Reply #95: Guns is a loser for Dems...FWIW - Vermont and Howard Dean [View All]

[Petrodollar Warfare]

What the Democrat Party needs to realize is that old cliche "All Politics is local" should be rewritten to reflect the glaringly obvious "All GUN Politics is local."

Owning or carrying guns in many rural states is perceived entirely different from owning or carrying guns in urban states (ie. NY, CA, etc.) This is also a distinctly cultural/political issue that I have witnessed firsthand. (Try moving from Texas to Maryland, and purchase a firearm in both states - and you will note the difference in both culture and laws/paperwork.) I'm a law-abiding citizen and sometimes target shooter, but the difference in laws and culture is regional (at the state level).

In Maryland you fill out more paperwork, and that's fine. Afterall, nobody wants people buying guns who have personal histories that would cast doubt on their suitability for ownership of a tool that requires a requisite amount of personal and civil responsbility.

In fact, unlike most Democratic candidates, Howard Dean was not attacked very heavily by the NRA (he had an "A" grade/rating from the NRA). Why, because all GUN POLITICS is LOCAL. To those who might be uninformed, Vermont has one of the most open/liberal "concealed carry" gun laws in the United States(!) The "gun crowd" simply refers to it as the "Vermont Carry," and even people in TEXAS wish they had a "Vermont carry" type of law...and I'm not kidding. (Unlike Vermont, under the "carry laws" in Texas you have to take a course on gun safety, a skills test where you shoot your pistol, plus the associated fees. None of that is required in Vermont, its strange but true). So, why do the citizens of Vermont, a liberal bastion of voters not have gun laws similar to New York, another bastion of liberal voyters? Simple. Its demographics, or in other words - All GUN Politics is LOCAL.

Vermont has a very low population density, and a very low crime rate, so any old 18-year old can "pack a gun" assuming they have not been prohibited due to mitigating issues (ie. domestic violence, mental disorders, drug-addictions, etc.) Of course NY has a much higher population density, and New York City is of course the largest city in the US. So, guns are not carried by folks in NY or in Washington DC for that matter (unless they are law enforcment/security types). Note: In Washington DC you can not own a shotgun with a barrel less than 22" (forget about owning a pistol).

Here's some important info re Vermont I just pulled from a website "packing.org" re the question of the liberal "Vermont carry" law and vehicles:

"In Vermont, the carrying of a handgun unconcealed/concealed is regulated by a 99 year old State Supreme Court ruling. It is legal, carrying a loaded pistol in your car is also legal. Some localities have "banned" the wearing of arms, but it violates the state supreme court ruling and every prosecutor in the state is aware of this. But the answer to your question, YES you can carry a pistol loaded in your car and on yourself with no permit as long as you are 15 years old and you are not prohibited form possessing a gun."

(Note: Federal law preempts that until you are 18 years of age)

We need to face the facts that many, many Americans are "single-issue voters" - who vote for Republicans over either 1) abortion or 2) guns. The first issue is a deeply personal issue that is not subject to much change from either perspective, but the 2nd issue is addressed in the Bill of Rights and should remain a LOCAL issue. Their are already sufficient Federal Laws re various "destructive devices" and Class III/automatic weapons, and any further FEDERAL laws are simply a complete loser for Al Gore, John Kerry and any other Democratic politician who wants to run on a NATIONAL campaign. I concur with the below statement:

"Here's the key to winning the white house. Shut the Hell up about guns PERIOD."

If the Democrats changed only ONE item on their national platform, it should be the issue of guns, and IMO - states like TN and West Va would quickly become "blue states."