McCain heckled over gun rights stance

[sabra]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain was heckled Wednesday night by a South Carolina town hall audience member when he reiterated his support for gun rights in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.

The Arizona Republican, who was asked to state his views on gun rights in light of the tragedy, said, "Our hearts go out to all of the victims and their families in that terrible tragedy and that crazy person. Words are not, I don't have a large enough vocabulary to express how saddening and terrible this tragedy is. So I won't try any further except they know that all Americans prayers are with them as they go through this terrible trauma. I do not believe that we should tamper with the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America."

As the crowd applauded, a woman immediately yelled, "Do you think George Washington stood for automatic weapons?"

McCain responded, "I think that George Washington stood for the right to bear arms which is their constitutional right."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/04/mccain-heckled-over-gun-rights-stance.html

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

1. To bad automatic weapons are already covered

She needs to come off of the Brady Bunch's talking points and learn.

Maybe She and McCarthy can find out what a barrel shroud is before they try to ban them.

[aquart]

5. Fine. Then ban them.

BTW: Tell me what animal you hunt with a Glock?

[Digital]

23. People hunt wild boars with handguns, but....

The 2nd amendment has absolutely nothing to do with hunting.

[Craftsman]

24. I shot a hog last November with my Glock G21 45acp

I was in my stand over looking my feeder when the hog came out of the bushes behind me and walked right under my stand. I used a pistol becuase it was only 15 feet away and to close for my scope. But now days most gun owners do not hunt, they do however vote.

[Bitwit1234]

2. I need to ask this..over and over

Why do republicans always come up with the statement "to bear arms is our constitutional right"....BUT they forget all the other rights in the constitution that bush has violated and shredded.

So I guess if the republicans want to uphold a constitutional right that's ok, if they want to shredd another that's OK also. Typical.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

10. You're not talking to Republicans here

That is the point that the Democrats forget. They lose their own party when they put this as a Democrat V Republican issue.

[zbdent]

16. The only constitutional rights that Repukes are interested in

are the 2nd amendment (minus that silly part about "a well-organized militia") and the one that made corporations able to have rights (but also protections) ...

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

19. And you forget the word "People" is specified

[saltpoint]

3. On this and many other issues, McCain acts as if he's on the set of GUNSMOKE.

John. We have to talk. This cowboy thing? It's been done. And not well. Give it up. Update your file or go home and twiddle in the garden.

[MsUnderstood]

4. the issue is NOT the constitution it is the responsibility

Yea everyone can bear arms. . .but can we have a little bit of rules about how it is applied.

Hey everyone has free speech, but I sure won't yell fire in a crowded theater.

Background checks, waiting periods, gun safety classes, limited purchases (ie first purchase gets one box of bullets not a bag filled with boxes of bullets) all can DETER the crazed maniacs working on the heat of passion.

A simple rule could have detered the killer: If you are admitted to a mental institute then you will need a waiver from that institution to purchase a gun.

With all the money funneled into databases tracking my library books, why can't we setup some database for gun purchases?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. Exactly...

Forget the Second Amendment. You have a right to own a gun, the same way you have the right to own any other kind of property: a house, a car, or a four-slice toaster.

That doesn't mean the government doesn't have the right to regulate how these things are owned: zoning regulations, traffic laws, and the Consumer Products Safety Commission.

[calimary]

8. Truly. Don't forget, the 2nd amendment speaks of "WELL-REGULATED"

militias. For people who claim they don't like rules and regs penning them in and tying their hands and cramping their style, they sure seem to love this one. They frickin' WORSHIP it.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

11. Please learn what is meant by "WELL-REGULTED" its not what you think it means.

A little homework always helps.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

12. That hardly helps the pro-gun cause...

Well-Regulated in this sense means disciplined or more generally "organized" as a fighting unit. That certainly doesn't bear upon unlimited individual gun ownership.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

14. Not quite

Keep going though.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

15. No, I think I won't...

If don't care to engage in a discussion, go screw yourself.

[frylock]

17. enlighten us, please

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

18. Here's a hint. It has NOTHING to do with control of the militia.

[frylock]

20. most enlightening..

you've got nothing, as suspected.

[depakid]

22. Thrawl us with your legal acumen.

What's your understanding of Second Amendment jurisprudence?

[yellowcanine]

6. Bull shit. McCain actually had the gall to raise the question of knives, as if

someone is going to kill 32 people with a knife. What a wanker.

[trogdor]

13. Or a broadsword.

Like in the wedding scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

[yellowcanine]

21. Yes, if we regulate guns we need to regulate letter openers! You can kill someone

with a letter opener, you know. :sarcasm:

[brentspeak]

9. The only relevant issue is proper, thorough vetting of prospective gun buyers

There was no proper, thorough vetting of Cho Seung-Hui. All he had to do to buy his gun was present his driver's license and not have any felony convictions. And the NRA-types want to keep it that way, no matter how many massacres take place.

[flaminbats]

25. even Republicans don't know what terrorism is!!

if we needed another reminder of what terrorism is, the Virginia Tech shootings was more than enough.

But too many Republicans refuse to acknowledge this! 9/11 was an act of terrorism because it was organized by radical Muslims, the IRA was terrorism because it is led by radical Catholics. But Oklahoma City wasn't terrorism because it was organized by radical nuts who loathed Janet Reno. And Virginia Tech wasn't an act of terrorism because this killer wasn't from North Korea!

I'm sick of the Republican use of terrorism. Republicans don't want to protect our country from mass murderers or even organized crime. The "war on terror" is just another opportunity for these creeps to justify larger amounts of wasteful military spending, to lump Islam and Communism into single political category, and to label all who criticize Bush and his war in Iraq as dangerous traitors.

but when it comes to more gun control, cracking down on companies that hire illegal immigrants, and cutting military aid to radical insurgents in other countries..the Republicans are suddenly silent. If it helps a neocon raise money or win primary votes, then it isn't a threat to our country. :crazy: