Oregon Democrats push for pro-gun plank in platform

Democratic Party leaders in Baker County,Oregon are pushing for a plank in their state Democratic platform afirming the Second Amendment guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms. The Observer reported in their June 21, 2005 edition that Baker County Democrats approved a platform resolution in support of gun ownership that they hope the state party will add to its platform. http://www.neobserver.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=8085


The adoption came after a spirited debate over the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Chuck Butcher of Baker City crafted the county party's resolution which states, in part, "The Democratic Party of Oregon resolves as follows: To recognize and support the right to keep and bear arms in Section 207 of the Oregon State Constitution and the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as an individual right not granted by the government but rather guaranteed by the government. In recognition of the tremendous personal responsibility engendered by the right to keep and bear arms, the Democratic Party of Oregon further advocates severe penalties and their enforcement for criminal use or misuse of this right."

Butcher said he wanted to submit "a clear resolution without a lot of hedging, and frame it in language that could pass overwhelmingly, if the argument is presented correctly."
Adopting the resolution into the state party platform "might win us some votes, but it's more about principles," Butcher said. "Platform planks are mostly ignored by candidates, who say what they want to say. If a candidate pummels the Second Amendment out here, he wouldn't go anywhere. "This plank at least says the Democrats are paying attention" to the Second Amendment, Butcher said.

Bruce Rafferty, the Democratic party's county chair stated that the party has lost support in his area due to the perceived support of gun control by Democrats."A lot of people have told us that if the Democrats would shift on the Second Amendment, they'd rejoin the party," Rafferty said. "I think our party needs to take a look at what the grassroots people want. There's too much direction from Washington, D.C., and not enough asking what people really feel." Oregon Democratic Party executive director Neel Pender said he thought the resolution sounded "pretty reasonable." http://www.neobserver.com


RightDemocrat thinks that it is "pretty reasonable" for the Democratic Party to go on record as supporting Second Amendment rights. Let's hope that this is just the beginning of a movement among grassroots Democrats that will bring our party back to the mainstream on this issue.