Liberal Ben Affleck is Pro-Gun?


PDA






mattf7184
July 27, 2004, 08:00 PM
He just said on Bill O'reilly that he is a moderate liberal, but respects the bill or rights and is not anti gun and supports the rights of the 2A. Is he a "pro-2a" person like kerry or a real pro gunner like us?

EDIT: He mentioned it again that he disagrees with democrats and kerry on 2A and guns.

Count: 2 times

If you enjoyed reading about "Liberal Ben Affleck is Pro-Gun?" here in TheHighRoad.org archive, you'll LOVE our community. Come join TheHighRoad.org today for the full version!
Dbl0Kevin
July 27, 2004, 08:03 PM
Apparently Bill O'Reilly has been smoking some good stuff.

"Kerry is a big gun guy" :rolleyes: :banghead:

mattf7184
July 27, 2004, 08:04 PM
I thought by that he meant kerry is anti gun?

Mike_IN_PA
July 27, 2004, 08:05 PM
i thought I could type fast! I think you posted 5 seconds before me on this. Course it could be this dial up connection I have, 2 cans and a ball of string would be faster somedays.

On point, I remember reading in the New York Post last year that he was seen applying for a CCW i either New York or Miami I think. This was when he was getting married to, whats her name? My MTV generation brain cant remember that far back anymore.....

Lone_Gunman
July 27, 2004, 08:05 PM
He is just another idiot-actor who think they have something to say.

Alec Baldwin and George Clooney are other examples.

mattf7184
July 27, 2004, 08:09 PM
He seemed to represent himself quite respectfully and honest to me on this segment. I believe he even said he wasnt sure about the Zarkawi thing. Didnt come off to be the pompous ass I thought he was going to be.

Foreign Devil
July 27, 2004, 08:11 PM
If he says he disagrees with KErry on guns then maybe he's on our side.

If he were a "2nd amendment is about duck hunting" type then he would have taken Kerry's position.

PBIR
July 27, 2004, 08:12 PM
This thread is hilarious.


I just watched the same interview & Affleck did well for himself.

Affleck said that he (Affleck) is pro-2nd amendment (specifically).

Affleck said that he is basically non-partisan.

He spoke well of Bush as a person, but said he disagreed with his policies. That is a dramatic difference from most Hollywood types.

I've never been a fan of Affleck, but I have to say I think better of him off-screen after watching that interview.

Ed
July 27, 2004, 08:19 PM
He did a good job, Sounded semi smart. I don't think he's a real pro gun guy but not totally anti either. Struck me as the kind of guy whos dad owned a deer rifle and probably said "the goverment shouldn't take our guns" So he trusted his dad on the issue. Seemed to be a good guy. I'd drink a beer with him.

PBIR
July 27, 2004, 08:25 PM
I'd drink a beer with him.

Me too, as long as he's buying. He owes me for Pearl Habor ;)

Boats
July 27, 2004, 08:38 PM
Affleck isn't an idiot. Either is his buddy Matt Damon. He is from Boston, so why not go see the spectacle? Either he votes in Mass or in ****, so it hardly matters if he supports Bush or Kerry if he is being even-handed in his interviews.

sumpnz
July 27, 2004, 08:41 PM
On point, I remember reading in the New York Post last year that he was seen applying for a CCW i either New York or Miami I think. IIRC it was in Georgia. Might have been near Atlanta (Marietta??). Press speculated he was going there for a marriage license, but it was apparently for a CCW instead. Supposedly his intended bride was with him at the time.

Lobotomy Boy
July 27, 2004, 08:44 PM
Both Affleck and Damon are quite a bit more intelligent than your average Hollywood type. They wrote the screenplay for "Goodwill Hunting," not something a couple of dumb @$$es could have done. I'm not surprised that Affleck makes his own decisions on things like guns and the 2nd Amendment rather than walk in lock-step with the radicals of the Democratic party.

treeprof
July 27, 2004, 08:56 PM
Affleck owns a house on one of the high $$ islands off coastal Ga (St. Simon's??) , and it's there that he was s'posed to be getting or renewing his "Georgia Firearms License", which is what we call our CCW permit. You have to be a Ga resident to get one, so perhaps he calls Ga home?

Devonai
July 27, 2004, 09:15 PM
As much as I appreciate Affleck's comments as relayed here, they amount to nothing as long as he is stumping for the Dems. As Laura Ingraham says, "shut up and act."

DigMe
July 27, 2004, 10:01 PM
Me too, as long as he's buying. He owes me for Pearl Habor

Bwahahah! Ya got THAT right! Along with every other role where he has attempted to portray a serious character.

brad cook

Warren
July 27, 2004, 10:06 PM
I like his acting. Paycheck was a good flick and he did a great job in Shakespear in Love.

He is also willing to make fun of himself, the Kevin Smith J&SB movies are proof of this.

So he may be a liberal, but he is not a an anti-gunner. I'm cool wit dat.

Also, actors have every right to speak out as the rest of us do. They get more opportunities because of their celebrity. This is not immoral or unethical.

O.F.Fascist
July 27, 2004, 11:13 PM
He was da bomb in Phantoms.

carpettbaggerr
July 27, 2004, 11:24 PM
IIRC it was in Georgia Yeah, pretty sure it was in Savannah. He lives in GA and has a carry permit there. Was some story about a stalker/deranged fan at the time too.

Zundfolge
July 27, 2004, 11:27 PM
Affleck was raised by radical communist hippies ... the fact that he's not out there screaming for Kerry and his socialist police state says he's come a long way.


I had always assumed Affleck was a lefty and an anti ... maybe he's not.

Boats
July 27, 2004, 11:39 PM
Contrary to popular belief I think it is a good thing to have pro-gun liberals as long as they are serious about the 2A. If gun control could be intellectually "bred out" of both of the major parties, and left to the Greens and Communists, where it belongs, Sarah and her ilk would be way fringe.

Lobotomy Boy
July 27, 2004, 11:42 PM
Guns make a good hot button issue for radical Democrats. The Republicans have more than their share of hot-button issues, too.

mrapathy2000
July 28, 2004, 12:06 AM
too bad he doesnt have the brains or balls to see he is shooting himself in the foot by being or pretending to be pro-gun and go with the Democrat party.

should be hanging out with Zel Miller if he is going Dem.

RegBarc
July 28, 2004, 12:08 AM
Affleck conducted himself quite well, and goes to show that maybe not every Democrat is out to get us. Moderates like him could make the other party bearable. Too bad that Ted Kennedy and DiFi are still around, they are too much. He is pretty pro-second amendments, and he was very cordial and polite, and did not get up there and disrespect the office of the Presidency.

The difference between him and Rondstat is that he has an IQ above 48.

cracked butt
July 28, 2004, 12:24 AM
I would have to give him the benifit of the doubt and say that he means what he says. having an affinity for gun rights or ownership doesn't sit well with Hollyweird so I doubt he would intentionally hurt his standing with them just to make flippant remarks.

gunsmith
July 28, 2004, 03:02 AM
I saw him on tv hanging with the butcher of Chappaqidick so I don't think I can trust him.
Lots of hollywood elites shoot skeet and have armed bodyguards yet do their best to make sure the poor and working class lose their rights.

Warren
July 28, 2004, 03:17 AM
True, but based on the 2nd hand info :D from the thread it seems like he is not one of those.

I've heard Spielberg is though. Big gun collection, little concern for the rights of others.

RevDisk
July 28, 2004, 05:25 AM
As much as I appreciate Affleck's comments as relayed here, they amount to nothing as long as he is stumping for the Dems. As Laura Ingraham says, "shut up and act."

Yep. Everyone knows the best way to convert anti's is to be as rude as possible. :rolleyes:

Not all Democrats are evil gungrabbers. Not all Democrats support gun control. Most anti's are anti's because they are not very well informed. I'd be willing to wager a case of good beer that the majority of anti's are not rabidly gungrabbers but instead are simply misguided and believe the lies of the foaming-at-the-mouth anti's.

If Affleck is a Democrat and pro Second Amendment, good. Maybe he'll convert others to not supporting the extremist gungrabbers. Very bit helps, you know.

jason10mm
July 28, 2004, 08:43 AM
I thought it was preetty significant that he said it IN THE CONVENTION HALL! I mean, there he is, right in the center of Democratic power, and he makes a major departure from company policy.

I wish he had something like, "I don't want the AW ban to be renewed", so we'd know where he stood on the important stuff, but just specifically mentioning the 2nd A at the convention helps.

Devonai
July 28, 2004, 11:12 AM
Yep. Everyone knows the best way to convert anti's is to be as rude as possible.

Laura Ingraham wasn't talking about gun control, and I'm preaching to the choir, so to whom precisely am I being rude?

Reindeer Games was another good Affleck film, often overlooked. Of course, it also had Gary Sinise.

Partisan Ranger
July 28, 2004, 11:23 AM
I also think many people, such as O'Reilly, don't understand what 'pro-gun' is. O'Reilly thinks it's all about hunting. For God's sake, read the Constitution! Where in there does it recognize my God-given right to shoot rabbits?

People need to be educated that being pro-gun is being pro-freedom. It's what being American is truly all about. A people with guns are truly a free people.

HankB
July 28, 2004, 11:30 AM
I saw the interview - I have to paraphrase here, but he stated he supported the WHOLE Bill of Rights, including, specicically, the Second Amendment. He brought this up on his own, without prompting.

He mentioned it again a bit later in the interview, and opined that's an area in which he does NOT agree with the Democratic Party.

He agreed with O'Reilly's comment that Kerry was a big gun guy, shooting clay pigeons and such, but that went by so quick it was hard to tell if either one was serious. (Remember, O'Reilly thinks the AWB is about machine guns and bazookas.)

When he spoke of Bush, he didn't claim he was an evil liar who stole the election, murdered babies, and compare him to a woman's private parts, so that puts him a leg up over much of Hollyweird.

But he's only around 30, so there's hope. Remember, "If you're not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at 40, you have no head."

ninjaj448
July 28, 2004, 12:29 PM
O'Reilly is not necessarily a pro-gun individual and definitely wants to see the AWB renewed. He's pro-2nd amendment - but only with lots of baggage.

I expected Affleck to be be in lock-step with the Moore thing. He really got my attention the first time he indicated he was pro-2nd amendment because he stated it in an independent sentence. When said a second time, again independent of what they were talking about, it came out as a flat-out statement, which really impressed me. No waffling!

Kerry holding a shotgun at the hip doesn't make him pro-gun, sorta like Clinton's ducking hunting trip when he was running the 2nd time.

Sulaco
July 28, 2004, 04:25 PM
Ahhh, the old art of confusing fame with wisdom.

How easily some of you are swayed by this wolf in sheeps clothing.

Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas.

cosmonick
July 28, 2004, 10:16 PM
"O'Reilly is not necessarily a pro-gun individual and definitely wants to see the AWB renewed. He's pro-2nd amendment - but only with lots of baggage."

This is not to disagree with what you said, as you qualified your statement by adding "lots of baggage". But I've thought a lot about this and I wonder if someone can truly support the Second Amendment and support the AWB. The Second Amendment, from my understanding, was put in place to give us the rights to own firearms that could be used to protect us from our own government. I believe that "assault rifles" are the very type of firearm that the Second Amendment was meant to protect.

Mo

Bruce H
July 28, 2004, 11:22 PM
Bill O'Reilly needs a very harsh lesson on the chances of him doing what he does now without the second and its true meaning. These morons all thing the first keeps them free and spouting whatever drivel they want. They sure need a real harsh lesson.

Strings
July 29, 2004, 01:45 AM
Sorry, but when it comes to actors being asked about anything important, I prefer Brad Pitt's line: "Why are you asking me about THAT? I'm just an actor!"

Lobotomy Boy
July 29, 2004, 08:15 AM
This actor bashing is about as logical as saying, "Why does my opinion matter? I'm just a carpet layer, or a plumber, or a farmer, or a district manager." By this logic we should all shut up and let the professional politicians run everything.

Sure, there are a lot of actors who have opinions we consider as foolish as Diane Feinstein's. Perhaps that's because a lot of actors are her constituents. I'd bet good money that there are plenty of Californian carpet layers and plumbers and farmers and district managers with opinions we'd consider equally as foolish as Feinsteins or those actors.

But there are a few actors and perhaps even a few Californians who have positions many of us would agree with, too.

Has it occurred to anyone here that when you start complaining about the rights of one group to express its views you are putting the rights of all of us to express our views at risk? This attitude always amazes me. The perfect example is when a pro-2nd Amendment person complains about 1st Amendment freedoms. I often hear people say, "Without the 2nd Amendment, the 1st Amendment wouldn't exist." True, but the reverse is true also. Without the 1st Amendment, the 2nd Amendment wouldn't exist.

When you start trying to take away the 1st Amendment rights of others for some arbitrary reason like what they do for a living, quite frankly you are effing yourself in the A, to use the vernacular of our time. If we manage to take away the 1st Amendment rights of actors, who's next? Gun nuts? Remember, there are probably as many misguided people who hate firearms enthusiasts as there are firearms enthusiasts who dislike actors.

Be careful of what you wish for.

Strings
July 29, 2004, 08:38 AM
I'm gone for a few weeks, come back, and suddenly everyone's a freakin' psychic...


I in NO way advocated taking away anyone's rights. I pointed oout a response that I thought was interesting, in that too many in our society seem to equate fame with wisdom, when the two have nothing in common. And I get blasted for censoship?!?!?

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over?

Lobotomy Boy
July 29, 2004, 08:48 AM
Sorry if I blasted you. I meant no disrespect. It's just that I believe in the 1st Amendment as strongly as I believe in the 2nd, and that goes for people with whom I disagree, like Ted Kennedy, as much as it does for people who share my views, as does, in this particular example, Ben Affleck. And that holds true for you, also. I certainly wasn't trying to shut you up. I believe your point was that we shouldn't hold actors up as authorities, which is a fair generalization. But that doesn't mean all actors are without knowledgeable and well-reasoned viewpoints, either. I apologize if it was a bit harsh.

DevilDog
July 29, 2004, 12:24 PM
Here is the problem I have with celebrities and their views:

They often get access to a speaking forum that most regular folk will never get due to their celebrity status. Many of them and the media (in general) treat them and their views like they have some magical insight to politics, religion, whatever.

Because they get an opportunity to speak out and share their views that most of us do not, they have a moral obligation, imho, to either NOT spout an uninformed viewpoint, or to inform themselves thoroughly on the subject, whatever it may be.

It is responsible to say "I am not informed on blah blah blah topic, so I will not comment". It is irresponsible to say "We need to ban those things" without doing any research on the topic. This is magnified many times over when this is done to a larger audience.

If any one person is conversing in a small group, spout whatever you want. When you have an opportunity to influence many (thousands?) of people with your view - be responsible and educate yourself first.

Rights come with responsibilities. With the 2A, the responsibility is somewhat obvious (at least to me and some others) - handle them with care. With the 1A, it is not as obvious, but one should exercise responsible behavior as well.

Applicable quote from Brad Pitt (of all people!)

"Reporters are always asking me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I'm a ????ing actor. I'm here for entertainment, basically, when you whittle everything away. I'm a grown man who puts on makeup."

tfurey19
July 29, 2004, 01:16 PM
Saying he is pro-2nd amendment means nothing. Every NYC politician says that.

Now when he says he disagrees with Kerry... now that means something.

He was reported to have received a GA permit i.e. CCW not too long ago- a bold move for an actor, especially since the act was much publicized. He may actually be pro-gun after all.

As for him supporting the Dems.... we need more progun people on the dem side. We may very well lose this election (gun owners being the idiots they are). We may lose many others. If this is strictly a partisan issue it becomes very very risky.

Keep in mind that if anti dems control both chambers and the presidency full UK style gun control could be enacted in a single day. We need to to try and add some pro-gun diversity to the party just in case

If you enjoyed reading about "Liberal Ben Affleck is Pro-Gun?" here in TheHighRoad.org archive, you'll LOVE our community. Come join TheHighRoad.org today for the full version!