Bush: no change in gun policy
This has disappeared from MSM stories on the Virginia Tech shootings, but I saw it in the first Associated Press wire stories this afternoon and finally found it on Google News. The link goes to the full press briefing today by White House press secretary Dana Perino, but I've copied out the key paragraphs below. The Leader felt it important on a day when 32 students were slaughtered by a lone gunman to reiterate the fictitious "right to bear arms," and with a nod and a wink, reassure the National Rifle Association that even the worst shooting incident in U.S. history won't lead to toughening of our insanely weak gun laws:
Q Dana, going back to Virginia Tech, what more does this White House think needs to be done as it relates to gun issues? The President says current laws need to be strengthened, anything beyond that -- you had a conference on school violence with guns -- what more needs to be done?
MS. PERINO: I would point you back to the fact that President, along with Secretary Spellings, hosted last October -- October 10, 2006 -- a conference on school gun violence after the Amish school shooting and the other shootings that had happened, because the tragedies are the ones that just collectively break America's heart and are ones that we deeply feel, because all of us can imagine what it would be like to have been at your own school, your own college, and to have something happen. And those of us who are parents, or brothers or sisters of people at the schools have to take that into consideration.
As far as policy, the President believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed. And certainly bringing a gun into a school dormitory and shooting -- I don't want to say numbers because I know that they're still trying to figure out many people were wounded and possibly killed, but obviously that would be against the law and something that someone should be held accountable for.
Q Columbine, Amish school shooting, now this, and a whole host of other gun issues brought into schools -- that's not including guns on the streets and in many urban areas and rural areas. Does there need to be some more restrictions? Does there need to be gun control in this country?
MS. PERINO: The President -- as I said, April, if there are changes to the President's policy we will let you know. But we've had a consistent policy of ensuring that the Justice Department is enforcing all of the gun laws that we have on the books and making sure that they're prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Q Lastly, in Texas, if I'm correct, he passed legislation, no age restriction on possession of weapons, if I'm correct. Should there be some kind of federal age limit, as far as the President is concerned, raising the age for gun possession in this country?
MS. PERINO: Unfortunately, I'm going to have to go back and look at what the record was in Texas.
SO, THE RIGHT TO ACCESS ASSAULT FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO EASILY SLAUGHTER LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WILL BE PRESERVED. ALL HAIL THE NRA!
Postscript: Arizona Sen. John McCain makes one more attempt to revive his flagging Presidential hopes by saying that, he, too supports the mythical individual right in the Second Amendment to bear arms. Mitt Romney and Rudolph Guiliani issues statements of condolence but don't join McCain in pandering to the gun nuts.