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Ben Carson on Gun Control
Tea Party challenger in Republican primary
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No limits to gun ownership, except in cases of insanity
Q: In one article in Breitbart, you indicated that there shouldn't be a line about what types of weapons citizens can buy. At the same time, you have said in places where there are a lot of crowds, referring you don't want a crazy person ending up with
the wrong type of weapon. So you seem to be open to limiting that. What is your stand on this?CARSON: Well, my point being we should never compromise the Second Amendment. Of course, we should be thinking about what we can do to keep dangerous
weapons out of the hands of mentally unstable people. The two things are not incompatible.
Q: So you're not saying there should be a limitation on what type of weapon a sane person should be able to buy?
CARSON: Of course not.
You know, when we put this amendment in place, you know, state-of-the-art weapon was what? A musket? But the principle was that the citizenry should have access to whatever they needed in order to protect themselves from an overly aggressive government.
Source: Meet the Press 2015 interview moderated by Chuck Todd
, Oct 25, 2015
2nd amendment critical in guarding against tyranny
Q: In your book, there's a passage in which you say confiscating the guns of American citizens would violate the Constitution. But who wants to confiscate all the guns of the American citizens?CARSON: Well, what I'm talking about is the reason that
we have a Second Amendment in there. It's there for the reasons that I stated in the book, specifically, in case of an invasion by a foreign power, the people will be able to aid the military, and also, if we have a time
when we have the wrong people in office and they want to dominate the people, the people will be able to defend themselves.
Q: In the book, it suggests, though, that there is a present threat that guns would be confiscated from American citizens?
CARSON: No. Many of the things that are in the Constitution are to help to prevent horrible things from happening. So they're in place to make sure that the people maintain their liberties, and that the government remains constrained.
Source: CBS Face the Nation 2015 interview by Bob Schieffer
, Oct 11, 2015
Regard with suspicion anyone ignoring the Second Amendment
Blaming gun laws for tragedies instead of human beings is a common poly of politicians. Everyone in America should understand the significance of the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
It gives the citizenry the right to own and bear arms. It is important for citizens to be able to aid the military in the event of a foreign invasion--however unlikely that might seem in the 21st century.
And just as important, lawful people have the right to defend themselves against individual aggression--or their own corrupt governments.
Any politician willing to ignore the Second Amendment to win votes should be regarded with suspicion. The same goes for any other part of the U.S. Constitution).
Source: One Vote, by Ben Carson, p. 40-1
, Nov 1, 2014
Law-abiding citizens have right to guns without registration
He "used to think they needed to be registered, but if you register them they just come and find you and take your guns." He said, "I would never advocate anything to interfere with Second Amendment rights; however,
We have to keep in mind that law-abiding American citizens absolutely should have gun rights."
Q
Source: Breitbart.com, "Martial Law," by Tony Lee
, Mar 10, 2014
Extremely pro-2nd Amendment; never let anyone tamper with it
- The baton of freedom is in our hands. We must make absolutely sure that we will never let the right to keep & bear arms be removed from those who follow us in this nation. Let me make it absolutely clear that I am extremely pro-Second Amendment.
I will never let anyone tamper with that right.
- The real reason that they put the 2nd Amendment there is recognizing that there could come a time when our government itself could go off the rail, and could try to dominate the people, and the people
would need a mechanism of defense for themselves.
- I used to think guns needed to be registered, but if you register them they just come and find you and take your guns.
- I truly believe in Second Amendment rights. I would never advocate anything
to interfere with Second Amendment rights; however, I do think we have to be intelligent.
- We need to engage in a discussion about, "Is there something we can do?" [about keeping guns away from criminals and mentally ill people.]
Source: Ben Carson's Facebook page, cited on 2016committee.org
, Feb 18, 2014
Semi-automatic weapons ok in countryside, but not cities
Appearing on Glenn Beck's radio show this past week, Carson took a vastly different stance from most conservatives on the issue of gun control, claiming you shouldn't be able to own semi-automatic weapons in large cities.
Asked by Beck for his thoughts on the Second Amendment, Carson gave the popular pro-gun argument: "There's a reason for the Second Amendment; people do have the right to have weapons."
But when asked whether people should be allowed to own "semi-automatic weapons," the doctor replied: "It depends on where you live. I think if you live in the midst of a lot of people, and I'm afraid that that semi-automatic weapon is going to
fall into the hands of a crazy person, I would rather you not have it," Carson elaborated. However, if you live "out in the country somewhere by yourself" and want to own a semi-automatic weapon, he added, "I've no problem with that."
Source: Andrew Kirell on mediaite.com
, Mar 3, 2013
Page last updated: Mar 13, 2021