NRA Targets 4 Big Threats to Gun Ownership

The only time a congressional Democrat in either the House of Representatives or the Senate has actually advocated a total ban on private gun ownership (handguns, rifles, and shotguns) was a comment by California senator Diane Feinstein from 1995. Ms. Feinstein was not speaking for her party's official stance on guns, but only her own personal opinions.

James of MD 4:15PM October 25, 2010

How accurate is the stereotype that Democrats allegedly favor a 100-percent ban on private firearms? (Lesser forms of gun control are a different matter, of course.)

First of all, the Democratic Party platform has never called for a total gun ban. Never. A total ban was never official party doctrine.

Second of all, the U.S. Supreme Court has already imposed a ban on a total gun ban since it's 2008 Heller ruling. That would imply there are no longer any serious total-gun-ban advocates.

Third, is that why some gun owners vote Republican? Because of an exaggerated stereotype.

james of MD 3:22PM October 25, 2010

These four "reasonable" sounding provisions are a ban by the back door. This is exactly the way it was done in the UK, creeping regulations that tightened perceived loopholes in the law bit by bit over the years. When the gun grabbers made their final move, most of the work had already been done, the general public already conditioned by years of anti-gun propaganda and hysterical media reports. Banning semi autos was the first step on the slippery slope; shotgunners and small bore rifle shooters stood silent as they weren't affected....restrictions on storage, photographing, background checks and home inspections (accompanied by a massive hike in permit fees) followed, and gun owners - including the British NRA fell over themselves in the rush to collaborate. In 1997, they seized all handguns belonging to law abiding citizens, and there was no-one left to speak out

"In Germany they first came for the Communists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me -

and by that time no one was left to speak up."

stuart of VA 1:32PM July 30, 2010

Simply put, the primary organization that filed the Heller and McDonald cases was the 2nd Amendment Foundation -- not the NRA. The NRA got on board the Heller case a bit earlier than they did on the McDonald case. The fact is that they have been afraid to take the 2A directly to SCOTUS.

They may have participated, but by no means are they deserving any more than a small portion of the credit.

Dave Cumming of WA 8:02PM July 12, 2010