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Fred Thompson on Gun Control
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
I strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime. The answer to violent crime is smart, effective, and aggressive law enforcement. The real effect of these gun-control measures is to place onerous restrictions on law-abiding citizens who use firearms for such legal activities as self-defense, sport-shooting, hunting, and collecting.
Campaign website, www.Fred08.com, "Issues" Sep 20, 2007
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. Require background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)50; N)50; VP decided YES
Lautenberg Amdt #362; Bill S. 254 ; vote number 1999-134 on May 20, 1999
Asked about regulation at gun shows, Thompson responded, "Well, having just come from one..." referring to the gun show he visited in Florida last week. After some laughter, Thompson said the government should not restrict the rights of private citizens, in the home or at gun shows.
THOMPSON: I am against gun control generally. Check my record and you will find I'm pretty consistent on that. Q: You'd be perfectly happy to let people have handguns in their home? THOMPSON: Yeah, absolutely.
Thompson also reaffirmed his pro-gun rights stance when asked about a man who used an AK-47 assault rifle to shoot four Miami-Dade County police officers Thursday, killing one. He said an assault weapon ban isn't the answer. "We'll never be able to keep people like that from getting their hands on weapons and it does not result in a good thing to disarm law abiding Americans," Thompson said.
Asked about regulation at gun shows, Thompson responded, "Well, having just come from one..." referring to the gun show he visited in Florida last week. After some laughter, Thompson said the government should not restrict the rights of private citizens, in the home or at gun shows.
Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. Require background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows. Status: Amdt Agreed to Y)50; N)50; VP decided YES
Lautenberg Amdt #362; Bill S. 254 ; vote number 1999-134 on May 20, 1999