Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders Walks A Fine Line On Gun Control
In the wake of last week's Charleston church shootings, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders explained his competing concerns between gun rights and gun safety.
"I think guns and gun control is an issue that needs to be discussed," Sanders told NPR's David Greene in an interview that will air on Thursday's Morning Edition. "Let me add to that, I think that urban America has got to respect what rural America is about, where 99 percent of the people in my state who hunt are law abiding people."
In the wake of the tragedy that took the lives of nine African-American parishioners at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, many Democratic politicians have renewed calls to tighten gun-control measures. Sanders said he's open to a conversation about what to do next on gun-control measures and would go along with stricter background checks, for example. But he noted in the interview that those measures alone wouldn't solve the problem of gun violence in America.
"So obviously, we need strong sensible gun control, and I will support it," Sanders told Greene. "But some people think it's going to solve all of our problems, and it's not. You know what, we have a crisis in the capability of addressing mental health illness in this country. When people are hurting and are prepared to do something terrible, we need to do something immediately. We don't have that and we should have that."
For left-leaning senators from largely rural, pro-gun states like Vermont it can be tough to strike a balance talking about guns. Sanders has had a mixed voting record on guns. He voted to end the "gun-show loophole" and in favor of the 2013 universal background check bill and assault-weapons ban following Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre that left 20 children dead. But, previously, Sanders voted to allow guns on Amtrak and against the Brady bill.
It's a stance that could prove problematic for the insurgent White House hopeful. While Sanders has staked out forthright positions mostly to the left of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, guns is one issue where he is more toward the middle of the current field. It's one he doesn't bring up as often as his other rivals, either.
More here: http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/06/24/417180805/bernie-sanders-walks-a-fine-line-on-gun-control
JTFrog
(14,274 posts)But I hate his position on guns.
smokey nj
(43,853 posts)JTFrog
(14,274 posts)Right now I'm leaning Bernie.... But I really dislike his stance on guns. I was agreeing with the posted article that this could be an issue for some Democrats.
If that is out of line I apologize and will no longer post here.
(Also, I apologize for not originally realizing I was posting in a group and not a forum....not sure what link I followed here. I will be more careful in the future.)
merrily
(45,251 posts)Trajan
(19,089 posts)That dude has everything I could ask for in a Liberal candidate ... I agree far more with Bernie than any Democrat since ... Hell, never ...
I'm not worried about that one bit - other Liberals can carry that baton across the finish line ...
marym625
(17,997 posts)That he will be talking about this. I have faith he will handle it well.
I also think that it's not as bad as it seems. At least I am hoping. I disagree with his stance on guns but it's still closer than another candidate. However, until a candidate says, " abolish the 2nd Amendment, take all the guns, melt them down and use the metal for something more useful" I won't agree with any candidate on this 100%. And I am not holding my breath.
Even if there was such a candidate that wanted to get rid of all the guns, I they would have to be the same as Bernie on everything else for me to support them
Before anyone says anything, I absolutely know that it will never happen in this country that guns are eliminated, or probably even limited in any real way. Just dreaming
TM99
(8,352 posts)He supports reasonable gun control measures. He recognizes that getting rid of all of the guns will not magically make human beings not do stupid and tragic acts of violence. He accepts that we need better mental health care than we have currently in this profit driven medical system we are stuck with.
Excellent.
swilton
(5,069 posts)and am a lifetime member of Veterans for Peace...
In this campaign the important things are economics and the environment: the most urgent issues facing our country. The other things will follow. This is Sanders' strong suit and what separates him from Clinton and O'Malley.
More importantly, this issue is being exploited by the Clinton/(and now) O'Malley team (directly/indirectly) as a distraction from Sanders positions on the economy.