Mike Huckabee on the 2nd Amendment

During the last blogger’s conference call, Huckabee fielded a question from the Lone Star Times about the 2nd Amendment.  You can read the LST’s full report here, but the following snippet really struck me.  “BigJolly” with LST writes:

Not only did he provide a satisfactory answer, he hit the question a mile out of the park. I really wasn’t aware that this would be such a softball for him. I was expecting the usual, hey, I’m a sportsman, I’m a hunter, we need to keep rifles legal, etc. type of answer that his “top-tier” competitors have given.

I did not anticipate his “gun owners should control guns, not the government” answer. I had to laugh when he said that he was happy to hear politicians talk about being hunters, because it told him that they had no idea what the second amendment was about. I was happy to hear him say that guns were to defend people, both from fellow citizens and as the last line of defense from an oppressive government. Wow! Talk about refreshing!

This report in LST and his reaction to Mike’s answer on the call reminded me that Huckabee’s stances are still not widely known.  I think the blogger from LST said something to the effect of “Put that message out, Governor, put it out!”.  So, I went looking for video of Gov. Huckabee speaking about the 2nd Amendment and did not have any luck. If anyone reading this knows of any such videos, please let me know in the comments.  Also, any help matching the “Other Candidates…” statements below with Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney (Mr. Lifetime NRA), Sam Brownback (I think he voted for frivolous lawsuits), Tancredo, Fred or any of the other candidates would be appreciated.  I know Ron Paul is a champion for gun rights, so I doubt he will fall into any of the “Other candidates…” categories.

The following is Mike Huckabee on the 2nd Amendment from MikeHuckabee.com.

No candidate has a stronger, more consistent record on Second Amendment rights than I do. Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our God-given liberties. They devised our three branches of government and our system of checks and balances. But they were still concerned that the system could fail, and that we might someday face a new tyranny from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that’s why they gave us the Second Amendment. They knew that a government facing an armed populace was less likely to take away our rights, while a disarmed population wouldn’t have much hope. As Ronald Reagan reminded us, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Without our Second Amendment rights, all of our other rights aren’t inalienable, they’re just “on loan” from the government.

Other candidates say gun control doesn’t affect hunting. Now I’m a very avid hunter, but the Second Amendment isn’t really about hunting. It’s about tyranny and self-defense. The Founding Fathers weren’t worried about our being able to bag a duck or a deer, they were worried about our keeping our fundamental freedoms.

I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “Criminals prefer unarmed victims.” Criminals will always find a way to get guns. By disarming our law-abiding citizens, we take away the strongest deterrent to violent criminals – the uncertainty that they don’t know who is helpless and who is armed. Our law enforcement officials can’t be everywhere, all the time. Lawfully-armed citizens back them up and prevent robberies, rapes, and the murder of innocents. Right after Katrina, with law enforcement non-existent, many victims were able to protect their lives, their homes, and their precious supplies of food and water only because they were armed.

Other candidates believe gun control should be determined geographically, but Second Amendment rights belong to individuals, not cities or states. Your Second Amendment rights don’t change when you change your address.

Other candidates filed frivolous law suits against gun manufacturers. When I was Governor, I protected gun manufacturers from exactly those types of suits. I allowed former law enforcement officials to carry concealed handguns and removed restrictions on concealed handgun permit holders. I was the first Governor in the country to have a concealed handgun license, and of course I’m a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

Other candidates have supported banning assault weapons. When the federal ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, I said, “May it rest in peace.” It won’t be returning in the Huckabee Administration.

Zealously protecting your Second Amendment rights is another way that I will lift all law-abiding Americans up, by consistently championing your right to defend yourself.

UPDATE:  I found this following excerpt of an interview Hugh Hewitt conducted with Huckabee:

HH:…What about assault weapons, or what is called assault weapons in the law? Should Americans be allowed to have them?

MH: Absolutely. Americans ought to be allowed to have anything they want to have, as long as they’re law abiding, legal citizens. The 2nd Amendment was not there for hunting. I get so offended when Democrats talk about it as if you don’t need an assault weapon to hunt. Well truthfully, most Democrats wouldn’t know an assault weapon from a BB gun.

I’m a hunter, I have been my whole life. But the 2nd Amendment is not just about hunting. It’s about protecting your family, your property, and it’s honestly about defending ourselves against a tyrannical government, should it ever go haywire on us.