PA Electoral Choices: Gun control and security

This is the touchiest subject I've handled yet.

If you think people in PA have strong feelings about coal, just mention the words 'gun control' and then you'll see what strong feelings look like.

As my friend John Acker said, "I've heard this from the people of Potter County since 2000. I'm sure it was prevalent well before. Al Gore was going to take their guns away, so was John Kerry and Barack Obama. It's strange how this claim that x candidate is going to take guns away seems to be the one of most long lasting and pernicious undercurrents in republican political persuasion. The even stranger thing is that it doesn't even need to be directly addressed in political ads or by the Republican candidates. It has become memetic. It's automatically assumed that whoever is running on a democratic ticket is going to not just restrict gun access, but physically come into homes and take guns away from citizens."

What do the candidates have to say?  Let's see:

Candidate 1:  [would] "require criminal background checks for those who purchase guns at gun shows and on the Internet—the same requirement on the books for purchases at gun stores." [would seek legislation that] "protected individual privacy by outlawing a federal gun registry."

Candidate 2: [would] "eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license." and "loosen restrictions on inter-state gun purchases."

Candidate 3: [said] "...the Second Amendment should not be taken away...[but] some people should not be allowed to obtain one, such as anyone using a firearm to threaten another, domestic violence perpetrators, and people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility."

Candidate 4: [would] "oppose all legislative actions that impose unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners."  "The Second Amendment is the original homeland security act.  I will tirelessly fight to defend this basic Constitutional right."

Candidate 5: [said] "The federal government vastly exceeds its authority when it regulates guns. The regulations in place create victims of law-abiding citizens by restricting their ability to defend themselves."  “The background checks in place now for purchasing a firearm are adequate."

Candidate 6: [said] "The Second Amendment is a protected individual right." "...I come from a family of hunters.  Good sportsmen don't want to see terrorists able to buy weapons. They don't want to see criminals or the mentally infirmed have access to lethal weapons." "The need for commonsense gun safety measures has become clearer than ever."

I was incredibly surprised to find out who was who in this one.  See who you side with, then check your answers on my "cheat sheet", posted tomorrow.