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Hunting for a position: Obama misses 2nd Amendment
Tuesday, Apr. 24, 2007
IN NASHUA on Friday, Sen. Barack Obama talked about the 2nd Amendment as if it existed only to guarantee the right to hunt wild game.
"I don't hunt myself, but I respect hunters and sportsmen," he said. "But I don't know of any self-respecting hunter that needs 19 rounds of anything. You don't shoot 19 rounds at a deer, and if you do, you shouldn't be hunting."
You also don't shoot deer with a handgun, but what has that to do with the 2nd Amendment? Absolutely nothing.
In Iowa this past weekend, Obama said, "I'm a strong believer in the rights of hunters and sportsmen to have firearms. I'm a believer in homeowners having a firearm to protect their home and their family. It's hard for me to find a rationale for having a 17-clip semiautomatic."
At least he claims to believe that homeowners should be able to protect themselves, though he did not say it was a right.
Obama is not alone in his misconstruing of the 2nd Amendment as primarily protecting hunters.
John Edwards said last weekend, "I believe in the Second Amendment and I think it's important for hunters' rights to be protected. It's part of my culture because of the way I grew up. But I don't think you need an AK-47 to hunt. . . There's some weapons that are not necessary for sportsmen and hunters."
The 2nd Amendment reads: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Funny, it doesn't mention hunting at all. It does, however, mention "the security of a free state." Interesting that these candidates, and others like them, never seem to mention that part.
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Andrew Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.
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