Colin Powell/ anti Handgun part 2

T

Tshoes

New member
Gents,
posted a message here a couple of weeks ago, about Mr. Powell and his anti gun rights stance.
Couldn't remember WHERE I heard this, since then it has come back to me, forgive me I have sometimers.
He had an interview with Barabara WAWA........in the interview, he was asked many questions, one was the subject of handguns, he was not for the ownership of handguns by the public, as he did not see a need for them.....caused too much public harm.........there, I knew I wasn't crazy.
Some of you mentioned , since he was in a cabinet position it did not matter, I disagree, I don't think we need any anti's anywhere in a Republican admin, he is so well thought of he could become a Presidential contender.
If this were to happen, and his thoughts remain the same, it would be the end of the Republican party.
So many defectors (myself included) would go thurd party the Dem's would have a field day............
But, I'll not put the cart before the horse, but Bush had better keep people with his idiology on the gun issue on a short leash.
I was amazed at someone with his background, going against a fundemental constitiutional right..........
 
Most military officers are either neutral on RKBA issues or are antis'. Peroid. There is a very small per centage that are pro-RKBA.

Part of that results from the intense socialization of the upper ranks and part is due to the fact that the Military does not operate under the Constitution. The intense socilization usually results in a very north eastern view point on all aspects of the Constitution. That view explains a lot.

Giz
 
I am sure that there are many more than one, but the only pro-RKBA career officer I've ever met was the SOB who convinced me to enlist, one Col. J Ross Franklin. He was a hardcase, no messing around, mean b*****d who taught me that a man had to rely on himself before all else.

Thanks Ross.
 
Gizmo's hit it right on the head. Comparing my fellow junior officers (mostly pro RKBA, a few neutrals and a single pro-RKBA/pro-Gore oddball) with the senior officers, there is a big difference. There is some point at which you have to at least outwardly espouse the politics that will help ensure your continued promotion, and maybe after 25 or 30 years you've brainwashed yourself.

As far as Mr Powell in particular, he is also pro affirmative action (I don't know how many other liberal views he has) so I have a hard time conceiving that the Republican party would nominate him, but he's not liberal enough for a Democratic nomination. I could see him in a third party, but I think it would draw more from Dems than Reps. I think he's he's just there to scare the bejeezus out of saber-rattling foriegners, not for his political views. Besides, I reckon Dick Cheney will keep his eye out for any anti-gun antics from this administration.
 
Gizmo's reply

Yes, now that I think about it, you are dead on.
The same phenom holds true for large city mayor's and police chiefs.
The rank and file officers on the street, for the vast majority are pro RKBA, while their Chiefs are usually political animals, and have climbing the ladder at any and everyone else's expense on their top agenda.
 
JWR,
Comparing my fellow junior officers...
Click to expand...
Which is why I said "career officers". All too many juniour officers get frustrated with the inertia at the top and go elsewhere for more money and satisfaction. Too bad, really. We once had a military that lots of our forefather were proud to spend a lifetime in.
 
Look at Collin Powell's background:
1) Raised in New York--- No help there, strike one.

2) Went to a big north eastern college (West Point)----Strike two.

3) His parents were Jamacian immigrants--- A British Commonwealth. No RKBA in this household. Strike three.

In defense of GW, he HAS to pick this guy. If he dosen't, then his whole message of compassionate conservatism (what ever that is :confused: ) goes up in smoke, and besides, you don't tap someone like Gen. Powell to help you win, without paying him back. My guess is that Gen. Powell could have had any cabnet post he wanted, even V.P.
 
Looks like Powell will get Sec/State. FINE. Let him push his anti- views onto other countries and see how far he gets with, say, Israel, or Colombia, or Turkey. He is not likely to have much influence on domestic policy, other than the obvious--he will show up at Cabinet meetings. For that matter, it will be hard for Powell to convince anyone he's right as long as JCWatts is in Congress and is clearly a pro-RKBA guy.

At the same time, Bush bears watching. I still don't know whether he is as conservative as I would like him to be or as liberal as the Dems want him to be. It will be a very interesting next couple of years....
 
Ah, yes, but

Think of the alternative!!!!!!!!!

The old secular song, "Don't worry, be Happy!", me thinks applies here.

If the udder guy had won, we could be in a civil war in less than two years.

Yeeesh!!!, can't even begin to fathom the prospect.......:(
 
denfoote is correct concerning Powell's background shaping his views toward RKBA. (I think he went to CCNY, which would even more enforce his anti-gun leanings) not West Point.
His comments today about being glad that the announcement was done at the school rather than at the ranch was pretty funny. "I don't do ranch-wear very well, and to a boy from the Bronx those cows look dangerous."
 
Colin Powell is just a token. I've never figured out why he's so popular among conservatives, he has more in common with liberals, except for the gays in the military thing.
I have serious doubts about the next four years simply because there are too many sheeple to appease. The sheep have gotten used to laws and they want more. Every week or so the media presents another "crisis" that needs cracking down on or the world will come to an end. Sometimes it's dogfights. Lately it's been seatbelts around here. It's to "save lives". Last year sometime they decided people riding bicycles downtown through the park could lead to an accident (an accident hadn't happened yet mind you) so they banned bikes from the parks. I've walked my dog in the parks many times at alll hours and had not been bothered by the bikes, and I'm rather easily annoyed. Everytime there is an auto accident and someone dies they charge the person with manslaughter, it seems there are no accidents anymore either.
Back to my point, the sheep want a perfect world and if it were not for (fill in blank) then there would be no deaths and we would live for eternity. And making up a law isn't enough, depending on the crisis of the week, the penalty is increased, especially if someone actually breaks one of the laws.
I sure did manage to get off the subject of this thread!
 
Powell is not interested in running for President.

It is not part of the Secretary of State's job to either push gun control in this country or anywhere else. That's called "interfering in the internal affairs of a sovreign state." It's not something he feels strongly enough to crusade about. No big deal.

What we need to watch are the secretaries of HUD, Education, Interior, and, especially, Treasury and Justice.
 
Not true.

When the subject of gun control comes up, the cabinet secretaries will be in the room and advising the President on what he should do with Bill A and Bill B. Hopefully, Condi Rice will give Powell a good, swift kick in the nards.

Rick
 
More opinions

As a junior officer, it is very refreshing to see so many of my peers pro-gun, nearly to the level of my views (give 'em to everyone and even the playing field, like Bat Day at Yankee Stadium!)

Even a few senior officers I have met have been pro-gun, and generally when the topic comes up in my situation I have almost uniformly heard pro-gun views to a varying level. Just my experience in the Air Force. Now, in the Marine Corps, whoa, everyone without exception was pro-gun. Interesting... and just my opinions/experiences.

As far as the political issue, ditto on what most have said re: Powell. To have one of the architects of the Gulf in a diplomatic position certainly implies a strength behind our negotiations.

I can't WAIT to see who will be Reno's and Cuomo's replacements. Is there any way that charges could be brought up on Reno for her (mis)conduct over the years?

And, at risk of firing up this thread, perhaps this whole S&W thing can be resolved.

La perte des armes est la fin de la liberte
 
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