Political Quotes

“I rise today in strong support of the legislation. The bill before us is both effective and fair; it will make it harder for criminals or mentally deranged individuals to get their hands on these destructive weapons, yet it protects the rights of legitimate, law-abiding Americans. In addition to outlawing 19 assault weapons, the legislation before us also specifically protects, by name, 650 of the most common recreational rifles and shotguns now being produced. If this legislation is enacted, hunters and gun enthusiasts will have 650 weapons, including over 60 semiautomatic guns, specifically protected by law. I would think that this provision alone would cause some sportsmen to at least consider supporting this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I will admit I am not a hunter. I do, however, listen to the hunters in my district as well as across the Nation. I have listened, in fact, to one nationally known hunter, with whom I rarely agree, Mr. Barry Goldwater. According to Mr. Goldwater, semiautomatic weapons ``* * * have no place in anybody's arsenal. If anyone can't hit a deer with one shot, then he ought to quit shooting.'' I have been to the funerals of innocent children and adults who have been killed, needlessly, by stray gunfire. I have seen firsthand the impact of these and other weapons on our streets, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, and in our schools.”