Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in ardent opposition to the adoption of the so-called assault weapons ban legislation. I rise today not to speak eloquently like so many of my colleagues have on whether this bill will reduce crime, because it will not. I do not seek the House's attention on whether this bill will keep guns out of the hands of criminals, because it will not. I need not comment on whether there are any meaningful distinctions between these semiautomatic firearms and all the other semiautomatic firearms, because there are none. I am not obligated to explain if these rifles are truly weapons of war, because we all know they are not. There are many good reasons why this legislation should be soundly defeated. But perhaps the most important one of all has been kept from plain view. Yesterday, Charlton Heston, one of the most beloved performing artists in the Nation, and a long time civil rights leader and spokesperson, summed up quite well what this ban is all about. He pointed out that movie studios often use back lots, such as in Westerns, that certainly look real on camera, but are simply facades. That, Mr. Chairman, is what this is all about. It's simply a facade with no substance behind it. But I will tell you what is behind it, and I hope that every Member listening at this moment reflects with care upon what their vote means.…”