2004 Presidential Election.

[Jack Simth]

rextorres said:
- I am still trying to understand why it is that the NRA et.al. think that banning assault rifles is a bad thing.

Keeping in mind that you are talking about orginizations of individuals, and that specific reasons for individuals vary widely, I know of three basic reasons:

For some, it's a matter of caution (some would say paranoia). If assault weapons are Banned, what's to stop them from banning all firearms? If all firearms are successfully eliminated, what's to stop the government from voting themselves into hereditary positions? Respect for the US Constitution? Considering that in banning firearms they are going against the Second Amendment already? Or that in holding suspected terrorists without trial they are going against the Fifth and Sixth Amendments? However, if the general populace has enough in the way of firearms to stage a successful rebellion against an oppressive regime, then there is less likely to be an oppressive regime in the first place.

For others, it is simply the principle of the thing - the US Constitution says that "...the right to bear arms shall not be infringed", and view banning assault weapons as infringement.

Others just think that guns are cool, and would prefer owning them leagally to owning them illeagally.

Personally, I'm planning on breaking pattern and voting Libertarian - Bush was on watch when the Patriot Act (and the later supporting bills) was passed, so I'm not about to vote for him. I saw a commercial for Kerry saying he wanted to strengthen it even more, so I'm not going to vote for him, either.