There are two more “debates” coming up where there is some non-trivial chance that the issue of guns and recent violence will come up. Here are some potential questions and what Romney should respond.
Governor Romney, given the recent violence that plagues our inner cities and even suburban areas as we see with the recent Colorado shooting, would you be in favor of closing the gun show loophole?
I’ve been to gun shows, and I’ll be the first to tell you several things. The last show I went to I talked to several firearms dealers. People are tight and they’re hanging onto their money. As you know, the economy needs recovery and nothing you’ve seen for four years looks like a recovery. Second, if you do happen to be doing well and have purchased anything at a gun show, you know that the firearms dealers must follow the same protocol as they do at their place of business. That is, there must be a background check and you must fill out federal form 4473.
It is true that you may happen to purchase a gun from an individual, but this isn’t a loophole associated with gun shows. You can do that anyway in most states, a freedom that I intend to preserve as President by leaving that issue to the states. So the notion of a gun show loophole is a figment of the imagination of the gun control lobby, or better, it’s something they made up. It isn’t real. It doesn’t exist. It’s a phantom. And making more laws to control mythical things isn’t the solution to crime. More laws would affect the law abiding citizens, but criminals will still behave in a criminal manner, which is why I would like to focus on criminal behavior and not law abiding citizens.
Governor Romney, what would you do about the botched operation called Fast and Furious as President?
Thank you for asking the question. First of all, we don’t know the depths of the criminality yet because the Department of Justice is intentionally hiding information and being uncooperative. I don’t have any direct proof that I could take to court that shows that the operation was intentional rather than botched, but recent documents uncovered by Wikileaks indicates that at least one Mexican authority believes that there were untoward intentions. This authority said “Federal authorities in the United States have been quietly supporting certain Mexican criminal empires, especially the Sinaloa drug cartel, in a bid to solidify the syndicates’ reign as dominant powerbrokers … If cartel chiefs cooperate with authorities, “governments will allow controlled drug trades.” Another bombshell uncovered in the leaked emails indicated that the U.S. federal government had deliberately allowed cartel hit men to murder people inside the United States if they agreed to offer their services to Washington.”
If I am elected President, I will get to the very bottom of this sordid affair, and I will go from the bottom to the very top of the administration if my investigation takes me there. I will pursue criminality to the fullest extent of the law as it is within my power as the chief executive, and all criminality that we uncover will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Governor Romney, if you are President would you stop this internet and mail order of assault weapons so that we can be safer in our homes and places of work? It’s absurd that you can actually order guns on line.
Thank you for the question. Actually, you can place orders for weapons on line, but they still must be delivered to a federal firearms licensed dealer (FFL) just as if you were purchasing a gun from your local gun store. Before this FFL will transfer the weapon to you, you must pass a background check and fill out federal form 4473, just like you must do in a gun store. So as you see, there isn’t any difference between internet order and simply paying a visit to your local gun store.
As for the issue of assault weapons, I would like to give law-abiding citizens the maximum latitude to purchase whatever weapon they thought best suited their needs, while enforcing the laws on the books to prevent criminals from conducting illegal activity. You see, it isn’t the caliber of the weapon that one is holding that’s the problem. It’s the caliber of the one holding the weapon.
UPDATE #1: Thanks to Bill Quick! Yes, I hope Romney uses this line.
UPDATE #2: Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the attention!
