Bob Etheridge on Gun Control Democratic Representative (NC-2)

Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers.

• Prohibit individuals from filing a qualified civil liability action
• Exempt lawsuits brought against individuals who knowingly transfer a firearm that will be used to commit a violent or drug-trafficking crime
• Exempt lawsuits against actions that result in death, physical injury or property damage due solely to a product defect
• Dismiss of all civil liability actions pending on the date of enactment
• Prohibit the manufacture, import, sale or delivery of armor piercing ammunition

Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse.

Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1.

Prevent unauthorized firearm use with "smart gun" technology.

Make America the “Safest Big Country” in the World
After climbing relentlessly for three decades, crime rates started to fall in the 1990s. Nonetheless, the public remains deeply concerned about the prevalence of gun violence, especially among juveniles, and Americans still avoid public spaces like downtown retail areas, parks, and even sports facilities.

We need to keep policing “smart” and community-friendly, prohibiting unjust and counterproductive tactics such as racial profiling; focus on preventing as well as punishing crime; pay attention to what happens to inmates and their families after sentencing; use mandatory testing and treatment to break the cycle of drugs and crime; and enforce and strengthen laws against unsafe or illegal guns. Moreover, we need a renewed commitment to equal justice for all, and we must reject a false choice between justice and safety.

Technology can help in many areas: giving police more information on criminal suspects so they do not rely on slipshod, random stop-and-search methods; allowing lower-cost supervision of people on probation or parole; and making it possible to disable and/or trace guns used by unauthorized persons.

Above all, we need to remember that public safety is the ultimate goal of crime policy. Until Americans feel safe enough to walk their neighborhood streets, enjoy public spaces, and send their children to school without fear of violence, we have not achieved public safety.

Goals for 2010
• Reduce violent crime rates another 25 percent.
• Cut the rate of repeat offenses in half.
• Develop and require “smart gun” technology to prevent use of firearms by unauthorized persons and implement sensible gun control measures.
• Ban racial profiling by police but encourage criminal targeting through better information on actual suspects.
• Require in-prison and post-prison drug testing and treatment of all drug offenders.

Rated D by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record.

While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world. But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly three million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs.

The following ratings are based on lifetime voting records on gun issues and the results of a questionaire sent to all Congressional candidates; the NRA assigned a letter grade (with A+ being the highest and F being the lowest).

Teach kids Eddie Eagle GunSafe's lifesaving message.

RESOLUTION Commending the National Rifle Association for developing the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program and teaching 23,000,000 children its lifesaving message.
• Whereas the National Rifle Association created the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program to teach the fundamentals of firearm safety to children in an effective way;
• Whereas through activity books, posters, and other educational materials, children are reminded of a simple safety message, 'If you see a gun: STOP! Don't Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult';
• Whereas the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program has been used by more than 26,000 public or private schools, law enforcement agencies, and civic organizations, and has reached 23,000,000 children since 1988;
• Whereas the annual number of firearm accidents has declined more than 80 percent since the inception of the program; and
• Whereas the legislatures of 23 States have passed resolutions recommending the use of the Eddie Eagle Program;
• Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
• commends the National Rifle Association for developing the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program and teaching 23,000,000 children its lifesaving message;
• supports the goals and objectives of the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle gun safety program;
• encourages educators across the United States to incorporate gun education programs in elementary school curricula to help decrease the incidence of accidental gun-related deaths among children; and
• encourages civic and community organizations concerned about the safety and well-being of children across the United States to support funding for the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program at the local level.