Hunting for Votes ; John Kerry's False Gun-Rights Embrace

Summary

---

Will numerous photo-ops with guns, hunting trips and impassioned claims to support the Second Amendment as an individual right convince Americans that John Kerry shares their views on gun ownership? Just last Thursday, Mr. Kerry went on a widely publicized goose-hunting trip in the swing-state of Ohio. While Mr. Kerry's changing statements on the Iraq war or his position on hotly contested social issues such as abortion may be confusing (He says that that life starts at conception, but he supports partial-birth abortion), his claims on guns is even more difficult to understand.

Earlier this year, Mr. Kerry said, "I believe that the Constitution, our laws and our customs protect law-abiding American citizens' right to own firearms." In September his campaign went as far as saying: "John Kerry's opponents are worried because he's the first Democratic candidate to support Second Amendment gun rights and to be an avid hunter.... The Republican Party and George Bush's campaign will stop at nothing to mislead voters about John Kerry's record." If you believe some of the responses from voters, Mr. Kerry's statements have convinced many that he supports gun rights.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Hunting for Votes ; John Kerry's False Gun-Rights Embrace

But according to those on both sides of the gun debate - the Brady Campaign and the NRA - Mr. Kerry has voted for every gun- control bill before the Senate over the last 18 years. He has cons...

See the full content of this document

---