutely anyone who wants to do it (Tempe, AZ) and there are thousands of drunken teenagers nightly. No one gets shot. Amazing!!!!

[sendit]

32. What?

What branch did you serve in?

There's a lot! of drinking done on base

[arcane1]

41. Their silence is all the answer you need.

All bluster and bullshit.

[spanone]

13. this cruz fucker is insane.

[MiniMe]

16. As soon as they allow guns in the House and Senate chambers, I'll take Cruz seriously

I think allowing guns in the House and Senate chambers is a really bad idea, if there was any question about that.

[KamaAina]

18. Jim Webb begs to differ

[MiniMe]

20. Webb wants guns allowed in the Senate and House chambers?

What does he differ with? The OP or my post? It is not only congresspeople who are allowed in the galleries in the House and Senate.

[KamaAina]

21. That was a joke

a reference to the time he got busted for carrying in DC.

[MiniMe]

25. OK, I forgot about that

I'm not against guns, but I do think it is reasonable to restrict where they can be used.

I don't think everybody should be able to carry guns into the Whitehouse, or the Senate, or the House, or the Supreme Court. But I don't think Cruz or most of the other congress critters would want people carrying a gun in the gallery of the House and Senate.

[Bonhomme Richard]

22. It's the fault of all this crazy liberals in the military....

who are also anti-gun nuts that took those freedoms away. Dang them.

[lame54]

23. soldiers relinquish their rights

[Oktober]

27. The point is that there is no legitimate reason to deny them the right to their personal weapons...

[sendit]

35. yes we do

[hifiguy]

28. No words for this save those of Thomas Emerson,

the great constitutional scholar, in paraphrase:

"We accept the military as an authoritarian exception to our general guarantees of liberty under the Constitution. That is why the speech of military members can be restricted in ways that the speech of civilians cannot be."

Cruz needs to be locked up in a secure place and force-fed Thorazine.