My day at a gun range , well here's the story

[spin]

66. How do you define a true Democrat. ...

I suspect many posters here would state that a true Democrat would support a ban on assault weapons. While that may be true in some states it isn't in others. Many gun owners who live in states like Florida or Texas have a collection of firearms worth thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. When they start to believe that their hobby and their investment is threatened it is only logical that they may decide to become single issue voters and vote against any and all Democrats.

Some elected Democrats stated that the AWB was "a good first step." Gun owners immediately interpreted that as suggesting that next step would be a ban on all semi auto firearms including handguns. They suspected that the end goal was to implement gun laws such as exist in some European nations. Consequently they ran out to their gun store and bought everything in sight and cleared the shelves of ammunition on the way out. You can bet that these fearful gun owners will be sure to turn up at the polls to vote against any Democrats regardless of their views on gun control. Close elections may be lost at the local, state and national levels.

I differ from many gun owners as I seriously believe that Republicans pose a more serious threat to gun ownership than do Democrats. For example I feel that if Mitt Romney would have been elected as President, Congress would have passed the assault weapons ban. Romney pandered to gun owners but his history showed that he was far from a strong gun rights advocate. The Sandy Hook shooting would have caused him to suggest reinstating the assault weapons ban and since he would have been a first term President, he would have been able to garner enough Republican support to get an AWB passed. John McCain was also no real friend of gun owners.

I also didn't panic and run out and buy a bunch of firearms like many gun owners. The ammo shortage has pissed me off because now I find it difficult to buy any ammo to practice with.

I feel that if some in the Democratic Party had not overreached by pushing for the AWB we would have been able to pass reasonable laws such as the universal background check by now.