Kerry's Gun Hypocracy

[CET]

First I present exibit A, a story from Newsmax.

A Gun-law expert Alan Korwin is calling for calm in the national uproar over John Kerry's possible serious gun violations during a recent photo op in Racine, W.V.

The national clamor over the Democratic presidential candidate, who took possession of a Browning semiautomatic shotgun outside his home state, reflects a problem with the laws and should not be used to arrest and prosecute the man, Korwin says.

A gun crossing state lines is heavily regulated thanks to John Kerry and his ilk.

"There are so many charges Kerry might face," according to Korwin, who has written seven books on gun laws, including the unabridged plain-English federal guide "Gun Laws of America."

1. Taking ownership of the shotgun gift, if he doesn't already have a valid Massachusetts Firearm Identification Card, could subject him to a two-and-a-half-year prison term in his home state. Since he has claimed publicly he owns firearms, chances are he has this critical piece of paper, Korwin says.

2. Bringing the firearm back to Massachusetts, if he received it from a private party, would be a federal felony under the 1968 Gun Control Act (five years in prison, $5,000 fine, 18 USC §922).

3. The only exemption that would allow him to bring it into his home state requires that he obtained it in a face-to-face transaction with a federal firearms licensed dealer (FFL). A private gift would not qualify.

4. If Kerry did get it from an FFL, he would have had to personally fill out and sign a 4473 form, required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), before the gift was given, under penalty of federal felony.

5. If Kerry did not personally undergo a "NICS" instant background check before the transfer from an FFL, he would have put the person conducting the transfer in some legal jeopardy, though the law contains a loophole that probably would save Kerry from additional harm (the dealer, not the recipient, suffers from failure to do the NICS check).

While gun lobbyists are inflamed that Kerry introduced a law that would outlaw this particular type of sporting shotgun and gun gifts in general, it is a good thing the law has not passed yet, because then it might be too serious a problem to simply ignore.

Korwin says that calls to indict Kerry are premature and "most certainly overkill. John Kerry should receive the same lenient treatment any other citizen deserves when innocently violating these complex and non-intuitive rules." At least give him a chance to explain, Korwin pleads.

Unfortunately, federal authorities from BATFE have been known in the past to be inflexible in their enforcement of even minor technical violations (note that none of these felony violations involve a victim or any sort of harm). With widely circulated evidence, in the form of photographs of Kerry in obvious possession of the firearm, he could find himself subject to the long arm of the law.

More importantly, Korwin says, "Some of these laws are just foolish, putting honest citizens at enormous and unjustified risk, and are so complicated that even a presidential candidate and his staff cannot figure them out."

Now I present exibit B, a story fresh from Associated Press.

Kerry Bashes Bush on Assault Weapons Ban

Mon Sep 13,11:22 PM ET

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) sought to make President Bush (news - web sites) pay a political price Monday for the expiration of a partial assault weapons ban, but other Democrats reacted warily on an issue that has hurt the party in recent elections.


"George Bush (news - web sites) made a choice today. He chose his powerful friends in the gun lobby over the police officers and the families he promised to protect," the Democratic presidential candidate said a few hours after the end of a decade-old ban on 19 types of military-style weapons.


Half a continent away, the issue seemed different to Democratic Rep. Brad Carson (news, bio, voting record) of Oklahoma, a key figure in his party's drive to gain a Senate majority this fall.


"He opposes reauthorization of the assault weapons ban," said spokesman Kristopher Eisenla. "He is a champion and a supporter of gun owners rights."


The party's divisions were on display in the House, as well. There, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., and others called for a new ban ? at a news conference that none of the party's top congressional leaders attended.


"It's an issue that cuts both ways," said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. The California lawmaker supports the ban but has not made its extension a priority.


Under her leadership, minority Democrats have worked to force eight pieces of legislation to the floor in the past two years, including one relating to electricity reliability. But because there is no caucus consensus on the weapons ban, Daly said, it is not among the eight.


"It's a shame that they're not as active as we'd like them to be on this, but the NRA's history on this speaks for itself," said Rob Recklaus, a spokesman for McCarthy.


"It takes a lot of political courage to take them on," he said of the well-funded National Rifle Association, which has opposed extending the ban.


Democratic strategists have worried for more than a decade over being perceived as the party of gun control, however popular the issue is in urban and suburban areas.


A decade ago, some Democrats concluded that a vote on gun control legislation played a part in their loss of the House in the 1994 elections.


Five years ago, then-Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites) cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate in favor of a provision requiring background checks for all firearms transactions at gun shows and pawn shops.


Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss., later predicted it would cost Gore in several border states, and GOP aides said at the time they had maneuvered the vice president into the vote. Some Democrats concurred that Gore's high-profile support for gun control played a role in his narrow defeat in the race for the White House.


Not all Democrats in Southern or Western states or House districts oppose the ban ? just as some moderate Republicans favor a new one.


"I side with law enforcement, police chiefs, police officers and the sheriffs in supporting the ban," said Paul Babbitt, running against first-term GOP Rep. Rick Renzi (news, bio, voting record) in a sprawling Arizona district.


Babbitt said he has a hunting license and is teaching his 15-year-old son to hunt, but added the assault weapons ban "is a very commonsense safety issue."


Nick Clooney, a Democrat running for an open seat in conservative, rural Kentucky, was less definitive.

"I support President Bush's position," he said through an aide.

Not many Democrats will admit to that, particularly since Kerry accuses Bush of double-dealing.

Bush has long said he supports an extension. But he did nothing in public to pry one out of the GOP-controlled Congress.

His re-election campaign marked the ban's expiration by issuing a detailed description of the administration's anti-crime efforts over the past four years ? and noting Bush's endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police.

Bush believes the best way to curb gun violence is to enforce laws that are on the books, said spokesman Scott McClellan, adding that violent crime is at a 30-year low.

"The president's position is well known," the spokesman told reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush flew to Michigan. "Congress is well aware of the president's position."

Kerry used an appearance a few blocks from the Capitol to say Bush had promised police officers four years ago to extend the ban, only to break his word.

"George Bush should stop hiding behind the Republicans in Congress," he added.

Kerry routinely tries to reassure hunters that his position on gun issues is not a threat to their avocation. "I support the Second Amendment. I am a gun owner. I am a hunter," he said as he was criticizing Bush.

The NRA disputes Kerry's self-depiction as a friend to hunters.

"There's a 20-year record he's trying to run away from," NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre said last week in an Associated Press interview.

La Pierre said his organization will soon air television infomercials on the subject of Kerry and guns, beginning in South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Florida. They argue that Kerry's voting record in the Senate shows that if elected president he would try to erode gun owners' rights.

So, Kerry breaks a few gun laws in one day and then bashes Bush for not extending a ban on bayonet lugs, pistol grips, flash suppressors and magazines THE VERY NEXT DAY! No hypocracy here.

[nofx]

oh but Bush can fuck the entire world over and goto war with Iraq to fight "terrorism" but really its pretty much about to oil and money, war resulting in 1000+ of our soldiers deaths, and a 500 billion dollar budget deficit...ok

[lawked]

Holy christ, a republican troll.

Bush is killing iraqies left and right and US KIDS, over 1000 now.

You're gonna bring up Kerry's gun shit... just think for a moment you slow motherfucker.

I hope you get in the cross fire of one of these assult rifles. Just what we need, US is more divided than ever and they're gonna let the assult ban expire. Ok.

Btw, republicans want your business shutdown.

[CET]

Originally posted by nofx
oh but Bush can fuck the entire world over and goto war with Iraq to fight "terrorism" but really its pretty much about to oil and money, war resulting in 1000+ of our soldiers deaths, and a 500 billion dollar budget deficit...ok

What are you talking about?

[Mojiteaux]

These people are not in the Adult Industry but just students. They don't care about our business being shut. Probably they are even recruited by some republican group to throw dirt at Kerry. Their only form of political debate...

[CET]

Originally posted by lawked
Holy christ, a republican troll.

Bush is killing iraqies left and right and US KIDS, over 1000 now.

You're gonna bring up Kerry's gun shit... just think for a moment you slow motherfucker.

I hope you get in the cross fire of one of these assult rifles. Just what we need, US is more divided than ever and they're gonna let the assult ban expire. Ok.

Btw, republicans want your business shutdown.

Because I point out that Kerry is a hypocrite on something, that means I'm a republican? Think outside of the box for 2 seconds, there's more people in America then just democrats and republicans.

Also, this has squat to do with Iraq.

Gotta love it though, I say something you don't agree with, so that makes me a troll. You can't even discuss the issue without name calling. Guess who that makes the troll.