Would you hope that a presidential candidate would advocate for stronger gun control

[Nye Bevan]

when making a statement in response to a shooting rampage?

20 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	12 (60%)
	No
	8 (40%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[morningfog]

1. Oh look. It's Nye. Denigrating the candidate who called it racism

to make political points.

[Nye Bevan]

3. Not "denigrating" any particular candidate.

This is just as much about hoping that Hillary, as well as the other Democratic candidates, advocate for stronger gun control when responding to this tragedy as it is about Bernie's statement.

[morningfog]

6. Of course it is. Of course.

[frylock]

2. Nice to see DU's Team Clinton exploiting this tragedy for their candidate.

[morningfog]

4. On the bodies of nine dead black worshippers.

Pretty disgusting, but not surprising for this one.

[99Forever]

29. Yep, so very classy.

Always.

[Nye Bevan]

5. I will be the first to criticize Hillary

if she does not advocate for stronger gun control in response to this.

[morningfog]

7. Her first response did not include such a statement.

She also didn't call it racism.

[Nye Bevan]

9. I find that to be disappointing (nt)

[DanTex]

8. Not to mention team Bernie, posting his statement like that. The nerve.

Don't these people know that we're not supposed to talk about race and guns in the aftermath of a racist gun shooting?

[Autumn]

17. Has Hillary talked about race and guns in the aftermath of a racist gun shooting yet?

Or are we still waiting for her catch up statement on the racism that caused this horrific tragedy ?

[frylock]

23. hunh

[whatchamacallit]

14. I'm surprised it took this long

[uponit7771]

43. Not surprising Team Sanders would minimize an issue to POC to politics NOT... NOT because

... Team Sanders are a bunch of assholes they're not... Sanders is worth fighting for

Team Sanders is not aware of this issue for POC...


I was wonder all along how Sanders record on guns was going to fly in communities of color.

...

Like the guy, would ground pound for him but none of our current kick ass candidates can throw a stone

[Evergreen Emerald]

52. I do not understand why talking about Gun control

is exploiting?

[frylock]

58. This is just a transparent attempt to further the argument that Bernie Sanders is a gun nut..

nothing less.

[Evergreen Emerald]

61. I did not think of that.

I did see attacks on Clinton, but saw none on Bernie.

The truth is that we must do something about the amount of guns in our society. I agree that the cause of theses constant terrorist attacks are likely complex and there is more than one cause. But seriously, we as a society have proven that we are simply not responsible enough to handle that mass amount of guns in our society.

[frylock]

75. I apologize if that was not your intent..

This was posted immediately after Sanders' response this morning, as well as another thread by pnwmom that I can't find right now.

Would you hope that a presidential candidate would advocate for stronger gun control when making a statement in response to a shooting rampage?

[Hoyt]

71. Just weak on guns for political expediency/votes.

I don't think the OP was aimed at Sanders, but I haven't been keeping up with who folks support.

[frylock]

74. Representing your constituency is political expediency?

Could you elaborate?

[Hoyt]

76. Yes, guns are a pox on society, not unlike racism. Just because your constituents are into something

like that, doesn't mean you support it.

If Sanders fools me and wins the general election, I'll be as happy as anyone. I don't think it is likely.

[Bobbie Jo]

60. It isn't.

Just the latest opportunity for some to exercise their phony righteous indignation.

IMO...it should be part of the discussion.

[Evergreen Emerald]

66. Sorry, I do not see phony righteous indignation.

But certainly we need to have a REAL conversation about gun control without going for personal attacks, or having our feelings hurt because our candidate may disagree with the gun control concept.

The truth is that we have proven as a society that we are unable to handle the freedom of gun ownership without some rules and regulations. it is way way past time. Every time a terrorist attack happens we are all resolute to make changes. And then it fades as the weeks pass, until the next tragedy.

[Bobbie Jo]

69. Look upthread

It's there...

I'm agreeing with you, btw.

[onehandle]

10. Hope? Clearly. Expect? No. But...

Hillary’s White House bid energizes gun control supporters

http://thehill.com/regulation/other/239934-hillarys-2016-bid-energizes-supporters-of-gun-control

[misterhighwasted]

20. From your Link. Hillary's Statement on gun control.

"Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, has been a staunch advocate of gun-control proposals, such as expanding background checks and banning assault weapons. Last summer, she ripped groups that oppose those ideas as out of step with public opinion.

“We cannot let a minority of people, and that’s what it is, it is a minority of people, hold a view point that terrorizes the majority of people,” Clinton said during a CNN town-hall event."

There is no question how Sec of State Clinton feels about this issue.

Thanks

[whatchamacallit]

11. I'm a strong advocate for gun control

Making guns harder to obtain could take some of the easy immediacy out of such killings, but someone could have tossed a bomb in that church if they were so motivated. Gun control doesn't address the country's underlying malady of hate.

[upaloopa]

12. We will never improve the gun violence

situation by knee jerk responses to tragedies like this.
We need an ongoing effort by all parties involved to get a solution.
We need legislation designed to keep guns out of the hands of shooters like the latest one while protecting the rights of law abiding citizens.

[LittleBlue]

13. Gross. Blatant exploitation of a tragedy

NickBarnett ?@NickBarnett
Why are we making this a gun control issue??? Isn't this a hate crime? It was a hand gun not a assault riffle..

jalylah ?@jalylah
Issue at heart of #CharlestonMassacre is racial terror, terror that was essential to founding & development of this nation, not gun control.

Laz Alonso ?@lazofficial
Lets not let this killer off & make this debate about gun control or mental health. Hatred for fellow Americans killed these innocent people

[morningfog]

18. The OP would much prefer to discuss guns than racism.

[arcane1]

35. The OP would rather bash Sanders than mourn murder victims.

They think the silent thread provides some sort of cover for this shameful behavior, but it only makes them look more ridiculous.

[whatchamacallit]

19. What do expect from people whose main reason for supporting a candidate is winnability

Points must be scored!

[hack89]

15. Every Dem presidential candidate will avoid gun control

it is not an issue they want to campaign on in all those purple states where they are wooing independent voters.

[Nye Bevan]

21. Probably true, but very depressing.

The power of the gun lobby is an awful thing.

[hack89]

24. Gun control is not a high priority for potential voters

so there is no advantage to make it a central part of any campaign. People will not vote for HRC or Bernie based on their views on gun control while there is a large segment of the population prepared to vote against HRC or Bernie for their views on gun control. Best to let that sleeping dog lie.

[Lizzie Poppet]

44. Agreed.

Yep, gun control is a huge issue for a vast number of voters, the overwhelming majority of whom oppose it. Among voters who support additional, stringent gun controls, I'd venture to say it's not a particularly critical issue for them. Among those who oppose additional controls, however, it's commonly a "hot button" issue. It's a deal-breaker for them when a candidate advocates stringent controls.

[NCTraveler]

16. Yes. Even if unsuccessful.

The verbiage coming from the top is extremely important. It often makes the country as a whole more comfortable publicly talking about the issue.

We must continue off of the efforts of Obama.

[HereSince1628]

22. I can't address that just as trade bills aren't about trade

Gun control isn't always about guns or ammunition.

Yes, I'd like to see such crimes zeroed out.

But, there is a lot of room, especially amid the emotion of an event, for not well considered ideas to be put forward. Without specifics to consider nothing can be judged.

I don't own guns. You couldn't harm me just by limiting my ability to buy something I don't want. But because gun control is also about controlling people, there needs to be some pause to consider potential for unintended consequences.

[jwirr]

25. It would depend on what gun controls - my family hunt to suppliment food.

[Nye Bevan]

27. There are hunters in the UK.

Not that many mass shootings, though.

[frylock]

26. "Heartbreaking news from Charleston - my thoughts and prayers are with you all. -H"

She took time out of her busy schedule to tweet that.

[hrmjustin]

28. Yes. I strongly favor gun control.

[arcane1]

30. Before the bodies are even buried. You should be ashamed.

Do you have evidence that any gun control, short of a total ban, would have had any effect on this tragedy?

Of course you don't. That's not your role here. Your role is pimping dead bodies for a cheap smear.

[Nye Bevan]

32. President Obama argued for gun control in his response to the massacre.

Should he have waited for the bodies to be buried?

[arcane1]

33. Lame. Obama didn't criticize presidential candidates, did he?

You're becoming increasingly transparent

[Nye Bevan]

34. So it's OK for him to argue for gun control,

but I shouldn't even ask the question as to whether politicians should argue for gun control?

[arcane1]

38. Being deliberately obtuse is getting boring.

Why it doesn't bore you, I don't care to know.

[jamzrockz]

31. yes

Just as long as the gun control law enacted is one that would have prevented this particular massacre.

[Logical]

36. No, we lose support over it and nothing would get better anyway! nt

[Behind the Aegis]

37. When making the intial statements, politics shouldn't come into play.

The statement should be brief, call for justice, and express sympathy for the families and community of the affected group. To add political statements is, IMO, callous and is a big "but" to the apology, much like flaunting a politician's statement in order to garner support for/advocate against a particular candidate. In short, it is TACKY!

[Nye Bevan]

39. So when President Obama brought up gun control in his initial response he was being "tacky"?

And "callous"?

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/7613074

[Behind the Aegis]

41. That is not an intital statement. That is our president speaking to the nation.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

46. You don't play dumb as well as you think. nt

[Lizzie Poppet]

40. No, I'd prefer the liberal candidate actually WIN next November.

Advocating gun control would be pure poison in the general election.

[tularetom]

42. A candidate's position on gun control is not a deal breaker for me

Talk is cheap. Even if a candidate proposed a complete ban on the ownership of firearms they would never be able to get such an asinine proposal past congress or the courts so I would just put it down to empty campaign bullshit. I would tend to look first at the candidate's position on issues that matter more to me like economic inequality, the loss of middle class American jobs, and destruction of the earth's environment.

And for those who are so smugly attempting to smear Senator Sanders as a "gun nut", I can recall Ms Clinton during her 2008 appeal to "hard working white Americans" speaking fondly of the time her dad/uncle/grandfather or some other relation, took her out in the woods and taught her to shoot, as an example of why she vowed to stand up for their second amendment rights.

Again, talk is cheap. President Obama has been in office for 7 years and has not changed one law. If anyone believes Ms Clinton will change anything, they're delusional.

Sen. Sanders opposes the death penalty too, but I would have no problem throwing the switch to fry the asshole who shot nine African American worshipers in their church.

[uponit7771]

45. If the candidate advocates for less of it it's a deal breaker for me

[aikoaiko]

47. I'd prefer smarter gun laws.

[Marr]

48. I just want to say how gross it is to see someone using a tragedy like this to score cheap

points for their favorite politician.

Do you really think this is doing anything but embarrassing your allies and setting your opponents more firmly against you? This is foul, truly low behavior. Your moral compass is seriously out of kilter.

[Nye Bevan]

49. Plenty of DUers criticized Hillary's tweet,

in which she expressed her horror and offered her condolences.

Were these DUers also attempting to "score cheap points"?

[Marr]

50. You keep saying that.

I saw you make that same comment all over the thread about Sanders' remarks on the tragedy, while making every sick, exploitative, dishonest political attack you could.

I suppose it makes you feel justified.

You don't give a damn about this tragedy, and believe me-- it shows. Your mind can't break out of the campaign orbit long enough to express a bit of simple compassion, or even consider someone elses'.

[Nye Bevan]

73. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026856871

[wyldwolf]

51. Bernie 'supporters' try to score 'cheap points' daily

Some people are sensitive now...

[Marr]

53. Well, at least you're admitting the OP is exploiting this tragedy to score cheap political points.

That's something.

[wyldwolf]

54. Care to quote me anywhere? No, of course not. You're just lashing out.

[Marr]

57. I'm not interested in playing some stupid word parsing game with you.

Have a nice evening.

[wyldwolf]

59. feel the bern.

[Marr]

63. Again, gross. /nt

[wyldwolf]

64. you can dish it out but you can't take it.

[Marr]

67. Jesus Christ, are you in third grade?

Seriously-- are all Clinton supporters this juvenile?

[wyldwolf]

68. "I'm not interested in playing some stupid word parsing game with you." LOL

[Marr]

70. ...

Yes, wyldwolf-- you made a 'they hit me first' sort of comment. Adults tend to recognize those as admissions of having done some hitting yourself. Can you follow that?

Now, I'm done talking with you. Have a nice evening.

[wyldwolf]

72. ......

how sad for you to go into a defensive position over nine deaths by gunfire - just because Bernie supports the right of the killer to have that weapon.

[PeteSelman]

55. No, it's a dead issue. A lost cause.

And it costs votes.

Look, it's over, we lost. There's no going back on this.

[hrmjustin]

56. Since when is it a sin on the Democratic Underground to advocate for gun control or ask a question

like you did?

I have my disagreements with youon issues but the responses here have me scratching my head.

[wyldwolf]

62. oh, you know!

Bernie 'supporters' have gotten sensitive on the gun issue. Now anytime someone advocates for gun laws - even when something horrible happens - they think he's being attacked.

[hrmjustin]

65. This pisses me off royally. The hypocrisy of certain posters today really is pissing me off.

Lost respect for several posters today.