Gun Control: What changes would you propose in federal gun laws?
Wesley Clark: I am a gun owner and hunter, and I believe that law-abiding adults have the right to own firearms. But like all rights, gun rights come with responsibilities. We need responsible gun laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals without unduly infringing the rights of legitimate gun owners.
Like all rights, gun rights come with responsibilities. I support renewing the assault rifles ban. If you want an assault weapon, do what I did – join the military.
I also support the Brady Law which, since it took effect, has prevented more than a million individuals from purchasing guns over the past ten years because a background check revealed a felony conviction or other prohibition such as a domestic violence restraining order. And current technology allows 95 percent of such checks to be completed in under two hours with minimal inconvenience to law-abiding gun purchasers.
These same dangerous individuals, however, can walk into a gun show and buy the same gun with no background check, no paperwork, and no questions asked. It is known that foreign terrorists have evaded background checks by buying guns from gun shows, and the guns used in the tragedy at Columbine High School were purchased at a gun show without a background check. I believe it is time to close the gun show loophole.
Howard Dean: I favor reauthorization of the assault weapons ban before it expires at the end of 2004. I favor improving the Brady law so that the Insta-check system is used at gun shows to stop felons from buying guns. I oppose the pending bill to exempt the gun industry from liability.
I support the existing federal laws that prohibit felons and other dangerous people from purchasing guns. Specifically:
I favor reauthorization of the federal assault weapon ban;
I favor extending use of the Insta-check system to gun shows;
I oppose the pending bill exempting the gun industry from liability.
Unlike Attorney General Ashcroft, my Attorney General would vigorously enforce current federal gun laws, including laws against corrupt licensed gun dealers and other laws designed to prevent gun trafficking. Beyond the current federal protections, I do not favor sweeping new federal gun control laws, such as licensing or registration of all guns. Each state should decide what, if any, additional gun laws are needed in that state based on local conditions and culture.
John Kerry: We need the courage to stand up for gun safety. As president, I'll require all handguns be sold with a child safety lock, close the gun show loophole, and support the ban on military-style assault weapons. Finally, I'll take steps to ensure our existing federal gun laws are vigorously enforced.
I will up to the gun lobby and support the assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill. We need a president who will stand up to the NRA to keep assault weapons off our streets and out of our communities.
We can support the right to own guns and support common sense gun safety protections.
I will make our broken background check system both faster and more accurate; prevent felons, domestic abusers, and other prohibited gun buyers from erroneously clearing a background check because of faulty records; and end many of the needless delays in gun buyer background checks that are caused by manual searches of paper records.
I will fight to close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks for all firearm sales at gun shows. It's absurd that criminals can buy guns at gun shows with no questions asked, no background check required.
I will make enforcing our existing gun laws a priority. The Bush/Ashcroft Justice Department has done virtually nothing to enforce 20 of the 22 major federal gun laws.
John Edwards: I support the Second Amendment right to bear arms. I also believe we must keep guns out of the hands of criminals, by enforcing existing gun laws, closing the gun show loophole, and extending the assault weapons ban. We also need to make sure police can work with communities to combat gun violence.
Hunting is a way of life for many Americans and I support the right of law abiding citizens to bear arms under the Second Amendment.
At the same time, I believe we must take steps to keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
I support enforcing existing gun laws, extending the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show loophole.
To protect our children we also should require trigger locks on handguns and insist on gun-free school zones.
