Giuliani on Gun control ...

[Petre]

Pretty bold statement ... where are the stats to back it up ?

Giuliani says gun control helped reduce N.Y. crime

SACRAMENTO -- Rudy Giuliani addressed a potentially troublesome issue with conservative voters, saying his policies as mayor to get handguns off the street helped reduce crime in New York.

"I used gun control as mayor," he said at a news conference Saturday during a swing through California. But "I understand the Second Amendment. I understand the right to bear arms."

He said what he did as mayor would have no effect on hunting.

Addressing another potential trouble spot with conservatives, Giuliani spoke in favor of a border fence, saying, "You have to have secure borders, you have to have a fence, and the fence I think has to be a highly technological one."

The nation needs to know, he said, who is coming into the country and why. But he provided scant details on how he would deal with illegal immigrants already in the country. Citizens, he added, should be able to read and write English.

Giuliani was to make an address Monday in Silicon Valley and he was to appear Tuesday at an agricultural fair in the Central Valley.

Asked when he would make a formal announcement that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination, Giuliani said: "Well, formally announce? I don't know."

He then alluded to making an announcement in multiple locations "so we get more attention" but provided no details.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

The good old 'guns is about hunting' crappola. Just like every lame politician shouldering the O/U shotgun to shoot a duck, endangered species, their friend or a goose.

Of the current set, I think only Richardson shows any understanding of the use of firearms for self-protection, etc.

The second one mentions 'hunting', :barf:

 

[Trip20]

HANNITY: Let me move on. And the issue of guns has come up a lot. When people talk about Mayor Giuliani, New York City had some of the toughest gun laws in the entire country. Do you support the right of people to carry handguns?

GIULIANI: I understand the Second Amendment. I support it. People have the right to bear arms. When I was mayor of New York, I took over at a very, very difficult time. We were averaging about 2,000 murders a year, 10,000...

HANNITY: You inherited those laws, the gun laws in New York?

GIULIANI: Yes, and I used them. I used them to help bring down homicide. We reduced homicide, I think, by 65-70 percent. And some of it was by taking guns out of the streets of New York City.

So if you're talking about a city like New York, a densely populated area like New York, I think it's appropriate. You might have different laws other places, and maybe a lot of this gets resolved based on different states, different communities making decisions. After all, we do have a federal system of government in which you have the ability to accomplish that.

HANNITY: So you would support the state's rights to choose on specific gun laws?

GIULIANI: Yes, I mean, a place like New York that is densely populated, or maybe a place that is experiencing a serious crime problem, like a few cities are now, kind of coming back, thank goodness not New York, but some other cities, maybe you have one solution there and in another place, more rural, more suburban, other issues, you have a different set of rules.

HANNITY: But generally speaking, do you think it's acceptable if citizens have the right to carry a handgun?

GIULIANI: It's not only -- I mean, it's part of the Constitution. People have the right to bear arms. Then the restrictions of it have to be reasonable and sensible. You can't just remove that right. You've got to regulate, consistent with the Second Amendment.

HANNITY: How do you feel about the Brady bill and assault ban?

GIULIANI: I was in favor of that as part of the crime bill. I was in favor of it because I thought that it was necessary both to get the crime bill passed and also necessary with the 2,000 murders or so that we were looking at, 1,800, 1,900, to 2,000 murders, that I could use that in a tactical way to reduce crime. And I did.

When reading the above transcript, there are a couple things that sounds great. But they're nothing more than diversionary statements.

He believes gun control reduces crime. I'd like him to address the issue that it also removes an affective form of protection from good people living in bad areas.

He believes where you live (i.e., population, rural/urban...etc) should dictate what regulations/infringements are reasonable. Obviously living in dangerous sections of NYC doesn’t justify one’s right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes such as self protection. This is dangerous. This man's view of what justifies removing 2A rights is a prime example of that tired old "slippery slope" argument we all know and love.

Any politician interested in gun control, who's also interested in retaining some of the conservative gun owner vote will bring up hunting and how much they support the same.

 

[pitz96]

I can't imagine how Giuliani thinks he could possibly get the Republican nomination with his stance on guns. Bringing up hunting is so bogus, like that's the only reason anyone would possibly want to have a gun. For example, I just like to shoot, but I don't hunt with my guns.

Perhaps Giuliani could switch parties and run as a Democrat? He might make a good alternative to Hillary, anyway.

 

[GoSlash27]

pitz,

I can't imagine how Giuliani thinks he could possibly get the Republican nomination with his stance on guns.

Here's a hint: Who else would they run?

 

[Redworm]

I can't imagine how Giuliani thinks he could possibly get the Republican nomination with his stance on guns.

Because the GOP is no more a friend to our rights than the Democrats? Why people still have this illusion that their holy Republicans are going to preserve all their freedoms is beyond me. They don't care about the 1st, 4th and 5th. Why the hell would they care about the 2nd?

 

[K80Geoff]

I would like Mr Giuliani to explain to me how not allowing 30 round magazines made after 1994, but permitting those made prior to 94, reduced crime in NYC.

How did forcing manufacturers to remove flash suppressors on rifles made after 94, but allowing those made prior to 94, reduce crime in NYC.

How does a 10 round magazine prevent crime? And a 13 round magazine cause crime?

Why did he cancel carry permits for folks who had them for years?

 

[mooreshawnm]

If McCain/Guliani are representing the republicans and Clinton/Obama are representing the dems then I will vote third party. I will continue to do so until a viable constitutional candidate appears. No amount of 'lesser of two evil's' retoric will sway me. It appears to me that the choice is decline quickly or decline a little less quickly.....the end result is the same. I would rather have it out now while I am still young enough to participate in the inevitable uprisings

 

[Panthera Tigris]

I don't think guns will ever become an issue

I suspect another terrorist attack will occur inside the US and at that point most anti-gun discussions will be moot.

 

[Te Anau]

If McCain/Guliani are representing the republicans and Clinton/Obama are representing the dems then I will vote third party. I will continue to do so until a viable constitutional candidate appears. No amount of 'lesser of two evil's' retoric will sway me.

+1 on that

 

[old 12 gauge]

Guliani will not even let you have a dull butter knife, He's not going to be president anyway, wait til Hillery and gang start showing his other face, not the one with him walking down 42nd st holding a dust mask over his face.
It's time for the 3rd party, the other 2 have took almost everything we have in the past 150 yrs, 300,000 laws on the books and we still don't know what is legal.
If they really wanted to stop crime, shut down the borders and ports. issue store owners and gas station attendents pistols then see how many pot heads try to rob them if they know that they're going to get shot. the only reason murders went down in NY is because drugs were easier to get..stop waisting time arresting the drug freaks , eventually they'll over dose or get shot if the public could defend their selves.

 

[mete]

Giuliani dropped the crime rate not through gun control but by being tough on criminals !! He went after even the minor crimes which in the past had been ignored !!..His recent comments are pure BS.

 

[K80Geoff]

How convienient, Drudge this morning has two headlines of shootings, one in Utah and one in Philly (PA).

Just what he needed to make his point.

 

[WeedWacker]

"Go nader" - Me

Maybe I should put that in my sig. Been saying it alot lately

 

[sasquatch]

Redworm

"Because the GOP is no more a friend to our rights than the Democrats? Why people still have this illusion that their holy Republicans are going to preserve all their freedoms is beyond me."

Perhaps, at least on 2nd Amendment issues, because it's true?

 

[gnut]

Lets cut to the chase. If a politition is asked what is his stance on gun control and he or she starts dancing around the question then they are for gun control. They are politicians because they thrive on having power. If the people can not defend themselves the polititians have more power! It is just that simple. I don't trust a dam one of them.

 

[Redworm]

Perhaps, at least on 2nd Amendment issues, because it's true?

If it were true I'd agree with you. Sadly, it's not. The GOP is no more a friend to your guns than the Democrats. The Republican party simply prefers to play for that vote.

 

[BIGR]

He is trying to blow smoke up your tailpipe. So sad how most politicians have forgot about 9/11. They think more gun control is the answer. Its the criminals you dumb son of a bastard, liberal politicians, open your eyes and get your head out of big monies as#.
Americians need to be well armed and ready for more terrorist attacks. It is only a matter of time.

 

[sasquatch]

Redworm

"The GOP is no more a friend to your guns than the Democrats. The Republican party simply prefers to play for that vote."

Worm, you and I need to play a little game here. Try this: you name a Republican (Governor, US Senate or House) who is anti-gun, then I'll name a Democrat who is so inclined. We'll see who gives up first.

You go first.

 

[UMP]

The only Republican canidate I will even considering supporting is Huckabee. He has been a great friend of gun owners in Arkansas.