A Photograph of Concealment
Randall H. Nunn
Senator John Kerry is showing himself to be very adept at creating images that cleverly mask reality and allow him to present himself differently to different audiences, much like a lizard changes colors to blend in with the background of the moment. With the publication of Unfit for Command, the country is beginning to realize that Senator Kerrys carefully cultivated image as a war hero may not be entirely accurate. And we have learned that his claimed personal knowledge of war-time atrocities committed by American soldiers in Vietnam was non-existent. When it comes to Second Amendment and gun control issues, Senator Kerry with his skillfully crafted false images could give lessons in concealment to a gecko. Without a doubt, Senator Kerry is the most anti-Second Amendment presidential candidate in U.S. history.
The photograph being used by the Kerry campaign of the Senator in an orange hunting vest carrying a shotgun in an Iowa field while on a pheasant hunt is pure theatrical staging. The major casualty suffered that day in the Iowa field was not the two pheasants slain by the Massachusetts Senator, but the truth. The image manufactured in Iowa of a supposed American gun owner and hunter is being used as camouflage for one of the most anti-firearms senators in the U.S. Senate. And the camouflage will work if the mainstream media has anything to do with it, because they know Kerrys voting record and long for him to be elected so that, along with the other planned liberal agenda items on his list, he can ban semiautomatic firearms, most rifle ammunition, gun shows and enforce longer waiting periods for law-abiding Americans to buy what few types of firearms the Senator would allow us to buy. If you think this is an exaggeration, you need only look at Kerrys voting record. An examination of Kerrys voting record on firearms issues shows that the American citizens Second Amendment right to own a firearm is under assault by this elitist Senator just like the poor pheasants in Iowa who died for the Senators publicists. But when it comes to his stance on Second Amendment issues, Senator Kerry is not wearing bright orange so he can be seen for what he isa stalker of our Second Amendment rights.
Senator Kerry has cast 59 votes on firearms issues in his Senate career thus far and only 1 vote can be considered a vote for gun owners rightsthe vote to allow airline pilots to carry firearms. Kerry has voted against gun owners 55 times in the U. S. Senate. He has voted a number of times to ban semi-automatic firearms. In fact, he is a co-sponsor of S.1431 (the bill to reauthorize the assault weapons ban) which would ban many semi-automatic shotguns, detachable-magazine semi-automatic rifles and many other presently lawful guns, characterizing all of them as assault weapons. Senator Kerry has consistently voted with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Senator Kerry has voted to regulate gun shows by voting to allow authorities up to 3 days to conduct background checks on guns sold by private individuals, knowing full well that the requirement would severely curtail, if not destroy, gun shows which are typically two-day only weekend events. In addition, Senator Kerry has voted for the imposition of waiting periods on gun purchases, including waiting periods of 14 days, 7 days and 5 days. And, in spite of this abysmal voting record, the Washington Post reports that 42% of gun owners in the Bush-supporting red states believe that Kerry would be a less aggressive advocate for gun control. In fact, Senator Kerry is more anti-Second Amendment than Al Gore ever was.
The Second Amendment issue is one that the Bush campaign could easily capitalize on if it has the courage to quit trying to be politically correct. Some of President Bushs strongest supporters are the members of the NRA and various sportsmens groups. These people need to understand what Kerrys position on these issues really is and Senator Kerry needs to be exposed for the camouflaged reptilian that he really is when it comes to gun control. None of the gun control zealots will ever vote for President Bush under any circumstances. But the Bush campaign needs to make absolutely certain that the 42% of gun owners in the red states are given a picture of Kerry without his hunting camouflagea picture that would be every more frightening than Sarah Brady since she only talks about gun control while Senator Kerry votes for it in the U.S. Senate at every opportunity.
Gun control is a defining issue for conservatives and liberals. Senator Kerry is capitalizing on the Bush campaigns trepidation in confronting the issue head on by portraying himself as something he is not. He should not be allowed to get away with this deception, particularly when the Bush campaign could energize a very important constituency by forceful and effective support for the Second Amendment.
One of Senator Kerrys votes shows his true hypocrisy on firearms issues. In 1999, Senator Kerry voted against an amendment to the Juvenile Justice bill that called for increased mandatory minimum and maximum penalties for illegal transfer or use of a firearm. Instead of supporting a bill that penalizes the criminals who unlawfully use firearms, Senator Kerry goes after the law-abiding gun buyers and sportsmennot just once or twice, but at least 55 times. Senator Kerry needs to be unmasked for the fraud that he is on this key issue. Cover and concealment is an appropriate device to be used against enemy soldiers but not against fellow citizens trying to intelligently exercise their right to vote.
