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Bill Richardson? Is this true?
The 2nd Amendment is precious
Q: You are currently the NRA's favorite presidential candidate declared in either party, based on their rating system. Did anything about the massacre at Virginia Tech make you rethink any part of your position on guns?
A: The first point I'd want to make is my sincerest condolences to the families of those loved ones that perished. It was an unspeakable tragedy. You're right; I'm a Westerner. The 2nd Amendment is precious in the West. But I want to just state for the record, a vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding. This is an issue that deals with two fundamental problems in our system. The first is mental illness. We should ensure that all federal and state initiatives deal with making sure those with mental illnesses cannot get a gun. We should find ways to ensure that our schools get the help that they need to detect these mentally ill patients. Secondly, I'm for instant background checks. We have to make sure states are properly funded to be able to detect those problems.
Source: South Carolina 2007 Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Apr 26, 2007
We should ally with pro-gun recreationists in West
Richardson revels in his image as the quintessential Westerner. "You have to talk about guns in the context of lifestyle, recreation, a way of life," the Governor argues, "rather than as just a measure to prevent murders and deaths. Democrats need to move into a void in the West. The Bush Administration is scaring off recreationists, hunters and fishermen because of their extreme anti-environmental policies. It's important to build alliances with them, and not to make the gun issue a litmus test."
Source: Sasha Abramsky, in The Nation, "Democrat Killer?" Apr 18, 2005
The 2nd Amendment is precious
Q: You are currently the NRA's favorite presidential candidate declared in either party, based on their rating system. Did anything about the massacre at Virginia Tech make you rethink any part of your position on guns?
A: The first point I'd want to make is my sincerest condolences to the families of those loved ones that perished. It was an unspeakable tragedy. You're right; I'm a Westerner. The 2nd Amendment is precious in the West. But I want to just state for the record, a vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding. This is an issue that deals with two fundamental problems in our system. The first is mental illness. We should ensure that all federal and state initiatives deal with making sure those with mental illnesses cannot get a gun. We should find ways to ensure that our schools get the help that they need to detect these mentally ill patients. Secondly, I'm for instant background checks. We have to make sure states are properly funded to be able to detect those problems.
Source: South Carolina 2007 Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Apr 26, 2007
We should ally with pro-gun recreationists in West
Richardson revels in his image as the quintessential Westerner. "You have to talk about guns in the context of lifestyle, recreation, a way of life," the Governor argues, "rather than as just a measure to prevent murders and deaths. Democrats need to move into a void in the West. The Bush Administration is scaring off recreationists, hunters and fishermen because of their extreme anti-environmental policies. It's important to build alliances with them, and not to make the gun issue a litmus test."
Source: Sasha Abramsky, in The Nation, "Democrat Killer?" Apr 18, 2005
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