Clinging to Religion and Guns

Guns and God. This is what it may very well come down to in November 2008. Senators Obama and Biden are struggling to act as though their past record as anti-gun politicians is irrelevant. On the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, Obama felt compelled to say "If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it." When he saw skeptics in the crowd, he began pandering and vacillating. "Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress. This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back? I see a couple of sportsmen back there. I’m not going to take away your guns."

Old news, perhaps, but an examination shows Barak Obama's voting record and his proposals on gun control to be only exceeded by that of his partner, Joe Biden. If Obama had the same influence and length of time in office as Biden, his history on gun control might be even more appalling.

On Jan 15, 2008, at the Democratic debate in Las Vegas, when queried about licensing and registering gun owners as President, Obama stated: "I don't think that we can get that done. But what we can do is to provide just some common sense enforcement. The efforts by law enforcement to obtain the information required to trace back guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers. As president, I intend to make it happen."

Regarding a document endorsing a state ban on the sale and possession of handguns in Illinois, Barak Obama claimed "No, my writing wasn't on that particular questionnaire. As I said, I have never favored an all out ban on handguns."

Actually, Obama's views were clear on a 1996 document, which was filed when Obama was running for the Illinois state Senate. A Chicago nonprofit group, Independent Voters of Illinois, asked these simple, direct questions, Obama's answers are in bold:

35. Do you support state legislation to:
a. ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns? Yes.
b. ban assault weapons? Yes.
c. mandatory waiting periods and background checks? Yes.

Obama's presidential campaign claims a staffer filled out these questionnaires, not Senator Obama. "There are several answers that didn't reflect his views then or now. He may have jotted some notes on the front page of the questionnaire, but some answers didn't reflect his views," they say. Yet now he makes it clear that he knows he does not have the votes in Congress to do just that. Men who have no intentions of disarming the populace have no need to examine whether they have the political power to do so.

In a 2004 survey conducted by the Chicago Tribune of Democratic primary candidates for the U.S. Senate, Barak Obama said he opposed allowing ordinary citizens to carry concealed weapons and that a federal law banning concealed carry legislation except for law enforcement is needed. Obama elaborated, "National legislation will prevent other states' flawed concealed weapons laws from threatening the safety of Illinois residents." But there is more.......

From the Chicago Defender, Dec. 13, 1999:

"Sweeping federal gun control legislation proposed by Sen. Barack Obama (D-13th) would increase the penalties on gun runners who are flooding Chicago's streets with illegal weapons.

At an anti-gun rally held at the Park Manor Christian Church, 600 E. 73rd St., headed by the Rev. James Demus, Obama also said he's backing a resolution being introduced into the City Council by Alds. Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Ted Thomas (15th), Leslie Hairston (5th) to call for a "shot-free" millennium celebration.

Obama outlined his anti-gun plan that includes increased penalties for the interstate transportation of firearms. The maximum penalty now for bringing a gun across the border is 10 years in prison. Obama is proposing to make it a felony for a gun owner whose firearm was stolen from his residence which causes harm to another person if that weapon was not securely stored in that home.

He's proposing restricting gun purchases to one weapon a month and banning the sale of firearms at gun shows except for "antique" weapons. Obama is also proposing increasing the licensing fee to obtain a federal firearms license.

He's also seeking a ban on police agencies from reselling their used weapons even if those funds are used to buy more state-of-the-art weapons for their agencies. Obama wants only those over 21 who've passed a basic course to be able to buy or own a firearm.

He's proposing that all federally licensed gun dealers sell firearms in a storefront and not from their homes while banning their business from being within five miles of a school or a park. He's also banning the sale of 'junk" handguns like the popular Saturday Night Specials.

Obama is requiring that all people working at a gun dealer undergo a criminal background check. He's also asking that gun manufacturers be required to develop safety measures that permit only the original owner of the firearm to operate the weapon purchased.

Additionally, he wants an increase of the funds for schools to teach anger management skills for youth between the ages of 5-13. Obama is also seeking to increase the federal taxes by 500 percent on the sale of firearm, ammunition [sic] -- weapons he says are most commonly used in firearm deaths."

When questioned by the Chicago Tribune in 2007 regarding Heller v District of Columbia, Obama stated the "DC handgun law is constitutional."

A quick synopsis from CNN regarding Obama's record on gun control:

"Voted against a 2005 law prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers stemming from acts committed by others using their products.
Supports instant criminal background checks on people purchasing guns and believes law should apply to gun sales at gun shows. Calls for permanently reinstating assault weapons ban. Voted for 2005 amendment placing restrictions on rifle ammunition that is "designed or marketed" to be armor-piercing. Supports making guns childproof and voted for 2005 child safety lock amendment. Would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which allows the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to share data on history of sales and transfers of firearms used in crimes only with federal agencies for national security purposes, or prosecutors needing it for an ongoing criminal investigation or prosecution. Regarding the Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, Obama did not sign a friend-of-the-court brief that urged the Supreme Court to overturn the District of Columbia gun ban. At a debate, when asked about case, Obama said he believes "that the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right." Voted for 2006 amendment prohibiting confiscation of firearms from private citizens, particularly during times of crisis or emergency."

The Washington Times noted:

"In 2000, for example, the NRA mounted a massive direct-mail and TV/radio campaign against Mr. Gore's candidacy and his gun control voting record. Voter exit polls in that election showed that about 48 percent of all voters owned guns that year, up from 37 percent in 1996."

How many Americans own guns in 2008? How many American carry concealed for self defense in 2008? As the 2008 election heats up, it is incumbent on gun owners to avail themselves and others with the facts concerning the greatest threat to gun ownership ever to close in on the White House. Senator Obama said "This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back?"

Yeah, we can hear you in the back Senator. These are damned good reasons not to vote for you. Gun owners have the power to keep Barak Obama and Joe Biden out of the oval office and the power to protect our freedoms. It's time for us to again rise up and be heard.

"If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." — Winston Churchill