Kamala Harris: 'I am a gun owner' for personal protection

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a 2020 Democratic presidential contender, said Thursday that she owns a gun for personal safety reasons, adding that she believes in some changes to gun laws.

"I am a gun owner and I own a gun for probably the reason that a lot of people do, for personal safety," she told reporters in Iowa.

The presidential candidate blasted what she believes is a "false choice" between supporting the Second Amendment and taking away guns, which she said is "born out of a lack of courage from leaders."

"For too long and still today we are being offered a false choice which suggests you're either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone's guns away," she said.

She added that she supports "smart gun safety laws" like universal background checks and renewing the assault weapons ban.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kamala-harris-i-am-a-gun-owner-for-personal-protection/ar-BBVQZRA?li=BBnb7Kz

A lot of us on the left are gun owners. We just don't think we need to make a big deal about it or wave it about.

[Drum]

1. I've been acquainted with (mid-level?) District Attorneys here in NYC who were also gun owners....

It was/is simply a practical consideration, considering the work they do---and especially in light of living in a city among some folks who wish they weren't doing that work. They have badges as "law," and the option to carry firearms, at least as I understand the laws here.

I understand these distinctions, and how it abuts a variety of 2nd A and gun-rights issues.

Just my 2 cents....

[Kaleva]

2. I have a .38 Special in a holster on my right hip right now.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. You get in a lot of rough scrapes while DUing?

[Kaleva]

10. I just had a post hidden on me a few days ago.

[customerserviceguy]

33. Hey, you're alright with me

It really doesn't matter why you want to protect yourself, it's about your ability to do so within your own law-abiding discretion.

[JohnnyRingo]

41. Good one.

Nice come back.

[orangecrush]

48. ...

[oldsoftie]

66. And i bet it wasnt even anything actually hide-worthy.

[USALiberal]

6. Why? Paranoid? Cop? nt

[Kaleva]

9. Not paranoid a all.

I take familiarization and practice seriously. I have carried it so much now that most of the time, I'm not aware I have it on me.

[USALiberal]

11. Why? Robbery worry? Assassin after you? nt

[Kaleva]

13. I don't worry about anything like that. I'm armed.

[USALiberal]

14. I bet you just feel tougher or just like guns. No other logical reason. nt

[Kaleva]

19. Most of the time I don't even think about it as I'm so used to carrying

I haven't been in a serious car accident in the 40 plus years of driving. Odds are I'll never be in one. I don't put on a seat belt because it makes me feel tough or because I like it.

Odds are I'll never have to use the gun I carry for self protection. Like a seat belt, carrying a gun deosn't make me feel tough.

If you do not wish to carry a gun, then don't.

[USALiberal]

21. Wear a helmet while driving? If not, why?? nt

[Vdizzle]

29. Let it be.

If he wants to wear a pistol on his hip, so be it. It costs you nothing. It doesn’t ask anything of you. If Kaleva is a reponsible gun owner (and it sounds as though he is) then who gives a crap? I have several pistols, several rifles, and several shotguns. I used to concealled carry when I was younger before I had kids. Now my weapons sit in a gun safe unloaded. I take them to the range or the mountains occasionally when I feel like it, but mainly they sit there in a safe. I stopped concealed carrying when I had my first little girl. I decided that I could not come up with a plausible situation where carrying that heavy hunk of metal around would do me any good. If I were in danger, my instinct would be to pick up my girl and run like Forrest Gump. I can’t see a time where I would be getting into a gunfight in my day to day life.

[Devil Child]

58. Damn good response Vdizzle!

[pangaia]

34. "...I'm not aware I have it on me..."

Whoa there !
You have a .38 Special on you and... you don't even know it?

Is that such a good idea???

[Devil Child]

57. To me it means he has a comfortable and well fitted holster

Good for him I say!

[Kaleva]

62. If you are aware of it all the time, then it's not a good fit.

It'd be like wearing a shoe all day that's one size too small.

[Honeycombe8]

39. I have a .38 revolver. I don't carry it. I keep it a home or in the car when I travel, ....

if I'm traveling thru states that allow drivers to carry in their cars.

[Agschmid]

3. I don't own guns but I have no problem with people owning guns.

I’d love to see some restrictions on certain things...
- Large Quantity Ammunition Clips
- If you want to shoot the gun you need to pull the trigger for every bullet
- Etc

[at140]

28. +100....I have no problem law abiding owning a small gun

for personal protection. So Kamala is right up my alley.

[WeekiWater]

4. I'm a gun grabber.

I also live in reality. I don’t like the bolstering of the current application of the second amendment. I do like anyone calling for additional gun regulations, if they mean it. Harris means it.

[USALiberal]

7. Silly reason. 95% of POLICE OFFICERS never fire their gun in a career. Citizens even less. weird. nt

[fleabiscuit]

37. 27% have fired their weapons on duty. nt

[Blue_true]

8. I must admit. I am cold to owning a gun.

I would rather pay for professional personal security if I felt that I needed it. Just something about me owning a gun turns me off, I would be hesitant to continue a relationship with a girlfriend if I found that she was a gun owner without a real solid reason for owning the gun.

[MicaelS]

44. So it's ok for you to pay OTHERS...

To risk their lives, get their hands dirty and bloody, and stain THEIR souls for YOU, but all that is beneath you, right?

[BannonsLiver]

47. You mean like the police?

I’m not seeing a big difference given the wording of your point. And we all pay for those jobs with our tax dollars.

[MicaelS]

49. Applies either way to police or private security.

People who claim they could never commit violence to defend themselves, but expect others to do so for them disgust me. These are the type of people who criticize the cops at every opportunity, yet would dial 911 in an instant if they needed help.

Plenty of wealthy fucks like Trump and his friends out there paying for their own private security, would never deign to risk everything for their own safety, because they are either flat out cowards, or they believe it is beneath them. These are the same fucks would ban all guns for the masses in a heartbeat if they could, but would make sure there was a loophole so they could have their heavily armed security.

[BannonsLiver]

51. I do see your point on some level

I’m not reflexively anti gun or police. That being said I’m also not offended by those who don’t want to own guns. I think you’d agree there are some people who probably shouldn’t own them for personal defense, especially if they are afraid to use them if that scenario presented itself. I’m pretty sure I could shoot someone if it was a me or them situation. But I know people who would be wholly incapable of that for a variety of reasons.

Also, while I respect the work our police officers do, much like I respect air traffic controllers, brain surgeons and teachers, it’s not indentured servitude or slavery. It’s a career choice. They want to be there.

Anyway, I think Harris’ statement here is savvy and truthful which is a good thing. She’s right to bring it up.

[MicaelS]

54. And I am not reflexively pro gun or cop.

And yes, guns are not, nor should be for all people. Criminals, and those with mental illnesses.

I think you and I are pretty much in agreement.

But, those that do not want to own a gun, yet expect others to protect them should not be allowed to completely ban all guns for civilians. Those types seem to fail to understand that doing so would mean that only the cops and military would have guns, who then get accused of all sorts of perfidy.

I really do not respect pacifists. They might be willing to sacrifice their own lives, but I do not want them to impose that ideology on anyone else.

[Blue_true]

65. Hold up.

Your spew has gone way off the rails. I chose not to own a gun or associate with civilians that do own them. I just have never felt comfortable with anyone around me with a gun that was not professionally trained to handle such a tool.

I generally support the police, not blindly, but I respect support the risks that good honest cops take. There are bad cops, but my belief is that is a small group within a very large group of people. And even a man or woman who at first look like a bad cop may be dealing with frustrations in that instant that the person deals poorly with controlling.

I don't favor banning all guns, I have no idea how you jumped to that rail from what I wrote. Would I live with a gun owner? No, but that is my choice, just like owning a gun is a choice. As far as I am concerned, any sane, responsible person can own a gun if that person wants to. I am uncomfortable with people that are not professionally trained carrying around guns in general public places, but if the law says they can, I have no reason nor intent to challenge that as long as the people publicly carrying are responsible with the guns. I do think that assault type guns should be restricted to licensed gun clubs or ranges or in the possession of some police officers. People that want to play with assault weapons can go to gun ranges to do so, not march around with them among the general public. I actually am not for gun bans, I am for background checks for gun ownership and restricting use of some guns to certain places.

I will mostly let your comment about hating pacifists slide. I can explain how wrong you are, but conversations like that among men almost always devolve into a cock-length contest, I have no desire to go there with you.

[Blue_true]

64. No, it's not that. I just don't feel comfortable touching a gun. Never have, even when younger.

So I guess it is more of a psychological block relative to that instrument. Explain why? I can't, don't know why.

[stonecutter357]

12. 'I am a gun owner' for personal protection !

[USALiberal]

15. Chances so low not even worth worrying about it. nt

[stonecutter357]

18. Chances are very good i run into a Wild boar are a coyote on my way to the mail box !

[Honeycombe8]

38. Chances are actually pretty good that a woman alone will get targeted for crime.

I have been. Several times.

I grew up with a lot of people in the area having guns. It's a normal thing, esp in our country. The country was built with people totin' guns, and even women in the midwest and west needing to use guns. So that's a history.

When you learn how to handle and care for them, and have respect for them, it doesn't seem odd at all. And it could save your life.

I view it as a necessity for me, a single woman living alone. Since I know how to shoot well enough.

[MicaelS]

50. I am a firm believer in women being armed.

If many men who rape knew they stood a good chance of being killed might reduce rapes.

[Devil Child]

16. Thank you Sen. Harris!

This is a welcome message for me to hear as a Democrat who is highly supportive of the right to keep and bear arms.

[at140]

31. Hooray to you!

With 400 million guns floating around among civilians, making small gun possession restrictive and expensive only punishes the law abiding, the single women living in bad neighborhoods, the seniors who do not have physical strength to fight an invader/attacker.

Criminals will never pay licensing fees, abide by registration requirements etc.

[BlueFlorida]

17. Smart. Very smart.

The NRA wants to make it binary choice between all sorts of guns to everyone and no guns for anyone.

Kamala is going to thread that needle perfectly. Sensible guns for sensible people.

[Kaleva]

20. +1

[SMC22307]

22. Everyone's sensible until they're not.

[BlueFlorida]

23. That is true

But that is true of most things. Anyone can use a car to kill people. Any doctor can go berserk in the OR and kill a patient. We have to trust the universal background checks.

[MicaelS]

45. And drunk drivers still kill thousands of people a year.

So the obvious solution is to ban alcohol for everyone, right?

[forgotmylogin]

24. That's her choice. Nobody wants to deprive people of defensive weapons.

The offensive weapons are the problem.

[YOHABLO]

25. The narrative the AR-15 owners keep making is they're coming for our guns. No, just AR-15s.

[aikoaiko]

70. For some, an AR is all they own. But in truth, most AWB laws capture 100s of different guns

AWBs usually include many rifles, shotguns, and pistols depending on features.

The latest AWB attempt names almost 200 banned guns by name. Many of them popular.

Read it for yourself. AWBs are bad policy.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5087/text

[DoctorJoJo]

26. I Carry Whenever Outside My Home--This Makes Kamala An Added Attraction for Me!

I've been thinking a Harris/Mayor Pete ticket, but still undecided. I don't believe in deciding prior to the debates.

[defacto7]

27. Well, that's one more off my list.

And I say that with no joy whatsoever. I'm quite disappointed.

[aikoaiko]

30. I'm glad she made this announcement.

But I wish she didn't include the Assault Weapons Ban as an example of smart gun control.

Remember, Connecticut had an AWB in place and Lanza's mother's rifle was a legally owned, AWB compliant AR15.

Red Flag laws with good process will save many more lives.

[LongtimeAZDem]

35. Exactly so. The AWB will probably kill Mark Kelly's chances here in AZ

[oldsoftie]

67. I agree. Red flag laws are better. An AR15 is just a scary looking version of dozens of rifles

[workinclasszero]

32. Hey now all the people that give Bernie grief about

his views on guns can jump on Sen. Harris for her views!

[Jake Stern]

55. Funny how that works. . . . .

Notice a few who went from blasting guns and gun owners to "we're not talking about those guns, we meant AR-15s and the like!" now that Harris 'fessed up to being a gun owner.

[Quixote1818]

60. Good catch. nt

[namahage]

69. So when did Kamala crack the top 25 in gun rights lobbyist donations?

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lawmakers-who-take-the-most-money-from-the-gun-rights-lobby-2017-10-03

The only non-Republican in the top 25: Bernie Sanders, a Senate independent whose state, Vermont, has a strong hunting tradition. He accepted $11,129 in cash.

[JohnnyRingo]

40. A lot of democrats own guns.

...and I mean a lot.

That's one reason "they're coming for your guns" will never happen. It's just a scare tactic that costs democrats votes every year.

[yaesu]

42. I own several assault weapons

two Civil War single shot black powder carbines that were used by cavalry. They were the top of the line assault weapons of the day. Never will shoot them, just collect for historical value & investment. Legal, responsible firearm ownership isn't a problem with me, I have zero interest in modern firearms myself, even though I was brought up around them all my life.

[BeyondGeography]

43. Said in Iowa where her numbers are weak

IOW, I’m not a coastal elite, I pack heat!

Sad.

[MicaelS]

46. Good for her.

I agree with her.

[Bayard]

52. While I agree with what she said,

Wonder how she reconciles this with her view on the death penalty. I mean, if you're going to use a gun for protection, there's a good chance you're going to kill someone that attacks you.

[DoctorJoJo]

53. She Is Talking State Sponsored Homicide--If Someone Attacks Me, it Is Suicide!

[oldsoftie]

68. If you're lucky you will.

[rogue emissary]

56. Disappointed in her, but there enough candidates I can still happily support.

[Quixote1818]

59. I don't own a gun because I understand statistics and the math shows you are less safe with a gun

around in most cases. If I lived in the ghetto or in a situation that put me near very dangerous people I probably would consider having a gun but I would want a crap load of training so I knew how to react in any situation that made me more safe not less.

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/do-guns-make-us-safer-science-suggests-no/

[Awsi Dooger]

63. Too many things can go wrong given 24/7/365 ownership

Intentions are one thing but too often the outcome is tragically in the other direction, after being summoned in an emotional domestic dispute, etc.

I would never own a gun, and when I had roommates in Las Vegas I made damn sure they shared the same philosophy. There wasn't 1% chance I would ever share the same roof with a gun owner.

I am disappointed in Kamala but overall I don't trust her instincts so this is hardly surprising.

[Andy823]

61. K&R nt