So it's taken as a given in the mainstream media, and among Giuliani opponents, that Rudy Giuliani has this big disconnect with the Republican base concerning the right to bear arms. It's assumed that Giuliani is anti-gun or favors "gun control." Here's one example, and here's another. But is this really true? I did a little research. And I don't think it's true at all. Yes, as mayor of New York, Giuliani I suppose took steps that one could characterize as "gun control" measures. But that was to satisfy a liberal constituency, to be able to get re-elected in a very liberal environment, and to deal with unique problems. What does Rudy say he'd do now, if he became president?
Let's see. Here we see that all the way back in 2000, Giuliani hardly sounded like someone pushing strict gun control. Quote: "I do not think the government should cut off the right to bear arms. My position for many years has been that just as a motorist must have a license, a gun owner should be required to have one as well. Anyone wanting to own a gun should have to pass a written exam that shows that they know how to use a gun, that they’re intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun. Should both handgun and rifle owners be licensed...we’re talking about all dangerous weapons." Giuliani, quoted in the Boston Globe, p. A4 Mar 21, 2000.
Okay. So what's he saying now, in his campaign for president? In February of this year (details here) we find: "Rudy Giuliani addressed a potentially troublesome issue with conservative voters, saying his policies as mayor to get handguns off the street helped reduce crime in New York. "I used gun control as mayor," he said at a news conference Saturday during a swing through California. But "I understand the Second Amendment. I understand the right to bear arms." Doesn't sound like someone who, as president, is going to push serious gun control. At all.
Furthermore: here we find a transcript of an interview Giuliani had earlier this year with conservative talk show host Sean Hannity, where the issue of gun control was raised explicitly. Here's some of the questions, and Giuliani's responses (an original, partial transcript is here):
HANNITY: Let me move on. And the issue of guns has come up a lot. When people talk about Mayor Giuliani, New York City had some of the toughest gun laws in the entire country. Do you support the right of people to carry handguns?
GIULIANI: I understand the Second Amendment. I support it. People have the right to bear arms. When I was mayor of New York, I took over at a very, very difficult time. We were averaging about 2,000 murders a year, 10,000...
HANNITY: You inherited those laws, the gun laws in New York?
GIULIANI: Yes, and I used them. I used them to help bring down homicide. We reduced homicide, I think, by 65-70 percent. And some of it was by taking guns out of the streets of New York City.
So if you're talking about a city like New York, a densely populated area like New York, I think it's appropriate. You might have different laws other places, and maybe a lot of this gets resolved based on different states, different communities making decisions. After all, we do have a federal system of government in which you have the ability to accomplish that.
HANNITY: So you would support the state's rights to choose on specific gun laws?
GIULIANI: Yes, I mean, a place like New York that is densely populated, or maybe a place that is experiencing a serious crime problem, like a few cities are now, kind of coming back, thank goodness not New York, but some other cities, maybe you have one solution there and in another place, more rural, more suburban, other issues, you have a different set of rules.
HANNITY: But generally speaking, do you think it's acceptable if citizens have the right to carry a handgun?
GIULIANI: It's not only -- I mean, it's part of the Constitution. People have the right to bear arms. Then the restrictions of it have to be reasonable and sensible. You can't just remove that right. You've got to regulate, consistent with the Second Amendment.
So: is this a candidate who agrees with the NRA on every single issue? Perhaps not. But is this the statements of a candidate who's anti-gun, someone who as president would heavily push for gun control? Come on. The answer is no. Giuliani has made himself clear on this, and it's time everyone recognized it.
