As someone with an invested interest in the unadulterated preservation of the Second Amendment, you have probably noticed that the issue of the right to keep and bear arms has been hoisted onto the backburner in this primary and caucus season. Until Governor Mike Huckabee interrogated Governor Mitt Romney on the issue in one of the recent Republican presidential debates, I can only remember one other time when the topic was last mentioned in a debate, and that question was phrased to ask the candidates “if any of them personally owned a gun.”
Maybe this is not such a coincidence. Maybe it’s a concerted effort by two of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination: John McCain and Mitt Romney. Neither the Senator from Arizona nor the former governor of Massachusetts can tout impressive records on defending your right to keep and bear arms. In reality, the case is quite to the contrary.
Although he tap-dances around the issue now, Mitt Romney’s record shows that he supported the Brady Bill and a ban on so-called “assault” weapons. In fact, Romney signed into legislation a permanent ban on assault weapons. Moreover, when running for governor of Massachusetts, he said that he supported and promised not to “chip away” at Massachusetts’ strict gun restrictions.
In one debate, he admitted that he does not even personally own a gun (He uses one of his son’s.). That’s certainly not a sin; but it’s not too reassuring coupled with his shabby record. Then, there’s the gaffe when Mitt called himself a “lifelong hunter,” though his campaign later admitted that he may have only ever been hunting twice or so. He joined the NRA and became a “lifelong member” in 2006. Interestingly enough, that’s about the time he would have been considering running for President—as a “conservative.”
John McCain also attempts to portray himself as a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, yet he and his “maverick” mentality have wandered into anti-gun territory multiple times, so much so that the Gun Owners of America gave him an “F” grade in 2004 and 2006 and called his record “Abysmal, wretched, and pathetic.” GOA goes on to say that McCain supported “initiatives to severely regulate gun shows and register gun buyers”; he advocated laws that would require you to keep your guns locked up at home; and he introduced a “compromise” bill of gun show regulations.
Furthermore, the restrictions McCain helped put on political free speech affect Second Amendment activists.
In stark contrast stands Mike Huckabee, a consistent, adamant supporter of your constitutional right to keep and bear arms. He doesn’t have to hide any Second Amendment skeletons in his campaign closet, because he has none. The Gun Owners of America says that Huckabee “has proven himself to be a steadfast friend to gun owners and the Second Amendment.”
Here’s what is listed on Huckabee’s site:
“
• The Second Amendment is primarily about tyranny and self-defense, not hunting.
• The Founding Fathers wanted us to be able to defend ourselves from our own government, if need be, and from all threats to our lives and property.
• Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. I oppose gun control based on geography.
• I consistently opposed banning assault weapons and opposed the Brady Bill.
• As Governor, I protected gun manufacturers from frivolous law suits.
• I was the first Governor in the country to have a concealed handgun license.
No candidate has a stronger, more consistent record on Second Amendment rights than I do. Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our God-given liberties. They devised our three branches of government and our system of checks and balances. But they were still concerned that the system could fail, and that we might someday face a new tyranny from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that's why they gave us the Second Amendment. They knew that a government facing an armed populace was less likely to take away our rights, while a disarmed population wouldn't have much hope. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." Without our Second Amendment rights, all of our other rights aren't inalienable, they're just "on loan" from the government.
Other candidates say gun control doesn't affect hunting. Now I'm a very avid hunter, but the Second Amendment isn't really about hunting. It's about tyranny and self-defense. The Founding Fathers weren't worried about our being able to bag a duck or a deer, they were worried about our keeping our fundamental freedoms.
I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Criminals prefer unarmed victims." Criminals will always find a way to get guns. By disarming our law-abiding citizens, we take away the strongest deterrent to violent criminals - the uncertainty that they don't know who is helpless and who is armed. Our law enforcement officials can't be everywhere, all the time. Lawfully-armed citizens back them up and prevent robberies, rapes, and the murder of innocents. Right after Katrina, with law enforcement non-existent, many victims were able to protect their lives, their homes, and their precious supplies of food and water only because they were armed.
Other candidates believe gun control should be determined geographically, but Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. Your Second Amendment rights don't change when you change your address.
Other candidates filed frivolous law suits against gun manufacturers. When I was Governor, I protected gun manufacturers from exactly those types of suits. I allowed former law enforcement officials to carry concealed handguns and removed restrictions on concealed handgun permit holders. I was the first Governor in the country to have a concealed handgun license, and of course I'm a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Other candidates have supported banning assault weapons. When the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, I said, "May it rest in peace." It won't be returning in the Huckabee Administration.
Zealously protecting your Second Amendment rights is another way that I will lift all law-abiding Americans up, by consistently championing your right to defend yourself.” (
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=18)
Who are you going to support? Will you vote for a candidate who talks the talk and walks the walk…today…but hasn’t in the past? Will you vote for a candidate who’s been dishonest? Or, will you vote for the candidate who has persistently and consistently been a proponent and a protector of your right to protect yourself?
Thank you for your time.
[my name]
p.s. Here is the documentation for the facts in this e-mail:
Gun Owners of America on John McCain:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/mccain.htmGun Owners Rating of John McCain:
http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htmGun Owners: “Abysmal, wretched, and pathetic” comment:
http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htmGun Owners of America on Mitt Romney:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/romney.htmRomney’s “chip away” comment:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/romney.htmRomney expressing support of Massachusetts laws:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/romney.htmRomney’s “lifelong hunting”:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3013787Romney’s “lifetime” NRA membership (see last line of story):
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3013787http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=when+did+Romney+join+the+NRA&btnG=Google+Search Romney’s lack of actual gun ownership:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/14/romney_retreats_on_gun_control/?page=2Romney’s signs permanent assault weapons ban:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/14/romney_retreats_on_gun_control/?page=2http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Romney+sign+assault+weapon+ban&btnG=Google+Searc hGun Owners of America on Mike Huckabee:
http://gunowners.org/pres08/huckabee.htmFor more information on Mike Huckabee, visit:
http://mikehuckabee.com/ and
http://hucksarmy.com/
