Senate Proceeding on Feb 26th, 2009 :: 5:31:40 to 5:37:10
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5:31:40 to 5:32:00( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: but the individual's right to keep and bear arms. so since then the district of columbia has attempted to subvert what the supreme court did by putting very burdensome-type laws to make it more and more difficult for district resid

5:31:40 to 5:37:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Ensign

5:32:01 to 5:32:21( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: to be able to protect themselves in their own own. it is interesting if you want to go back to talked about as far as the 2nd amendment look at james madison, he wrote in federalist number 46, "the advantage of being armed which the americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, forms

5:32:22 to 5:32:43( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: a barrier against the enter pries of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admitted of." washington, d.c. is blatantly violated this right for more than 30 years. and it has led to catastrophic results.

5:32:44 to 5:33:04( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: what this chart the murder rates in washington, d.c., relative to 48 other of the largest cities, excluding chicago from the top 50 list and this is all weighted by population. you can see, especially as we go forward, when other crime rates in the country were

5:33:05 to 5:33:25( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: going down the murder rates in the country were going down as washington, d.c. is enacting more and more gu ban laws and stricter gun ban laws and murder rate in washington, d.c., continued to rise. it has been characterized this bill would allow 10-year-olds to

5:33:26 to 5:33:50( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: carry shotguns in the street of washington, d.c. that is completely ridiculous and a scare tactic. what our amendment does basically is ensure the second amendment rights and removes the tremdous barriers and burdens on law-abiding citizens to be able to have the protection they

5:33:52 to 5:34:12( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: want to protect themselve themselves in their own homes pt right now if a criminal in washington, d.c. wants a gun, they will get a gun. what we are doing is the people who actually abi by the law, it is so difficult to get a gun, that they don't. we want law-abiding citizens to have the arms, not just the criminals.

5:34:13 to 5:34:34( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: that is what this amendment is really all about. now you are going to probably hear other people talk about washington, d.c., is just trying to, within the supreme court decision, enact laws that will put reasonable restrictions on guns. i would say that is not the case.

5:34:35 to 5:34:56( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: the reason it isn't the case is they're actually trying to do technical changes within the that they think will restrict people's right to keep and bear arms. it's going against the intent of what the supreme court has enacted. people across the united states have recognized for a long time how important it is for

5:34:57 to 5:35:17( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: individuals to be able to keep and bear arms. country after country in the world, it has been stated, why does great britain have a lower murder rate in the united states? first of all there are a lot of cultural difference but since great britain help acted the

5:35:18 to 5:35:38( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: stictest gun control laws -- strict of the gun control laws, murder rates have again up in london. in case after case after case where you look to find out whether gun control laws actually are effective in reduci crime, the statistics are protect inventorare overwhelming against it.

5:35:39 to 5:36:02( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: criminals get the guns. they get them on the black market or they go someplace pt they get th.they get their guns. will law-abiding citizens be able to protect themselves in their own homes? that is what this amendment is attempting to do, to say to citizens living in the district

5:36:03 to 5:36:23( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: of columbia, we wi we will protect your rights. the laws the district of columbia are stricter, just to own a gun, than what we require in nevada to carry a concealed weapons permit. so, mr. president, i think it is high time this body give the citizens who live in the

5:36:24 to 5:36:45( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: district of columbia that second amendment right to keep and bear arms, to be able to protect themselves in their own home. i urge my this amendment. i'll save a couple of minutes right before the ve to conclude my remarks. mr. president, how were time do i have left on my side?

5:36:46 to 5:37:00( Edit History Discussion )

John Ensign: the presiding officer: nine minutes remaining. mr. ensign: i reserve the remainder of my time. i note the presiding officer: thelerk