Tackleberry Will Be So Pissed

AP:

The Senate voted Tuesday [52-47] to extend for another decade a ban on military-style assault weapons and to require background checks on buyers at private gun shows, giving Democrats rare victories on gun legislation...
...
"Once again we're in a political season, and once again we're debating gun ownership," [Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho] said.

Once again, I'm perplexed that anybody can deny that there are some limits to our right to bear arms, or rather that by debating such limits folks somehow demonstrate they're against gun ownership. Just as a prohibition on yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater does not violate our Amendment I rights, neither does a prohibition against ownership of certain weapons violate our Amendment II rights.

So no, Senator, we are not debating gun ownership. We are debating assault weapon ownership, and once again the Senate has followed the will of the majority of Americans in imposing a reasonable restriction for the good of society.

ntodd

PS--I do accept the notion that it is people who have the right to bear arms, not militias as some have tried to claim. The recognition that a militia is drawn from the People, who necessarily need to be armed to form said militia, is certainly implied in the Big C.

[Update: looks like the bill to which the above amendment was attached just got rejected 90-8. So no assault weapons ban extension as yet. Craig is blaming the amendments, which he and Bush amongst others didn't want in the liability bill.]  ¶ 3:52 PM