Wayne Messam Quotes

We in Congress must take action to keep assault weapons and high-capacity clips out of the hands of those who are so dangerous or deranged or deluded that they can snuff out the life of innocents on a whim.

Nothing in the opinion, should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.

We simply want gun legislation in this country that allows law-abiding citizens to still own guns or prevents people with a history of mental illness or a history of a criminal background from owning a firearm.

Where there are sick people and easy access to guns, there will be terror …. Maybe we should rethink this whole gun control thing.

You have deranged people throughout the country unfort unately, and they are part of the problem. …I see no reason to have a Bushmaster (assault weapon) in the hands of a deranged person.

I don't buy that there's nothing we can do to stop criminals and the mentally ill from killing if they want to.

Death is a billion-dollar business. They can't even pass a law where it takes seven days to get a gun. Why don't you have to go through the same kind of screening you do to get a driver's license? It's totally insane.

Respecting the Second Amendment does not mean abandoning common sense. The right to own guns in this country must remain, while we also must strengthen our laws to prevent mass shootings.

As gun owners, my husband and I understand that the Second Amendment is most at risk when a criminal or deranged person commits a gun crime. These acts only embolden those who oppose gun ownership. Promoting responsible gun laws protects the Second Amendment and reduces lives lost from guns.

There is a recognition that Second Amendment rights, like First Amendment and other rights, come with responsibilities and limitations. There is no reason both sides of the gun debate can't support policies that both protect the right to legally own guns for sport and safety, and reduce the likelihood of mass fatalities.

I believe that restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners will not prevent a deranged individual or criminal from obtaining and misusing firearms to commit violence.

I've told town hall participants and reporters in the media that we can protect the Second Amendment and also protect people's lives.

Just getting something in the books that makes sure people with mental illness and terrorists can't get guns would be a good idea.

If you're a terrorist, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun.

Bad people will find a way to do harm, whether it's homemade explosives, illegal weapons, or flying planes into buildings. Restricting law-abiding citizens' right to bear arms is not the answer.

It is divisive politics to infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens after a national tragedy.

I think it's safe to say that mass shootings pose a gigantic threat to national security.

We can protect the Second Amendment, we can protect our constitutional rights, and we can still do something about this public health crisis that is gun violence in our communities.

I've come to the conclusion that military style weapons really don't have any place in our society. We ought to reinstate the assault weapons ban that served us well for 10 years from 1994 to 2004.

High taxes on guns and strong restrictions on their availability are the only realistic hope for avoiding many more Sandy Hooks.

So many deaths could be prevented if measures were implemented to expand background checks and keep individuals like John Hinckley from ever buying firearms in the first place.

Background checks, waiting periods, reports of transfers, and access to mental health records have not stopped the legal sale of firearms to legitimate buyers.

Supporting mental wellness is crucial to any goal of decreasing gun violence in America.

For those of us who cry out for gun control, our fears cannot be eliminated as long as the country remains an armed camp in which the most troubled among us can find ways to appropriate one of the easily available weapons in all our communities.

Guns aren't the problem; sick people are.