Where The Candidates Stand
Presidential Candidates and the Second Amendment
By Joseph P. Tartaro

(This article is excerpted from The New Gun Week, September 1, 2000.) The election campaign is now underway in earnest and despite what some polls and pundits may say, it is expected to be a close race. It is also one of extreme importance to the future of the right to keep and bear arms. Which party controls the House and Senate for the next two years will also be decided on Nov. 7.
Should anyone in America still be wondering about Al Gore?s position on guns, let me summarize some of the points directly from his campaign website www.algore2000.com.

Gore?s Gun Agenda
Gore?s proposed “comprehensive plan to get guns off our greets” includes the following:
? Require photo licensing for handgun purchases.
? Ban “junk guns.”
? Increase gun-related criminal penalties.
? Limit gun sales to one-a-month and require a three-day waiting period for purchases.
? Close the “gun show loophole” by requiring background checks for private sales.
? Require child-safety locks on handguns.
? Oppose special legal protections for gun manufacturers
? Oppose weakening restrictions on concealed weapons.
? Improve efforts to trace gun ownership.

In addition to his agenda for the future, Gore?s website includes a list of votes and “accomplishments” related to regulating guns and gun ownership. Bush?s Gun Agenda
The Bush campaign website (www.georgewbush.com) lists these positions on gun issues:
? Supports sronger enforcement of existing gun laws, would provide ;more funding for aggressive gun law enforcement programs such as Project Exile in Richmond, VA.
? Supports automatic dentention for kids who commit crimes with guns.
? Supports requiring instant background checks at gun shows by allowing gun show promoters to access the instant check system on behalf of vendors.
? Supports law-abiding American?s constitutional right to own guns to protect their families and home.
? Supports the current ban on automatic weapons.
? Supports banning juveniles from possession of semi-automatic “assault” weapons.
? Supports increasing the minimum age for possession of a handgun from 18 to 21.
? Supports banning the importation of foreign-made “high-capacity” ammunition clips (sic).
? Gov. Bush supports voluntary efforts to equip all handguns with child safety locks. If Congress passed legislation requiring mandatory trigger locks for all new handguns, he would sign it. He is concerned, however that such legislation not be seen as a panacea, because adults will have to be responsible for using the trigger locks and for monitoring their children?s actions.
? Opposes government mandated registration of all guns owned by law-abiding citizens.

Bush?s website also notes that as governor of Texas he signed into law that state?s current “right-to-carry” law as well as state legislation to prevent municipalities and counties from filing frivolous lawsuits against the firearms industry.

Third Party Gun Agendas
There are prospective voters who are interested in the firearms issue positions of third party candidates. None of the minor party and independent candidates is likely to win the election but they may influence which of the major party candidates does.

The most important of the third party candidates in possible influence is the Green Party, whose candidate is Ralph Nader. He and the Green Party lay claim to supporting the Second Amendment but their support for many gun initiatives are problematic. People who are interested can get details of those positions at www.greenparty.org or at www.nader2000.com.

The Libertarian Party, whose candidate is Harry Browne, is the most clearly pro-gun and its candidate the most unequivocal on the right to keep and bear arms. For details on the internet, go to www.lp.org.

The Reform Party?s situation is still uncertain. Pat Buchanan, who is pro-gun, claims to be the party?s candidate. John Hagelin, who is also pro-gun,, also claims the party?s endorsement. Which candidate will actually represent the party may not be decided until after appeals to the Federal Election Commission and court challenges.