NRA's statement on Judge Sotomayor

[biermeister]

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)

Joint Statement

Wayne Lapierre, Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association
And
Chris W. Cox, Executive Director, National Rifle Association - Institute For Legislative Action
On
Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Nomination To The United States Supreme Court


Other than declaring war, neither house of Congress has a more solemn responsibility than the Senate's role in confirming justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Senate considers the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Americans have been watching to see whether this nominee - if confirmed - would respect the Second Amendment or side with those who have declared war on the rights of America's 80 million gun owners.

From the outset, the National Rifle Association has respected the confirmation process and hoped for mainstream answers to bedrock questions. Unfortunately, Judge Sotomayor's judicial record and testimony clearly demonstrate a hostile view of the Second Amendment and the fundamental right of self-defense guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

It is only by ignoring history that any judge can say that the Second Amendment is not a fundamental right and does not apply to the states. The one part of the Bill of Rights that Congress clearly intended to apply to all Americans in passing the Fourteenth Amendment was the Second Amendment. History and congressional debate are clear on this point.

Yet Judge Sotomayor seems to believe that the Second Amendment is limited only to the residents of federal enclaves such as Washington, D.C. and does not protect all Americans living in every corner of this nation. In her Maloney opinion and during the confirmation hearings, she deliberately misread Supreme Court precedent to support her incorrect view.

(snip)

[baldguy]

1. NRA=GOP

Was there any doubt?

[spin]

8. Not always...

In Florida, in the county where I live, a the campaign of a Democratic candidate running for state office called me during the last election.

They mentioned right off that the candidate had an A rating from the NRA and, "you know how important guns are to the voters in North Florida."

The candidate is indeed a good guy on far more than just the support of firearm rights. I, of course, voted for him.

He won!

Don't buy into the sheer bullshit that gun rights is a Republican issue and draconian gun control is a Democrat issue

[jody]

13. True, GOP has influence on NRA but NRA has been the most effective org representing 84 million

gun-owners and perhaps 2/3 of those gun-owners vote as independents and Democrats. All that with a NRA membership of 4+ million members.

It's past time for gun-grabbers who control our national Democratic Party to STFU and let grass-root Democrats at state and local level really influence RKBA at the national party level.

Sadly, I don't believe that will happen soon and even worst, DUers in general will not read this post or others in DU's Guns Forum because even though we pro-RKBA DUers are perhaps 60-70% of all participants we are banished to the "gungeon" because we support one of the enumerated natural, inherent, inalienable/unalienable rights.

The law of the land as interpreted by SCOTUS says in United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542, 553 (1876), “{t}his is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence. The Second amendment declares that it shall not be infringed . . . .”

That was SCOTUS in 1876 and gun-grabbers today are either extremely duplicitous or grossly ignorant when they don't recognize that inconvenient truth.

In contrast, polls in the last Presidential election found that 4% of voters were gay or lesbian suggesting perhaps 8+ million GL in an electorate of 210 million versus 84 million gun-owners.

Why would any intelligent politician ignore a recognized spokesperson like NRA for 84 million gun-owners and give unequal adherence to the GL community re same-sex marriage?

IMO every enumerated right protected by our Constitution is of equal value and unenumerated rights protected by the 9th Amendment are of equal importance.

I hope SCOTUS someday rules that same-sex marriage and other GL rights are unenumerated rights protected by the 9th and incorporated in the 14th.

[baldguy]

20. You got those Republican talking points down pat.

Karl Rove would be proud.

[X_Digger]

21. aka, "I got shit, so I'll accuse you of 'talking points'",

Seriously, if you can't even respond with more than crap like 'second uber alles', 'nra=gop', or 'talking points', why even bother?

You could set up an eliza chatterbot and make more sense.

[Tim01]

25. I guess you don't really have a good point of your own do you? nt

[jody]

26. What statement did I make that is false? n/t

[DissedByBush]

33. That is a very sad state

Why should the NRA be GOP? It's a rights organization. Democrats are supposed to be about defending rights.

The only reason can be because Democrats haven't made protection of our Second Amendment rights a part of our platform.

It would not be hard to get the NRA back on our side.

[BOSSHOG]

2. And lets provide free weapons to every college student

FOR SAFETY'S SAKE.

[spin]

9. I support concealed carry but...

the idea of allowing every college student to carry firearms is ludicrous.

In Florida you have to be 21 to get a concealed carry permit. Many college students are under that age.

[jody]

14. Even better, give history lessons to gun-grabbers who ignore the law of the land as SCOTUS said

in United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542, 553 (1876), “{t}his is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence. The Second amendment declares that it shall not be infringed . . . .”

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Thanks for your input. Now can we just confirm her?

Next.

[imdjh]

6. Any other parts of the Bill Of Rights you don't support? nt

[iverglas]

31. when are you going to stop beating your dog?

[sharp_stick]

4. Anybody that pisses off that POS LaPierre

is all right in my book. I was a member of the NRA for years, they still harass me to rejoin and I am starting to enjoy telling them to piss off. I sent the last 3 mailings back empty so it would cost them postage, I think they got the message I haven't heard from them in awhile.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. Put a metal plate in it.

Bonus postage.


(Don't do this, I'm joking)

[jody]

15. I agree you have reason to dislike the NRA but I hope that doesn't cause you to join gun-grabbers

who would ban all firearms.

Explicitly gun-grabbers would prevent law-abiding citizens from keeping and bearing arms for self-defense while implicitly with their laws supporting criminals who use firearms.

Government is not obligated to protect citizens against criminals and when seconds count, police are only minutes (hours) away.

[iverglas]

19. god, no, please, don't do that!

You'd be crushed by all that straw!

marching, marching, marching ... shoulder to shoulder, suffocating all in their path ...

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BF29o55KWDc/Ro0-tzKk13I/AAAAAAAAAEY/y7dQSEY-9Uc/s400/Scarecrows+II+92x85cmkontrastert.jpg

[sharp_stick]

22. Oh Hell No

I'm never going to be a gun grabber but I do reserve the right to despise the NRA. ;-)

[jody]

27. We have that in common "despise the NRA" but I also despise gun-grabbers in Dem leadership

positions that have allowed almost encouraged 84+ million gun-owners and their friends to view we Democrats as the gun-grabber party.

[Tim01]

24. Their fundraising has really gotten on my nerves too.

I do donate to them from time to time, but I NEVER give them my name or address.
I wish they weren't so much of a self sustaining bureaucracy.

[X_Digger]

5. Ehn.. circuit court judges don't have that latitude..

.. SCOTUS judges, do, though.

Would have been nice to hear her honest opinion on a lot of issues, but since Bork's clusterfuck, we're not likely to get a prospective judge to actually say what they think about a particular issue.

[iverglas]

7. and

It's a discussion forum.

Were you planning to discuss?

[Redbear]

11. DU rules limit pasting of copyrighted material to four paragraphs

Thanks,

Redbear
DU Moderator

[iverglas]

12. snork

Maybe the OP has dispensation. ;)

[armyowalgreens]

16. I'm getting this feeling that you don't have a lot of friends...

Because if you are this pretentious in the real world, you must have a lot of enemies. Although, you might just be an incredibly lonely person.

Which could also explain your apparent bitterness.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[iverglas]

18. the actual funny thing here

I'm getting this feeling that you don't have a lot of friends...
Posted by armyowalgreens

Because if you are this pretentious in the real world, you must have a lot of enemies. Although, you might just be an incredibly lonely person.

Which could also explain your apparent bitterness.


... okay, more than one funny thing.

The first is just that I find so much here funny, and I'm a whole hell of a lot funnier than the vast bulk of the denizens of this place, and that you would look at that last post of mine and feel compelled to post a tribute to my "bitterness". Yeah, indeed, there's me snorking away about how upset the NRA would be to see one of its acolytes posting its words in extenso at this site, and there's you seeing bitterness. Well, I don't think so, but whatever.

The funniest thing, though, is how I'm not the one constantly posting posts full of nothing but personal invective. Denigrating commentary upon insulting characterization upon presumptuous nonsense, all aimed at little old moi. Badly aimed, totally missing their mark every time, but whatever. Oh yeah, with jody yodelling along in the chorus. Jody who claims not to be able to read my words, and has been instructed time after time after time after time that if you ignore somebody, you ignore them, you do not continue to post personal invective aimed at someone whose words you claim not even to have read.

I have to admit I don't have a huge circle of friends, because most people bore me to tears. Enemies? Nah, not really. Other than the odd misogynist pig or drug-dealing scum of a neighbour, that sort of thing. The Member of Parliament I ran against a couple of times loves me to death. RC priests love me, little first-generation immigrant kids love me, public servant types I worked against and work for love me.

Misogynist pig narcissists and drug-dealing scum who cross my path ... well, I dunno whether they hate me, and I'll bet you know how much I care. Being hated by all the right people was always kinda one of my goals in life, y'know?

So doesn't this place just suit me to a T, eh? ;)



If I could just get past the damned typos ...

[armyowalgreens]

32. It's not that you are incapable of substantive arguments...

You most certainly are capable of delivering your point. The issue is not what you deliver, but how.

You carry a very certain kind of "I'm too good for this place" kind of attitude in your posts. Which is odd considering you are always here to interject. And I have no problem with your willingness to counter our posts.

I do, however, take issue with your inability to carry on civilized discourse without insulting the intelligence of those you debate with.

You seem to think we're all a bunch of know-nothings. Which leads me to believe you suffering from intellectual insecurities.

But what do I know. You're probably 20-30 years my senior with a mountain of experience on me. Although, from personal experience with authority figures, wisdom does not come with age or exposure. It comes with the ability to overcome ones ignorance.

[Tim01]

23. "Bitterness." NAILED IT. armyowalgreens for the win. nt

[iverglas]

30. oh, damn, I'm all confused

Am I on your ignore list?

Just a "." post in reply will do.

[jody]

28. OP source said "This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes." I've

read DU posts that violate DU's rule "Generally, excerpts should not exceed three or four paragraphs."

[biermeister]

29. link to complete statement-

http://www.nraila.org/News/Read/InTheNews.aspx?ID=12702