[Maimaktes]

I've had C-Span 2 on for a while now, listening to debate on the Senate floor about the gun maker lawsuit-immunity bill. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) was on there, speaking against it, when I first tuned in. Durbin kept going on about how "legitimate hunters and sportsmen" needed to get behind efforts to restrict "illegitimate" gun use (as Durbin defined it), or else risk further restrictions on their ... huntin' and fishin' rights.

A little while ago Max Baucus (D-Montana) was speaking *for* it, but in *these*sorts of terms: " My constituents are very devoted to their hunting and the outdoor life, to hunting *and fishing*."

Now, if the 2nd Amendment has little or nothing to do with hunting, what on Earth has it got to do with *fishing*??

Just now, Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was speaking in favor of passage of the lawsuit immunity bill, and he referred to the controversy over the renewal of the "assault weapon" ban, and how an amendment to do that might be attached to the lawsuit immunity bill. Craig said: "We'd *like* to pass a clean bill" (that is, one free of amendments). But it was clear that he was willing to pass an *unclean*( heavily amended bill), if that's what it takes to get lawsuit immunity passed.

Well, Craig just shut up. I can't tell what's happening now. They may be voting, or getting ready to. No, they're having a Quorum Call.

I called my senator and left a message a little while ago. I told him to oppose any and all amendments to the lawsuit immunity bill, *especially* any amendment that would renew, reauthorize, ere-enact, extend, or expand the AWB. I went on to say that *if* such an amendment managed to get attached anyway, then he should oppose the passage of the lawsuit immunity bill, just vote it down entirely. Pass a clean bill, or *no* bill. Don't take one baby step forward and two *giant* steps back, and *call* it a victory.

Huh, Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) is on now, speaking against the bill.

More updates later, maybe.

Maimaktes

[Drjones]

Now, if the 2nd Amendment has little or nothing to do with hunting, what on Earth has it got to do with *fishing*??


You mean you don't know??? :confused:

You've obviously never fished the proper way! :evil:

[TallPine]

Now, if the 2nd Amendment has little or nothing to do with hunting, what on Earth has it got to do with *fishing*??
Just wait until the ban on barbed hooks gets passed .....:rolleyes:

Personally, I am almost to the point where I wish they would just go ahead and ban all semi-automatics including all the ones currently in private hands, so we can just get on with the battle for real.:fire:

[AJ Dual]

It's two things.

1/2 Ivory tower out-of-touch elitism. Sometimes, they actually do think that the “gun-rights movement” (fill in whoever you want for that) could only get so worked up over the loss of "traditional pastimes". They don't really get or believe the other ramifications of public gun ownership.

1/2 Disingenuous misdirection. Most, if not all of our politicians don't want to acknowledge that the Bill of Rights essentially has their own de facto death warrant written in the form of the 2A, should they get out of line.