Amendment II Democrats - Campaign 2008: Arizona

CAMPAIGN 2008: Arizona Democrats Speak Out

Would you vote for a Democratic candidate in the state primary without knowing where that candidate stands on health care? The deficit? Iraq? The response to Hurricane Katrina? Or your right to keep and bear arms?

Amendment II Democrats asked your Arizona Democratic candidates, and they're responding. Don't go to the polls without learning where your candidates stand on the Second Amendment. This section will expand as more candidates respond, so check back often!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Arizona's Primary Election is on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. Don't forget to vote!

QUESTION 1: Which, in your opinion, should assume the predominant role in enacting legislation governing the possession and use of firearms by law-abiding citizens?

QUESTION 1	Federal Government	States	Both
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: It's the best of bad choices because the Constitution already covers the issue. The purpose of the Second Amendment is to allow citizens to protect themselves against the government.

QUESTION 2: Do you support Federal legislation that will prohibit law enforcement officials from confiscating firearms from law-abiding citizens in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event?

QUESTION 2	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: See #1.

QUESTION 3: Do you support Federal legislation that would establish a mandatory comprehensive firearms safety class for all prospective gun owners in the United States?

QUESTION 3	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher			X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: I would like to see it made available, but do not support a monetary requirement for exercising my right under the 2nd Amendment.

QUESTION 4: Do you believe that law-abiding Americans should be required to have a permit in order to exercise the Second Amendment right to own firearms?

QUESTION 4	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: Permits imply regulation at odds with the Constitutional guarantees.

QUESTION 5: Do you support Federal legislation that would restrict or even outlaw private ownership of semi-automatic firearms by law-abiding Americans?

QUESTION 5	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: The ability to quickly fire a second shot saves the animal from needless suffering.

QUESTION 6: Do you support Federal legislation that would restrict or even outlaw private ownership of .50-caliber rifles by law-abiding Americans?

QUESTION 6	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: See #1.

QUESTION 7: Do you support Federal legislation that would help keep firearms off the American market that are inherently dangerous due to design flaws, including many "junk" handguns?

QUESTION 7	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: The purpose of government does not include protecting people from themselves.

QUESTION 8: Do you support legislation that would allow ownership and/or carrying of firearms by law-abiding students and/or faculty on college campuses?

QUESTION 8	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: This issue is already covered by campuses themselves.

QUESTION 9: Do you support or favor "Castle Doctrine" laws, which preserve a law-abiding American's ability to use deadly force to protect one's family or self, that are enacted on the state level?

QUESTION 9	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: See #1.

QUESTION 10: Do you support Federal legislation that would allow "Right-to-Carry" reciprocity, where a law-abiding American may carry a firearm for self-defense while traveling throughout the United States of America, provided that the individual is licensed to carry a firearm in any state?

QUESTION 10	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
None to report.

QUESTION 11: Do you support the repeal of Title 18 USC § 925(d)(3), which bans the importation of firearms that are not "readily adaptable to sporting purposes" and also bans importation of various replacement parts for such firearms?

QUESTION 11	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
None to report.

QUESTION 12: In 1993, a five-day waiting period was imposed on all handgun purchases, but the waiting period was abolished in 1998 when the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) was implemented under the supervision of the FBI. Do you support Federal legislation that would reinstate a mandatory waiting period for handgun purchases, even with the use of NICS?

QUESTION 12	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: Yes, but only for those people who do not currently own a firearm.

QUESTION 13: Do you support the repeal of the provision within the Firearms' Owners Protection Act of 1986 that outlaws the manufacture of various restricted firearms for civilian ownership, provided that said civilian ownership is qualified under the National Firearms Act of 1934 as well as all relevant Federal and state requirements?

QUESTION 13	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: Criminals should not have access to more fire power than the police.

QUESTION 14: Do you agree with the ruling by a Federal Court of Appeals in 2007 that struck down the gun ban in Washington, DC?

QUESTION 14	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
None to report.

QUESTION 15: Do you support Federal legislation that would establish a policy of "no net-loss" of public hunting opportunities on Federally-owned land, with a view towards adapting to urban growth and changing land management procedures whiles still preserving enough land for safe and responsible public hunting?

QUESTION 15	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
None to report.

QUESTION 16: Do you support the creation of a Federal firearms registration system, in which a government agency will maintain records of specific firearms owned by law-abiding Americans?

QUESTION 16	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: See #1.

QUESTION 17: In regards to firearms that use detachable ammunition magazines, should there be a limit on the ammunition capacity of detachable magazines available to law-abiding American civilians?

QUESTION 17	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher	X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: Such limitation already exist.

QUESTION 18: Do you support Federal legislation imposing an arbitrary limit on the number of firearms that can legally be purchased by an American civilian within a given period of time?

QUESTION 18	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
John Thrasher: See #1.

QUESTION 19: Do you believe that the United States should support and enforce United Nations agreements that contain measures that would infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of Americans?

QUESTION 19	Yes	No	Unsure
(AZ-2) John Thrasher		X

COMMENTS
None to report.

QUESTION 20: Do you believe that the Second Amendment confers an individual right to bear arms, a collective right tied to the existence of state-run militias, or both?

QUESTION 19	Individual right	Collective right	Both
(AZ-2) John Thrasher			X

COMMENTS
None to report.

NOTE: A PDF copy of the original questionnaire from any 2008 candidate is available from the Webmaster upon request.