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Kerry wants to show that he understands. Some folks who are surrounded by wilderness depend on the hunt to survive, at least part of the year. They need their guns for that. Not all of the hunters are like that but many are. Especially in this jobless economy. Most of the so called red states are in these open areas where hunting is common. Lot in the blue states too. Here's Kerry on guns: Working for Sensible Gun Safety Supports the Brady Bill & Mandatory Background Checks – John Kerry strongly supported passage of the Brady bill which required mandatory waiting periods and background checks to ensure criminals and the mentally disabled did not receive illegal access to guns. Kerry actively worked for passage of the Brady legislation in the Senate in 1993. The Brady law “has prevented almost 700,000 felons, fugitives and mentally ill people from purchasing guns.” Kerry’s strong support for gun safety won him the 1990 endorsement of Sarah Brady, wife of former Reagan press secretary James Brady--who was severely injured in the 1981 assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan and for whom the Brady bill is named.
Will Work to Close the “Gun Show Loophole” – John Kerry opposes the loophole which allows violent criminals to purchase guns at gun shows. Under the current loophole, unlicensed gun sellers are not required to perform a criminal background check on potential buyers at gun shows--and this allows guns to fall into the hands of felons, stalkers and violent juveniles. Kerry has voted to close the gun show loophole and will continue to work to keep guns out of the hands of those who are not legally allowed to have them. Of closing the loophole, Kerry said, "These are modest and sensible measures that will keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals. Opposition to such reasonable proposals is explained more by politics than by sound policy considerations."
Voted to Ban Military-Style Assault Weapons in the United States – John Kerry strongly supports the current ban on assault weapons and voted to restrict the manufacturing, transfer or possession of these weapons in the United States—including AK-47’s and similar weapons used by terrorists in Afghanistan. Kerry voted for the “Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act” which banned military-style assault weapons. Additionally, the ban on assault weapons was supported by virtually every national law enforcement organization in the United States.
Working Make Gun Locks Mandatory & Prevent Child Access to Guns – John Kerry has worked to ensure that gun safety devices are readily available, sold with every gun and achieve their goal of keeping children from firing them. Kerry authored the bipartisan “Gun Lock Consumer Protection Act” to make sure “child safety devices for handguns” meet the stringent requirements for which they were intended. Additionally, Kerry voted for strong requirements for gun locks including that they be sold with every gun in the United States. Kerry also voted to increase penalties for people who allow children access to firearms. Regarding John Kerry’s gun lock provision, Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) said, “As more and more gun owners and lawmakers respond to the relationship between children and loaded, accessible firearms, by purchasing and requiring firearm safety devices it is essential that we ensure safety devices fulfill their intended purposes. Gun safety devices that not work should not be on store shelves. Common-sense standards for firearm safety devices will provide peace of mind for parents and prevent accidental shoot tragedies in homes." <107th Congress, S.416; Senate Roll Call votes 1998 #215, #216, #224; Office of Senator DeWine, Press Release, 3/1/01>
Voted to End Unlicensed Sale of Guns on the Internet – John Kerry voted to end the unlicensed sale of guns over the Internet. Kerry voted to force websites which are clearly designed to sell guns to be federally licensed and compliant with all related firearm laws. Often times, criminals and others not legally allowed to purchase guns will use the Internet and these websites to by-pass federal gun laws.
A Leader in Banning “Cop Killer Bullets” & Banning Large Capacity Clips – John Kerry is a national leader in promoting sensible oversight of ammunition sales and favors banning large-capacity ammunition clips which have no sporting value yet risk the lives of police officers and average people from the criminals that wish them harm. Kerry is the author of the “Ammunition Safety Act” which sought to allow for greater scrutiny of ammunition dealers and cracked down on armor-piecing, “Cop Killer” bullets. Kerry also voted to ban large capacity ammunition clips and voted to protect these military-style weapons which are only meant to kill people. <105th Congress, S. 533; 104th Congress, S. 433; Senate Roll Call vote 1998 #24; 1999, #116>
On the Record for Sensible Gun Safety
Supports Legal Gun Ownership - "I'm a gun owner. I'm a hunter. I've hunted since I was a kid."
Prepared to Defend Common Sense Gun Laws – “I'm a hunter. I enjoy going hunting. I'm prepared to stand up and defend common sense on guns, common sense.”
Denounces Those Who Think AK-47’s are for Hunting – “Kerry talked about how he was hunting at the age of 8 or 9, when he went to his cousins' Massachusetts farm to shoot woodchucks. While he supports background checks and a ban on assault weapons, he said, "I never contemplated hunting deer or anything else with an AK-47," Kerry said.
Unlike Bush, Supports a “Real” Gun Safety Locks Measure – John Kerry, “in a legislative move that could trip up Bush, yesterday launched a bill aimed at tightening federal standards for gun safety locks. ‘George Bush is running around saying down in Texas he's giving away all these free gun locks, but will they work?...There are no standards for gun locks.’ Despite their growing popularity, gun locks are not subject to even minimal safety standards - and many of them can easily be broken into, Kerry said. ‘Some kids can beat these locks with screwdrivers,’ said Kerry, ‘It's pretty scary."
Cracks Down on Unlicensed Ammunition Dealers & “Cop Killer” Bullets - John Kerry “has introduced a bill (S. 533) that would subject ammunition dealers to the same licensing requirements as firearms dealers. S. 533 would also apply the Brady bill's background check requirements to ammunition. Under the bill, the Secretary of the Treasury would be required to test and rate the destructive power of projectiles to clearly define and ban armor-piercing ammunition.
Kerry’s Sensible Gun Safety Laws Do Not Include a Ban On Guns – When asked if his position on gun safety included banning the sale and ownership of guns—an unrealistic and virtually impossible idea, John Kerry responded with his common sense goal for America: “No, I wouldn't do that. I don't think it's enforceable to begin with, and I believe that we have a strong second-amendment-belief structure in America. It's not going to change. What could change…is the responsibility with which we handle them and approach guns.”
Senate Floor Statements:
On Gun Violence
"We see a country where, literally, far too many of our kids are carrying guns to school instead of lunch boxes…We have always had poverty in the United States of America and we have always had violent crime…We have never seen children talk matter-of-factly about blowing each other away or about living in a world where guns are as common as water. Or about going to bed at night with the notion they may not get up the next day except to face a hail of bullets."
Floor Statement, November 4, 1993
"No wonder people in this country are fed up with Washington. They are fed up because they understand what they want done. And instead, we get things being labeled, and gamy little political phrases thrown around. And, in the end, what happens? Another kid picks up a gun and shoots somebody, and America goes on about its business."Floor Statement, August 12, 1994
"Too many children in the United States go to sleep to the sounds of gunfire and accept as normal the violent deaths of siblings, friends, and schoolmates. Working together, we can combat gang violence, poverty, and handguns to ensure we no longer have to live under the constant threat of violence."Floor Statement, April 24, 1996
On Gun Safety
"More than 200 people die from the accidental use of handguns every year. In 1992 alone, 233 accidental deaths occurred because of handguns. This included 6 babies, 36 kids under the age of 14, and 8 senior citizens, 2 of whom were over the age of 80…In light of these sad and disturbing facts, there is no good reason to have ever more dangerous bullets on the market. And there is every good reason to keep off our streets and out of our homes bullets that supply handguns with the destructive power of assault weapons…" Floor Statement, February 16, 1995
"We also must deal with the fact that handguns are too accessible. Handguns pose an ever-increasing danger to the safety and welfare of the American public. Nearly one-third of children ages 10 to 17 surveyed in 1993 said they knew how to get a gun…If it's true that `people kill people,' it's also true that they most frequently do so with handguns…" Floor Statement, April 24, 1996
On the Assault Weapons Ban
"I want to recognize the leadership of Senator Feinstein and Senator Hatch for their efforts to combat gang violence…I also want to express my admiration for the Senator from California for her leadership on the assault weapons ban, both in her courageous efforts to pass it through Congress and her tenacity in stopping efforts to repeal it." Floor Statement, April 24, 1996
On the NRA
"I think everybody knows how much money has been spent by the National Rifle Association and by the gun lobby…to prevent Americans from getting a crime bill." Floor Statement, August 12, 1994
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