| (CLARIFICATION: I thought I would add this little note to make it clear why I linked to a Prison Planet post full of distortions about Sen. Gillibrand. The reason is that, if you look at the history of the right-wing blogosphere, they were once praising Gillibrand for her "A" rating from the NRA. Now, because she has evolved on this issue, she has ruffled some feathers on the right because she isn't doing what they want her to do.
There is a method to my madness here. I know what I'm doing. The reason for the link is to show that Gillibrand is doing all the right things. She must be on the right path if she is drawing the ire of conservatives for her stance on guns. That alone should be a good indicator of where she stands on guns.)
If you Google "Kirsten Gillibrand", you will get plenty of results. The first three are all good resources: Gillibrand's Wikipedia page, her U.S. Senate website and campaign website. But over on the right side of the page is a "sponsored link" featuring the title "Gillibrand Record on Guns." The link takes you to a page with Gillibrand's position on reducing gun violence.
When Gillibrand was first appointed to the U.S. Senate, I wrote a post that took a look at both sides of the gun debate and why it is important for us to understand both sides. I acknowledged that Gillibrand had received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA). When she received that "A" rating, Gillibrand said the following about guns:
"I come from a family of hunters, and preserving this strong upstate tradition is a priority of mine in Congress," Gillibrand said. "I will continue to oppose legislation that will restrict the rights of responsible gun owners and I will continue to advocate for policies that will keep our rivers, land and air clean, so that future generations can enjoy hunting and wildlife in our region."
However, included on her gun safety page is this paragraph which probably best summarizes her current stance.
It is true that Kirsten comes from a family of hunters and believes the 2nd amendment protects the rights of responsible and eligible New Yorkers to own a gun. That is a core belief and will never change. However, ensuring hunters rights has nothing to do with reducing gun violence and making sure we keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other dangerous people.
Gillibrand had a chance to show her stance on guns when she voted against an amendment in the D.C. Voting Rights Act that would have restored gun rights in D.C.
It is safe to say that Gillibrand has found the middle ground on this issue. While she still believes that hunters should be protected, she also believes that gun safety and guns that are used for criminal purposes need to be off the streets. Earlier this month, conservatives said she was set to introduce an assault weapons ban that disappointed those at the NRA who supported her last year, although such legislation has not been announced and there hasn't been a press release about any such legislation from Gillibrand's office.
You can support gun rights and gun control at the same time. It looks like Gillibrand has found that place and knows how to handle both very well. |
