U.S. Senate Bids to Ban Emergency Gun Confiscation

[Desertdog]

During the rescue and response after Hurricane Katrina police officers and first responders had to pull back from rescuing victims because they were being shot at by snipers.

I really doubt it was the law abiding citizens that was shooting at them.


U.S. Senate Bids to Ban Emergency Gun Confiscation
But one prominent Democrat, among others, is opposed
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=31738


Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) charges a Republican-backed amendment that prohibits the confiscation of guns during an emergency puts police officers and first responders in danger. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), was added to the Homeland Security appropriations bill during a July 13 Senate vote.

During the rescue and response after Hurricane Katrina police officers and first responders had to pull back from rescuing victims because they were being shot at by snipers. The amendment "prohibits the confiscation of a firearm during an emergency or major disaster if the possession of such firearm is not prohibited under Federal or State law."

Kennedy accuses the Republican leadership of backing "another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies."

Kennedy also accuses the National Rifle Association of setting the Senate's Republican agenda. "This proposal is part of the NRA's nationwide campaign to target the nation's Mayors and Police Chiefs. With fear tactics and inflammatory rhetoric, the NRA is looking for pledges that the people protecting our communities will never confiscate a weapon during a natural disaster. The NRA's perverse response to the devastating tragedy caused by Hurricane Katrina has been to launch an aggressive fund-raising campaign to undermine the very law enforcement and public safety officials who protect us during times of crisis," Kennedy says in a prepared statement.

But Republicans were not the only backers of the amendment. Several key Democrats also voted in favor of the provision. Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd (WV), Barack Obama (IL), Ben Nelson (NE), Bill Nelson (FL), John Rockefeller IV (WV), Evan Bay (IN), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Russ Feingold (WI), Patty Murray (WA), Joseph Biden (DE), Patrick Leahy (VT), Joseph Lieberman (CT) and Mary Landrieu (LA) all voted in favor of the amendment.

 

[Beren]

Obama voted in favor of this bill? That's a surprise. My respect for him just went up a notch, considering how much heat that vote will create for him back home.

 

[the 22 junkie]

Kennedy accuses the Republican leadership of backing "another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies."

Note highlighted font.

 

[No_Brakes23]

I must confess, Lieberman and Obama have both just won points with me.

 

[sctman800]

Obama is the junior senator from my state and he didn't gain any respect from me with his vote. He knew the bill would pass with a huge margin so just used it to blow smoke. Jim.

 

[Live Free Or Die]

Kennedy accuses the Republican leadership of backing "another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies."

Note highlighted font.

That's exactly what jumped out at me when I read this. Does the senator not even know what a right is? It sounds like he doesn't to me. His usage of the word makes it meaningless.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Kennedy Is Neither Ignorant - Nor Stupid...

Kennedy accuses the Republican leadership of backing "another special-interest, anti-law enforcement measure that strips away the rights of law enforcement to respond to public safety emergencies."

Note highlighted font.

That's exactly what jumped out at me when I read this. Does the senator not even know what a right is? It sounds like he doesn't to me. His usage of the word makes it meaningless.

His misusage of the word makes him DANGEROUS!

Kennedy probably got a clue for his tactic from this - "One method of assault may be to effect, in the forms of the Constitution, alterations which will impair the energy of the system, and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown...." George Washington, from his farewell address.

"Change "(alter) the meaning of a word, then you undermine the system. He is a liberal. That is what they do.

Woody

"Knowing the past, I'll not surrender any arms and march less prepared into the future." B.E.Wood

 

[armoredman]

I understand the House passed an even better version by a WIDE margin.

 

[LAR-15]

Yes they did.

THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE passed a permanent version offered by Bobby Jindal.

 

[buzz_knox]

I really doubt it was the law abiding citizens that was shooting at them.

I thought some of the discussions of snipers was later found to be exaggerated/inaccurate.

 

[1 old 0311]

That is not entirely correct. The actual wording reads "FEDERAL funds may not be used for firearms confiscation." It DOES NOT PROHIBIT using city, county, or State funds for confiscation. I read the bill a few days ago. I will try to find the actual copy, not the thumb nail copy.

 

[jcb]

Kevin Q., You got it right. This is a paper tiger at best. This law doesen't do a thing to stop the authorities you mentioned from taking your weapons during a time of emergency. I wish more people would realize that.

 

[tanksoldier]

That's up to the states to pass.

If you don't want the fed.gov telling your state how to spend education money or something, why would you want it telling them what gun laws to have?

This keeps the feds from taking your guns, and has some impact locally as well (National Guard on the federal dime and out-of-state police brought in and deputized as US Marshals can't confiscate, both of which happened in N.O.) but leaves the majority of the gun laws up to the local state legislature... as it should be.

I don't want the junior Senator from NY having a say in the CCW rules or deadly force law for me here in Colorado, either.

That is not entirely correct. The actual wording reads "FEDERAL funds may not be used for firearms confiscation." It DOES NOT PROHIBIT using city, county, or State funds for confiscation. I read the bill a few days ago. I will try to find the actual copy, not the thumb nail copy.

 

[Hypnogator]

Obama is the junior senator from my state and he didn't gain any respect from me with his vote. He knew the bill would pass with a huge margin so just used it to blow smoke. Jim.

You're likely right, but still, we have to give him credit for not voting knee-jerk liberal.

Methinks the young man is positioning himself for a run at the White House in '12 or '16. He knows an anti-gun record will cost him votes in the red states, and voting pro-gun at least part of the time won't lose him many ethnic/urban votes.

 

[Geno]

No Shocker that MI's Dems Weren't on the List

As I reviewed the list of Dems who supported this, I did not have any hope to see Michigan represented by common sense.

No.

Doc2005