For some reason Al D’Amato feels compelled to inject himself into the gun control debate. From his op-ed at the LI Herald, “Calls for gun safety must not fall on deaf ears“:
“… Personally, I am a proponent of the Second Amendment, and throughout my career in the U.S. Senate I voted against bills that would have limited an individual’s right to own a gun … “
So how did you earn the D/D- ratings?
“…. However, there are always instances where certain gun-control measures are necessary. For example, I voted in favor of President Clinton’s 1994 measure that limited the manufacture of assault rifles …”
Thanks for the explanation.
“… Over time, we’ve learned that our gun-control system has failed us …”
So, clearly we must expand upon this failure rather than actually try dealing with the problems of violent criminals and cowardly politicans who hide behind them and/or exploit them for political gain?
“… One troubling trend is the increase in the sale of firearms at gun shows. Non-dealers, who can be anyone trying to sell guns they legally own, are allowed to rent a table at a show and sell them. They don’t have to follow federal guidelines and are permitted to sell firearms without checking backgrounds. It’s ludicrous! …”
It’s also a fabricated non-issue Mayor Bloomberg is pushing. Now we know where Al’s been getting his talking points.
“… Bloomberg … outlined a series of steps designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and those with a history of mental illness. “The law says that drug abusers can’t buy guns,” he said, “but even though Jared Loughner was rejected by the military for drug use and arrested on drug charges, he was able to pass a background check and buy a gun. It should be clear to everyone that the system is broken …””
He just admitted gun control doesn’t work. Why should we expand upon this failure?
“… Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy … announced plans to introduce federal legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines. These magazines enable guns to carry more bullets, and give an attacker more time to fire before reloading …”
They also give citizens more time to act in self-defense against an aggressor or multiple aggressors.
Why is Al trying to inject himself into this issue? It’s tempting to think that he’s just missing the media attention he got while in office, or that he’s gone senile. However, he’s still something of a behind the scenes powerbroker for the RINO-wing of the NY GOP. This bears watching to see if he tries to influence other Republicans.
