U.S. Senate Bids to Ban Emergency Gun Confiscation

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.

Way to go DB (post 20-21)

My first experience with liberal intolerence was like a Gatoraide bucket dumped on my head. From that point onward, I knew their ideology was to be deeply feared as a freedom loving individual.

When I held a door open for a female and was chastised, I cringed. When I discovered that my sisters had all had an abortion, I cringed. When I applied for a job and found I didn't have enough melanin in my skin to qualify, I cringed. When my government went out of it's way to enforce the above, I cringed. When the same government forsaked it's constitution and the limits enshrined within, in favor of popular ideals, I cringed.

Well, I cringe no more. The intolerant left may now count me as their enemy. The intolerant left may now include me among those willing to turn my guns, my freedom, and my liberty into a full-time pursuit of their destruction. No doubt these socialist, collectivist, communitarins will wear a uniform to the battlefield- unlike thier muzzie, head-cutting cousins, who must hide among innocent nonparticipants to impose their intolerant fascism.

You see, I've been tested and have found-- I have no more tolerance. Let the games begin here at home, as they are being played out elsewhere. We'd might as well get this thing over with, both here and there.

Sorry, I must be a little dense today. I'm missing your point in referring me to #31. It discusses a widely circulated story about people shooting at helicopters which seems to have been debunked. There are several segues I could make from my #36 about the relationship of first responders to members of the public, to that, and I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

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