Login or register
Giuliani: Sept. 11 changed view of gun rights
As NYC mayor, he supported assault-weapon ban

None | Washington Post
Posted: Friday, September 21, 2007
-
Story Tools
Font Size:
Giuliani: Sept. 11 changed view of gun rights Facebook
Get FREE Daily Headlines by email!

advertisement
WASHINGTON — Rudy Giuliani on Friday sought to persuade members of the National Rifle Association to look past his lengthy record of pushing for tougher gun control by saying that his views on this issue had been changed by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The attacks on New York and the Pentagon put "a whole different emphasis on the things America needs to do to protect itself, and maybe even a renewed emphasis on the Second Amendment," Giuliani told the roughly 500 NRA members gathered at a Washington hotel.

While never expressly repudiating his stance on gun control, he sought repeatedly to assure the audience that he would not seek to place new limits on gun ownership, saying that "law enforcement should focus on enforcing the laws that exist on the books as opposed to passing new extensions of laws."

Giuliani acknowledged that his record put him at odds with the NRA but pledged that he would uphold the Second Amendment. He said his clampdown on guns in New York was needed to reduce crime and was focused only on criminals, and he added that he would carry the same philosophy into the White House. He urged NRA members to recognize their points in common with him and support him as a candidate who could beat the Democrats next fall.

"You have to figure out who is electable and who can win, because if we make a mistake about that, the discussion will go very much in a direction that you and I disagree with," he said.

He also came close to disavowing a lawsuit against gunmakers that he initiated while mayor of New York.

The 2000 lawsuit sought to hold gunmakers liable for shootings with illegal guns (the case, by chance, was heard this week in a federal appeals court). Then, Giuliani called it an "aggressive step towards restoring accountability to an industry that profits from the suffering of others."

Friday, Giuliani backed away from the suit, saying he might not uphold it if he were a judge.

As mayor, Giuliani was an outspoken supporter of a national ban on assault weapons, saying in a 1995 interview that the NRA's "defense of assault weapons, and their unwillingness to deal with some of the realities here that we face in our cities is a terrible, terrible mistake."


You must login to make comments.
Click on the link below to register for a free account. This is a new system and previous accounts are not transferred to this system. You'll be asked for your name and e-mail address. A confirmation e-mail with a password will be sent to you at the address you provide. Once you've logged into the system, you'll be able to view and contribute comments. Please be respectful to your fellow users and post under your own name. Send questions to webeditor@sfnewmexican.com

Email:
Password:
Remember me
Register here for a free username and password

Comments (0)
What do you think? Add your two cents to the conversation by contributing your view on the news. Please, be respectful to the community and your fellow users and use your real name when posting. Inappropriate postings will be removed and your privileges to comment further might be suspended. If you'd prefer to submit a letter to the editor for possible inclusion in The New Mexican's print edition, visit our submissions page.


(not you? logout)



advertisement
  • JB Yelsky commented on
  • Ambro A commented on
  • P Orlando Baca commented on
  • Truett Collins commented on
  • Ambro A commented on
  • Joe McNabb commented on
  • Ambro A commented on
  • Doreen Saiz-Adler commented on