W. Mitt Romney
Centuries ago, our Founding Fathers championed the right to keep and bear arms. Modern-day Republicans and conservatives have echoed these sentiments in promises to restore and uphold the Second Amendment. GOP presidential candidate and professional campaigner Mitt Romney is no exception.
At one point in 2007, Romney spoke in favor of the Second Amendment: "I support [it] as one of the most basic and fundamental rights of every American. It's essential to our functioning as a free society, as are all the liberties enumerated in the Bill of Rights."
This sounds great on paper and provides the Romney camp with a fantastic sound bite, but let's not kid ourselves. It doesn't take much digging to uncover Mitt's anti-gun rights record.
Gun rights are a classic example of the notorious "Mitt Romney flip-flop."
During his 1994 campaign for the United States Senate, Romney voiced his support for an assault weapons ban and the Brady Bill, which were both strongly opposed to by most gun-rights advocates. As a governor, Romney signed legislation to extend the existing assault weapons bans in Massachusetts.
In a strategic move, Romney signed up for a lifetime membership with the NRA leading up to his 2008 presidential campaign. However, he has said on multiple occasions that, while he supports the work of the National Rifle Association, he doesn't "line up" with them on every issue. Based on Romney's history and own words, it seems the only thing that he and the NRA agree on is that the Second Amendment exists.
Romney's inconsistency on gun rights is cause for alarm. This is only one of the many issues that Romney has taken opposing, hypocritical stances on. His inability to commit to one position demonstrates a complete lack of principles and values. Although he preaches conservatism, there doesn't seem to be any guiding ideology behind Mitt's beliefs.
Bear in mind – President Obama is a self-proclaimed advocate of second amendment rights, as well. Under his administration, the consistently useless and corrupt Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has run wild. President Obama has also voiced his support for the United Nations Small Arms Treaty, which would effectively lead to the unconstitutional confiscation of firearms from United States citizens.
Just like Obama, Romney talks the talk, but that's about it. Despite this seemingly obvious revelation, Romney has been leading in the polls for the GOP nomination.
The Second Amendment is a right that many Republicans hold near and dear to their hearts, but you wouldn't know it from looking at Romney's numbers throughout this election cycle.
Before heading to the polls in 2012, voters should consider what our nation’s Founders – who stressed the importance of the Second Amendment – would think about Romney as president of the so-called “land of the free.” If U.S. citizens do not have the right to protect themselves against an oppressive government, this paves the way for tyranny.
