Our task at the 2012 Democratic National Convention

[bluestateguy]

I think we should work to remove the gun control language from the party platform. Support explicitly the right of states to enact right to carry laws, support the Heller and McDonald court decisions and enforce existing laws on the books.

Get rid of the nonsense language about closing the so-called (actually non-existent) "gun show loophole" and for heavens sake get rid of the plank about bringing back the politically labeled "assault weapons" ban.

The 2008 platform on the gun issue reads as follows:

Firearms
12 We recognize that the right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition,
13 and we will preserve Americans’ continued Second Amendment right to own and use
14 firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation, but
15 we know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together
16 to enact and enforce common-sense laws and improvements, like closing the gun show
17 loophole, improving our background check system and reinstating the assault weapons
18 ban, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Acting responsibly
19 and with respect for differing views on this issue, we can both protect the constitutional
20 right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe.

http://www.workinglife.org/storage/users/4/4/images/111/2008%20democratic%20platform%20080808.pdf

[baldguy]

1. We - Democrats, that is - should work to keep Republicans from influencing our party platform.

[jazzhound]

2. Let's fix this line, shall we?

We -- Democrats, that is -- should work to prevent useless, knee-jerk gun "control" legislation from undermining our chances to defeat Republicans and implement productive social policies.

Much better.

[spin]

4. In that case we should never listen to the Brady Campaign ...

Sarah Brady

Sarah Brady (born February 6, 1942) is the wife of former White House Press Secretary James Brady. She was born to L. Stanley Kemp, a high school teacher and later FBI agent, and Frances Stufflebean Kemp, a former teacher and homemaker. She has one younger brother, Bill.<1>

***snip***

From 1968 to 1970 she worked as assistant to the campaign director for the National Republican Congressional Committee. She then worked as an administrative aide, first for Mike McKevitt (R-CO) and then for Joseph J. Maraziti (R-NJ). From 1974 to 1978 Sarah Brady worked as director of administration and coordinator of field services for the Republican National Committee.<2>

Her husband sustained a permanently disabling head wound during the Reagan assassination attempt which occurred on March 30, 1981. James Brady remained as Press Secretary for the remainder of Reagan's administrations, but this was primarily a titular role.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Brady

Paul Helmke

Walter Paul Helmke, Jr. (born 1948) is an American politician, and president of the Washington, DC-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He has held this position since mid-July 2006.<1> He is a former mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana and a former president of The United States Conference of Mayors.

***snip***

Political career

Helmke defeated Democratic incumbent Mayor Winfield C. Moses, Jr. in 1987. Helmke won re-election in 1991 and 1995. He did not seek re-election in 1999.<1>

In 1980, Helmke ran in the Republican primary for the then Fourth Congressional District open seat in Indiana to replace Dan Quayle who was running for U.S. Senate; he was defeated by Dan Coats, who later went on to serve as U.S. Senator from Indiana. In 1998, he won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring incumbent Republican Dan Coats, but lost to Democrat Evan Bayh in the general election. In 2002, Helmke unsuccessfully challenged incumbent U.S. Representative Mark Souder in the Republican primary for the Third Congressional District in Indiana.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Helmke

[rrneck]

6. That's because

only republicans own guns. Riiiiiiiiight.

[TheWraith]

13. I agree completely and totally.

Let's get Brady, Helmke, and Bloomberg out of the mix. And for good measure, avoid listening too to the former Republicans like McCarthy.

Instead, let's follow the example of people like Eleanor Roosevelt, who carried a concealed pistol for nearly 30 years, and Eugene Debs, who encouraged every American to exercise their rights to self defense.

[SteveM]

14. Oh, you mean the Brady Center? They're GOP-founded, GOP-led.

So, are you going to join up with us fellow Democrats to get rid of the onerous gun-control language, or are we too liberal for you?

[jazzhound]

3. Your idea is a solid one.

I've been informing every Dem that mails me asking for more $$ that they won't get another cent from me until the Democratic Party reforms it's position on gun "control".

If the people will lead -- the leaders will follow.

[Up Quark]

7. Thank you, you get it. We the People really does mean we the people

:D

[jazzhound]

15. As a recipient of "tough love" myself I know that it is

true love ---- and so I've now decided it's time to dispense true love to my Dem pols.

[spin]

5. Great plan! (K&R) (n/t)

[safeinOhio]

8. Only one problem.

If you look at election maps, most support and votes for Democrats comes from urban areas, not rural ones. Most in the rural areas are not going to change votes on one issue. On the other hand the Democratic party has lots to lose and little to gain by pushing for fewer gun laws. It would be like supporting the religious right to gain votes in the south and rural areas to gain a few votes there and alienating the base. Until you can convince the people in major cities that they would be safer with more guns in their neighborhoods, that would be counterproductive.

This is something that you ignore.

[spin]

9. There was plenty of support for RKBA in the Tampa Bay

area of Florida which includes Tampa, St Pete and Clearwater in the 37 year time frame that I lived there.

Many of the supporters were Democrats. In Florida people know damn well that they are safer in their neighborhoods with firearms than without them.

[friendly_iconoclast]

10. I don't buy your assessment, for two reasons:

1. Support for gun control is eroding in large cities.

2. Deferring to the hard core gun control supporters hasn't worked. That way has led to Democrats having 100% of nothing

instead of 80% of something.

[safeinOhio]

11. NY, Chicago and DC

only elect mayors that support gun control. Throw out 10 million voters on a single issue and Democrats will always come in second. While they keep some rhetoric in the platform they don't act nationally on the issue. Worked in the last election. I'd leave it in and continue to not pass any hard core bills.

On the state level it is a different story. If Strickland gets bumped off by Kasick in Ohio, your theory is shot. Even having it neck and neck at this date kind of blows it. The Dem is rated A by the NRA and the repub F. Even voted for the AWB while in congress. Looks like gun issues don't matter.

[friendly_iconoclast]

17. And those voters will go....Republican? Green? Nope, time for them to realize gun control is over

The Republicans are batshit insane these days. They'll make no inroads in large urban areas in our lifetimes.

The Greens couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery.



I'm sorry, but you've been pushing the "Big city voters want gun control" meme quite hard, and I'm getting rather tired of it.



Should we defer to the desires of the "pro-life" voters of Nebraska?

Should we defer to the "pro-family" voters in California who passed Proposition 8?


It's long past time to read the various Brady campaign/VPC/Third Way stooges out of positions of power within the Democratic

Party.

[PavePusher]

19. "NY, Chicago and DC only elect mayors that support gun control."

From what I can tell, that's the only kind of candidates they get. Maybe if they had some viable options....

[Abq_Sarah]

12. Constitutional rights

Aren't dependent on your zip code. And I can assure you no one with a "D" behind his or her name is going to win an election in my blue county if they are anti-second amendment.

[slackmaster]

16. Where is a gun control extremist voter going to go if the Democratic Party drops the issue?

Are they all going to vote Republican, or a third party (and which one would that be)?

I don't believe anyone out there votes a straight D ticket because the platform calls for renewing the failed AW ban; but plenty of people avoid voting for Democratic candidates because of it.

[friendly_iconoclast]

18. Exactly. See my post #17 above. Time to pull the gun-control language from the platform