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Newt Gingrich Calls for Universal Right to Bear Arms at NRA Forum
The Daily Beast ^ | April 14, 2012 | Michael Ames

Posted on 04/14/2012 2:38:02 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Friday’s Celebration of American Values Leadership forum featured speeches by Mitt Romney, recent contender Rick Santorum, plus conservative stars like former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. But members of the influential gun lobby today reserved their greatest enthusiasms not for their presumptive nominee Romney, but for Newt Gingrich, a candidate who perseveres to the wonderment of many and the joy of some.

Romney spoke before Gingrich and focused mainly on general-election themes and descriptions of President Obama’s governing philosophies. “Our founders created a system of government that is limited. Barack Obama is leading us away from that vision,” Romney said. “President Obama is leading toward a government of limited freedom and limited opportunity.”

The stump speech painted the election in broad brush strokes, contrasting the bright hope of freedom, a word Romney used nearly two-dozen times,against the dark threats of a massive, sun-blocking bureaucracy that he said flourishes under Obama.

Romney cannot claim a life of gun enthusiasm. The director of the NRA’s lobbying branch, Chris Cox, introduced the former Massachusetts governor as a “life member of the NRA,” but Romney signed up for his lifetime membership just six years ago, when he first explored running for president as a Republican.

Nor can the NRA claim a long courtship of Romney. In 2002, the lobby did not endorse his run for governor, despite his Meet the Press claim to the contrary. In that race, the NRA gave Romney a B grade, but gave his Democratic opponent, Shannon O’Brien, a sterling A.

Today in St. Louis, Romney repeated his support for Second Amendment rights as elemental, and he focused on the power of the judiciary to protect that right. Romney warned that a second Obama term would “remake” the Supreme Court and imperil the future of gun rights. “Our freedoms,” he said, would be in hands of an Obama court “not just for four years, but for 40,” he said.

The crowd was appreciative of the man who will likely court their votes this fall, but the NRA faithful became far more animated for Gingrich. With his characteristic flourish for sweeping and historical ideas, the former House speaker laid out a guideline for an international gun-rights movement that the NRA’s Cox called “the Gingrich Doctrine.”

Today in St. Louis, Romney repeated his support for Second Amendment rights as elemental, and he focused on the power of the judiciary to protect that right. Romney warned that a second Obama term would “remake” the Supreme Court and imperil the future of gun rights. “Our freedoms,” he said, would be in hands of an Obama court “not just for four years, but for 40,” he said.

The crowd was appreciative of the man who will likely court their votes this fall, but the NRA faithful became far more animated for Gingrich. With his characteristic flourish for sweeping and historical ideas, the former House speaker laid out a guideline for an international gun-rights movement that the NRA’s Cox called “the Gingrich Doctrine.”

“The right to bear arms comes from our creator, not our government,” Gingrich said. The NRA “has been too timid” in promoting its agenda beyond American borders. The Bill of Rights was not written only for Americans, he said. “It is a universal document.”

“A Gingrich presidency will submit to the UN a treaty that extends the right to bear arms as a human right to every person on the planet.” Every world citizen, he said, “deserves the right to defend themselves from those who exploit, imprison, or kill them.” For his latest big idea, Gingrich earned a standing ovation from the crowd of roughly 5,000.

“We don’t need to go across the planet trying to impose American values, but we do need to go across the planet spreading human values,” Gingrich said. “The Second Amendment is a right for all mankind.”

Many establishment Republicans have openly called for Gingrich to give up his quest. His refusal to submit has been described as egomaniacal and destructive. But in St. Louis on Friday, the man who handily won the South Carolina primary but whose campaign is running on financial fumes, seemed as confident as ever.

“This is still a more open nomination process than anyone in the elite media believes,” Gingrich said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

NEWT GINGRICH FOR PRESIDENT 2012. Ways To Stay Informed and Get Involved:

Newts Website: http://www.newt.org/
Newts Students: https://www.newt.org/students/
Newts Timeline 2: https://www.facebook.com/gingrich
Newt Store: http://www.newtstore2012.com/
Newt Email: newt@newt.org
Newt Campaign Network: http://newtsnetwork.com/
Newt YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ngingrich/videos
Newt Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/newtgingrich
Newt Campaign HQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Newt2012HQ
Newt Campaign Donations: https://www.newt.org/donate/


41 posted on 04/15/2012 7:14:30 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: campaignPete R-CT

Actually, Newt has 200,000 donors - 95% of them donated less than $250.

We have to get at least twice as many donors. The way to Tampa is still long.


42 posted on 04/15/2012 7:17:37 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: onyx; true believer forever

Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney: Comparing Conservative ‘Products of Work’

http://gulagbound.com/25637/newt-gingrich-vs-mitt-romney-comparing-conservative-products-of-work/


43 posted on 04/15/2012 7:25:48 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The Secret Truth About Newt Gingrich!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9zgQmez1J0&feature=youtu.be


44 posted on 04/15/2012 8:31:30 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Newt, love ya and all that jazz, but stick to running for President and not UN General Secretary.

We don't want The UN running the world regardless of the issue.

45 posted on 04/15/2012 8:37:17 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Texas Eagle

TE you missed the point or don’t want to get it.


46 posted on 04/15/2012 8:41:19 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Marguerite

And the RNC and the DNC want to keep it a secret!


47 posted on 04/15/2012 8:43:53 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
TE you missed the point or don’t want to get it.

I don't deny that I am thick-headed enough to miss the point but I would hope by now you would know me well enough to know that I don't "don't want to get it."

Out of respect for our FRiendship, I will re-read the piece and see if I come to a different conclusion.

48 posted on 04/15/2012 8:52:13 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Texas Eagle

He made a good point TE — and you wouldn’t want to miss it. :)


49 posted on 04/15/2012 8:56:28 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Texas Eagle

“Out of respect for our FRiendship, I will re-read the piece and see if I come to a different conclusion.”

You should watch again and listen attentively Newt’s speech at the NRA meeting:

http://youtu.be/ieYThLp_Gd8


50 posted on 04/15/2012 8:56:49 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
The Bill of Rights was not written only for Americans, he said. “It is a universal document.”

Sorry, C'W, I just don't like the way that sounds.

I confess to cherry-picking but words mean things and I simply don't like the idea of promoting a one-world government even when it includes issues and concept near and dear to my heart.

The way I see it, The Constitution WAS a document written for Americans.

The IDEAS contained therein my be universal but the document itself was written for Americans.

If citizens of other countries want to establish America-style Constitutions for themselves, of course we would support those efforts and President Gingrich would be far more likely to voice such than President Urkel or President Stretch Armstrong.

I'm not a fan of The UN. I'm just sayin'.

51 posted on 04/15/2012 8:59:45 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Texas Eagle

The way I see it, The Constitution WAS a document written for Americans.


I vaguely recall something from one of our founders that explained our Constitution and Government would only work for a Godly and independent people. If we lost our Godly and independent spirit, our way of life would fail and be replaced by something more appropriate for a godless and dependent people.


52 posted on 04/15/2012 9:03:06 AM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse
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To: Texas Eagle

.....”RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

Gingrich told the group he had just been the guest speaker at a National Rifle Association event and gave them a challenge.

“I said it wasn’t enough just to defend the Second Amendment,” Gingrich recalled. “There’s a worldwide effort under way to pass a small arms treaty that would ultimately be used to take away our right to bear arms. It’s not enough just to oppose that treaty. The Gingrich administration would propose what Chris Cox of the NRA called the Gingrich treaty.”

Gingrich said that the “Gingrich Treaty” would say that the right to bear arms is a human right that belongs to every person everywhere on the planet.

Gingrich said when the Declaration of Independence states “they,” and it talks about all men being created equal and endowed by their creator to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, “they” doesn’t mean just Americans, but all people on earth.

“It doesn’t mean we have to go out and enforce it,” Gingrich said. “But we have to at least advocate it.”

He said the Founding Fathers were in favor of the right to bear arms for a practical reason.

“They weren’t college professors of some tenured Ivy League university living in a fantasy land,” Gingrich said. “The English knew how to deal with rebellion. But they had never faced Americans who were armed and organized in a militia.”

Gingrich said the Founding Fathers believed having the right to bear arms was a natural right.

“None of the other rights are enforceable, if you are disarmed,” Gingrich said. “This is not about hunting. This is not about skeet shooting. This is a political right at the center of defending your liberty from tyranny.”

Gingrich said if you consider the predatory gangs in the heart of Africa, those gangs would behave different if every village they entered had the right to bear arms.

“I’m arguing that we should communicate to the world that American values are universal,” Gingrich said. “We are not subordinate to the United Nations. We are not going to bow to some foreign ideology. We are not going to have federal judges who believe the Constitution is obsolete. And we’re not going to have secretaries of defense who say that we don’t need the rule of Congress as long as some foreign government or some foreign agency say its OK.”

Gingrich said that Leon Panetta is secretary of defense for the U.S. and not the United Nations.

“If that’s not good enough for him, he should resign,” Gingrich said.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2872372/posts?page=5


53 posted on 04/15/2012 9:04:59 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Marguerite; Cincinatus' Wife
Thanx for the link.

Perhaps, you're right. Perhaps hearing the entirety of his comments would be of some value. Perhaps what is missing is context. Perhaps if I would only listen with an open heart, I would get come to a different conclusion and jump on board with the sentiments expressed and see the world in a new and different way and, perhaps, mankind would be the better for it.

Naaahhhhh!

Heh, heh. Just kidding.

Of course I'll watch the vid.

54 posted on 04/15/2012 9:15:46 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Texas Eagle

“I’m arguing that we should communicate to the world that American values are universal,” Newt Gingrich said yesterday in North Carolina rally. “We are not subordinate to the United Nations. We are not going to bow to some foreign ideology. We are not going to have federal judges who believe the Constitution is obsolete. And we’re not going to have secretaries of defense (alluding to Leon Panetta) who say that we don’t need the rule of Congress as long as some foreign government or some foreign agency say it’s OK.”


55 posted on 04/15/2012 9:42:04 AM PDT by Marguerite (When I'm good, I am very, very good. But! When I'm bad, I'm even better)
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To: GGpaX4DumpedTea

Bump...


56 posted on 04/15/2012 10:35:38 AM PDT by GGpaX4DumpedTea (I am a tea party descendant - steeped in the Constitutional legacy handed down by the Founders)
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