Despite the renewed debate over gun control since the mass murder in Aurora, Colo., Northeast Ohio Democrats are mixed on whether the issue can be a winning one for their party this Fall.
In Patch's, Democratic insiders were mixed on whether gun control was a battle worth fighting.
About half said they thought the issue could galvanize the state's Democrats in November, but the other half also said that would be bad politics considering the strength of pro-gun interest groups and the overall acceptance of guns by Ohioans.
"Gun control is bad politics in Ohio," said one insider who responded to the survey. "Only three Ohio Governors in the forty years since Kent State have been Democrats, and they all downplayed the gun-control issue. Ohio definitely sits in the gun-freedom column of states, and Democrats should not be eager to annoy this segment of voters."
Democrats surveyed were also mixed on whether pushing gun control would help or hinder the party's effort to win over vital undecided voters.
"Gun lobby is strong in Ohio and the President doesn't need another 'hot potato' issue that would allienate those undecided voters," said one insider.
Despite their own support for gun control, especially a ban on assault weapons, these Democrats seemed resigned to believe the issue was a non starter.
"Unfortunately, I think the 'right to bear arms' supercedes the need for overdue reform," an insider said.
What do you think? Would pushing gun control be a winning effort in Ohio this election season?
This is the latest installment of our Red/Bue Ohio series, in which we gather opinion and insight from influential local Democratic and Republican activists, party leaders and elected officials in Northeast Ohio.
Want to participate? If you are an activist, party leader or elected official and would like to take part in regular surveys that last only a few minutes, please e-mail Senior Regional Editor Jean Dubail at jean.dubail@patch.com."
LIBERTY is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 " I control the sole right of gun control in my home." - ME !
not one Democrat seemed to even consider whether it was constitutionaly "right" to fight for more gun control, just if it was a political winner.
Adam C. Miller 3:32 am on Saturday, August 4, 2012 I kissed Matt Kincaid at the Howe Avenue Chick-fil-A... #And-I-Liked-It
Jeff, if a person can't buy body armor they will just steal it. A ban will not work. Just like they spent millions putting a suicide fence on the Y Bridge. Someone already jumped. That didn't work. If a person wants to kill themselves bad enough they will find a way. If a person wants body armor bad enough they will find it.
yours is the essential fallacy of the Democratic Party and Progressives in the US today. The reason why "the pro-gun control lobby is not exactly a lobby; it's underfunded, undersupported (organizally, though not generally), & disorganized" is because the majority of Americans do not support your ideas of what"sensible" gun control laws are. You seem to be unable to grasp that the reason your ideas are not succeeding is because they are being rejected, not that they aren't being disseminated.
While fully automatic weapons Can be purchased by Americans, it takes a whole different process, more indepth background check & a hefty 'Tax' to comply with Federal Law. In other words, they're reserved for the wealthy ( as most things are, in the world). If you were to place any kind of ban on any sort of weapons, then the only people who would have them would be the government and the criminals. We Law Abiding Citizens have often been the victims of Both parties, with Governments being the largest murderer of innocents, in History! Thus, our Founding Fathers gave us the right to Keep and Bear Arms, to not only hunt and practice our skills with, but to protect ourselves from those who would do harm to us and our families. Whether that be a criminal type, or the Government gone awry. There will always be madmen out there, who will murder innocents. there's No Way to prevent that. Heaven Help Us, should Another One of such Madmen get in control of Government !
As far as Mexican Drug gangs obtaining weapons, they mostly get their guns from their own military and police forces. Or, with all of the vast amounts of money that they control, they get them from International Arms Dealers, not from American gun shops, as our local gun stores aren't allowed to even sell true 'assault weapons' but merely Look-a-likes, that function the same as normal weapons. You really need to do some learning. I would suggest enlisting in one of our Armed Services, as I did, or joining a Police Force, as I also did, or taking weapons training, as I did, as well ( NRA Pistol Trainer). Folks who get scared, due to something that they hear about, in the media, are simply reacting as the liberal media intended you to, when they ran their stories. Remember, Gun Control isn't about Guns, It's about Control... of the People, by the Government ! Our Government is supposed to be Controled by the People, not vice versa !
Sorry to disabuse you, again, of another of your erronious notions, but violent crime is Up, in both Austraila And Briton. Their Political leadership is at a Loss, as to why all of their mislaid plans didn't work. When you Disarm all of the Potential Victims, the , Still Armed Criminals have a Free Hand ! Gun control laws only tend to disarm those who are Least Inclined to commit violent crimes, leaving them more easily preyed upon, by Criminals, who by definition, wouldn't obey the laws, to begin with. Thomas Jefferson said as much, but in different terms, several hundred years ago. Truths remain the same, reguardless of the passage of time. I would suggest that you read your history. Genocide has often followed governments disarming of their populations.... Governments have murdered more innocent people, than any other statistical group.
What Would have stopped the mass murders, would have been if Law Abiding Citizens had been allowed to concealed carry (with permit, of course), as in most other American cities. Then, instead of waiting forever (it seemed) for the Police outside the theater, to Finally make it Inside , some honest law abiding citizen would have just simply Shot the crazy bastard, as soon as he pulled out his weapon and no one Else would have gotten killed ! When Seconds Count, the Cops are on average 22 minutes away ! If you Out Law guns, then only the Outlaws will Have Them and the Rest of us will be their Victims !
Criminals & Lunatics will Always have the means to obtain weapons. If Criminal types can't Buy guns, they'll Steal Them ! From National Guard Armories, if necessary, as has happened in the past ! Soldiers bring them back from war zones too. There's NO WAY that the Gov't. would ever be able to get such weapons out of the hands of folks who are intent on keeping them. As some believe it is their God Given Right to do so. These folks, as scary as they sound, aren't the ones who would rob and kill you, in some ally, for your wallet or purse. these are (mostly) honest folks who just want to protect what's theirs and their families as well.( I would Imagine). Even though the government is increasingly labeling them as potential domestic terrorists, they wouldn't be a problem if the government wasn't attempting to disolve their Constitutional Rights, at some point or another. The 2nd Amendment wasn't written for duck hunters alone. It was written to enable folks to have the means to protect themselves against Whatever might threaten them. Whether that be criminals, invaders, or a Tyranical Government gone Arry !