I voted for GWB, knowing full well what he said - that he was "in favor of the current law" or words to that effect. I took it to mean that he was in favor of ALL of the then-current law, including the part about it expiring on 9/13/04. Certain noises from his administration have convinced me that if a renewal of the AWB shows up on GWB's desk, he'll sign it. So let ME make myself very clear:
If I wake up on 9/14/2004 and I am not able to purchase everything gun-related that I could buy prior to 9/13/1994 without worrying about some member of the BATFE arresting me or worse, then I will NOT be voting for President Bush less than 2 months later, as I did in November 2000. PERIOD!!!!
But I also believe strongly that we need to enforce laws on the books, that the best way to make sure that we keep our society safe and secure is to hold people accountable for -- for breaking the law. If we catch somebody illegally selling a gun, there needs to be a consequence. If we keep -- somebody, you know, illegally using a gun, there needs to be a consequence, enforcement of the law. And the federal government can help.
There's a great program called Project Exile in Richmond, Virginia, where they focused federal taxpayers money and federal prosecutors and went after people who were illegally using guns. To me that's how you make society the safest it can be, and so, yes, sometimes I agree with some of these groups in Washington and sometimes I don't. I'm a pretty independent thinker. But one thing I'm for is a safe society, and I'm for enforcing laws on the books, and that's what's going to happen should I earn your confidence.
Waffle, waffle. Trigger locks? Raising the age to own guns? Don't you already have to be 18 to legally own a gun? 21 for handguns and "assault weapons? WTF??? Add in the statements made on the Presidents behalf by Scott and Ari, yas... Bush would most certainly resign the AWB in any ofrm that makes it to his desk.