We're nearing the end of the Civic Issue blog, and it is time to decide where you stand. Whether you are for or against gun control, the time to put your beliefs into practice is close. This coming November, we vote for our president, the person who hopefully holds the beliefs of the nation close to his or her own heart. The issue of gun control is not the only thing to consider when voting for president, but it is an important thing to think about.
That being said, this post will be dedicated to looking at the front runners of the election's stance on gun control so that when November rolls around, you will be able to make the most informed decision. I will be focusing on Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.
Donald Trump
"The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period,"
- Backs a concealed weapons policy in all states, and believes that if you have one in one state, it should be recognized in every state
Quote: “The right of self-defense doesn't stop at the end of your driveway. That's why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states,” (x)
- Believes armed teachers would have stopped Oregon Massacre, does not support Gun Free zones
Quote: "By the way, it was a gun-free zone... Let me tell you, if you had a couple teachers with guns in that room, you would have been a hell of a lot better off." (x)
“If you had more guns, you'd have more protection because the right people would have the guns.” (x)
- Believes gun violence is perpetuated by people with mental illnesses
Quote: "This isn't a gun problem, this is a mental problem,... It's not a question of the laws, it's really the people." (x)
Ted Cruz
“I have never and will never support banning guns.”
- Supports people's right's to have guns, but believes people who buy them illegally should be punished more harshly
Quote: “We ought to do everything we can, for example, to be prosecuting the felons and fugitives who are trying to illegally buy guns.” (x)
- Does not support gun free zones
Quote: “Sadly, virtually every one of these shootings across the country has occurred in so-called gun-free school zones. If you look at the jurisdictions that have really strict gun control laws, they consistently have among the highest crime rates.” (x)
Hillary Clinton
"More than 33,000 Americans are killed by guns each year. It’s time to act. As President, I'll take on the gun lobby and fight for commonsense reforms to keep guns away from terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent criminals—including comprehensive background checks and closing loopholes that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands."
- Stricter background checks
Quote: “I do support comprehensive background checks, and to close the gun show loophole, and the online loophole, and what's called the Charleston loophole, and to prevent people on the no-fly list from getting guns.” (x)
- Calls the NRA to change their tactics
Quote: “...to form a different organization and take back the Second Amendment from the extremists.” (x)
- Does not want to completely take away guns, just wants to regulate them more strictly
Quote: “At the very least, we need to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, people with serious mental challenges, terrorists, all of whom now are perfectly free to go and find a gun somewhere." (x)
Bernie Sanders
"I will take the following concrete steps to reduce gun violence: strengthen and better enforce the instant background check system; close the gun-show loophole; make 'straw man' purchases a federal crime; ban semi-automatic assault weapons which are designed strictly for killing human beings; and work to fix our broken mental health system."
- Stricter background checks, more laws restricting gun ownership
Quote: “I think the vast majority of the American people, as the president indicated, including gun owners... want sensible gun control legislation.”(x)
- Believes in a ban on military grade weapons
Quote: “...weapons designed by the military to kill people are not in the hands of civilians." (x)
- Wants to address the mentally ill situation in the country
Quote: “I believe that we have to bring people together to address this crisis of massacres and people getting killed every day with guns.” (x)
That being said, this post will be dedicated to looking at the front runners of the election's stance on gun control so that when November rolls around, you will be able to make the most informed decision. I will be focusing on Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.
Donald Trump
 |
| Via american3rdposition.com |
"The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period,"
- Backs a concealed weapons policy in all states, and believes that if you have one in one state, it should be recognized in every state
Quote: “The right of self-defense doesn't stop at the end of your driveway. That's why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states,” (x)
- Believes armed teachers would have stopped Oregon Massacre, does not support Gun Free zones
Quote: "By the way, it was a gun-free zone... Let me tell you, if you had a couple teachers with guns in that room, you would have been a hell of a lot better off." (x)
“If you had more guns, you'd have more protection because the right people would have the guns.” (x)
- Believes gun violence is perpetuated by people with mental illnesses
Quote: "This isn't a gun problem, this is a mental problem,... It's not a question of the laws, it's really the people." (x)
 |
| Via en.wikipedia.org |
Ted Cruz
“I have never and will never support banning guns.”
- Supports people's right's to have guns, but believes people who buy them illegally should be punished more harshly
Quote: “We ought to do everything we can, for example, to be prosecuting the felons and fugitives who are trying to illegally buy guns.” (x)
- Does not support gun free zones
Quote: “Sadly, virtually every one of these shootings across the country has occurred in so-called gun-free school zones. If you look at the jurisdictions that have really strict gun control laws, they consistently have among the highest crime rates.” (x)
Hillary Clinton
 |
| Via en.wikipedia.org |
"More than 33,000 Americans are killed by guns each year. It’s time to act. As President, I'll take on the gun lobby and fight for commonsense reforms to keep guns away from terrorists, domestic abusers, and other violent criminals—including comprehensive background checks and closing loopholes that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands."
- Stricter background checks
Quote: “I do support comprehensive background checks, and to close the gun show loophole, and the online loophole, and what's called the Charleston loophole, and to prevent people on the no-fly list from getting guns.” (x)
- Calls the NRA to change their tactics
Quote: “...to form a different organization and take back the Second Amendment from the extremists.” (x)
- Does not want to completely take away guns, just wants to regulate them more strictly
Quote: “At the very least, we need to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, people with serious mental challenges, terrorists, all of whom now are perfectly free to go and find a gun somewhere." (x)
Bernie Sanders
 |
| Via biography.com |
"I will take the following concrete steps to reduce gun violence: strengthen and better enforce the instant background check system; close the gun-show loophole; make 'straw man' purchases a federal crime; ban semi-automatic assault weapons which are designed strictly for killing human beings; and work to fix our broken mental health system."
- Stricter background checks, more laws restricting gun ownership
Quote: “I think the vast majority of the American people, as the president indicated, including gun owners... want sensible gun control legislation.”(x)
- Believes in a ban on military grade weapons
Quote: “...weapons designed by the military to kill people are not in the hands of civilians." (x)
- Wants to address the mentally ill situation in the country
Quote: “I believe that we have to bring people together to address this crisis of massacres and people getting killed every day with guns.” (x)
