Bernie Sanders and gun control

[shireen]

I'm not looking to start an argument. I've seen comments in other posts about DU'ers being highly critical of him for it. Fine. Message received.

I agree with Bernie's general philosophy that we need to converge on a middle ground. But in order to defend him, I need more information.

I'm looking for first-hand information from the candidate himself, not news reports, about why he voted in favor of certain bills. Hillary mentioned him voting five times against the Brady Bill. What was that about?

Does anyone have links to credible information about his gun law votes?

I really wish Bernie would write a position statement and post it on his web site, explaining his thinking on it and why he voted against some gun laws that, on the surface, make him look anti-gun control. He must have had good reasons for it.

[ileus]

1. FWIW my opinion, Bernie is a good guy and at heart want to remain progressive on the 2A.

But here of late because it's trendy he's blowing around in the wind and leaning toward being a controller.

[Eleanors38]

2. There is no gun company immunity bill. There is a law preventing nuisance suits...

Last edited Wed Oct 14, 2015, 11:35 AM - Edit history (1)

against gun companies which controller-banners favored by essentially singeling out companies for suits arising from someone using a gun in a crime (no car company, chemical company, or airplane manufacturer is subject to this unique legal position, though they have all had their products used in crime). Before this legislation was proposed, several lawsuits were filed to do what the bill would not have allowed: Cause a blizzard of nuisance suits to try and run companies out of business. This was an extremist gun-control maneuver which courts saw through.

They were all thrown out.

Please keep in mind gun and other manufacturers remain subject to product liability, deaths, injuries, damages due to product failure; my Remington 700 deer rifle is currently under recall. Same as it ever was. Someone else can pick up on the Brady bill.

[Kang Colby]

3. There is plenty of info available on the web..

explaining Bernie's rationale for his votes. You have to keep in mind Bernie represents Vermont, which is one of the most pro-gun states in America. In fact, Vermont's approach to firearms makes Texas and the rest of the southern states look like New York City by regulatory comparison.

It's clear though that Bernie is positioning himself at present to be viewed as a politican sympathetic to gun control. He also voted in favor of the AWB in 94 and 2013. He certainly didn't win any points with me for those votes.

He did vote for the PLCAA, which was a huge help to the pro-gun cause. Back in the late 90s/early 2000s the primary gun control manuever was what is referred to as a frivolous lawsuit. The idea was to get a bunch of big city mayors together and sue gun companies into bankruptcy by making them defend frivolous legal challenges. The effort was coordinated by Andrew Cuomo who was Clinton's HUD secretary at the time. PLCAA was a response to that effort.

First, President Clinton showed extraordinary leadership in this issue from the start, raising this issue and keeping it in the center of our public discourse. The President pushed hard everyday for common sense gun legislation and had the courage to stand up and say that HUD would support a lawsuit against the gun industry, a bold step indeed on a different course.

Today we see the fruits of the President's vision. Mr. Ed Schultz, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson, who showed outstanding leadership and also showed good business judgment knowing that these continued lawsuits would be ultimately the death of the gun industry; the cities, counties and states who started this process months ago.

http://archives.hud.gov/remarks/cuomo/speeches/smwsagr.cfm

Thankfully, Cuomo's plan to abuse the judicial system to attack lawful articles of commerce associated with a constitutionally protected right was foiled by PLCAA.

[virginia mountainman]

4. It's Bernies resistance to gun control that keeps him a viable candidate to me..

I have no interest in the other "front runners", and by the way they talk, they have no interest in my support.

Now I am definitely looking closely at Jim Webb.