Alphecca

Translating Menino on Gun Control

I can't believe that Bruce missed this op-ed by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. But then, I probably wake up a lot earlier than he does. Anyway, I'm going to quote two paragraphs from it but in reverse order:

"We have no interest in harassing law-abiding gun owners and the respectable gun dealers who follow the law. At the MAIG event, Mayor Amicone, a member of the National Rifle Association, spoke about his commitment to protecting his city from illegal guns while also protecting the Constitution’s Second Amendment."

[...]

"Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone joined me as our national coalition took its next steps forward. Unlike Congress, we mayors recognize that illegal guns are a national problem that requires a national solution because the gun laws of one state can have a drastic effect on other states."

"We mayors have no intention of harassing law-abiding gun owners other than to make it difficult for you to own a long gun, and only ones that we deem fit for you to own -- ones that don't look scary like those awful 'assault weapons.'

"Further, while still not trying to harass you, we will make it damn near impossible for you to buy and especially to legally carry a handgun unless you jump through a thousand hoops. We support the Second Amendment as long as it is exercised only by law enforcement personnel. Ordinary citizens have no rights.

"And since the gun laws of one state might support a citizen's right to possess and conceal-carry guns, we are going to make sure that all states adopt the thousands of gun control laws and regulations that Massachusetts and New York City have so that career criminals can breathe easier and go about their 'business.' The one thing that would actually work -- locking up repeat offender thugs and criminals for life -- will never happen."