Presidential debate, Wake Forest U., Winston-Salem NC: on Gun Control

Al Gore: Restrict guns from wrong hands, not sportsmen & homeowners

I will not do anything to affect the rights of hunters or sportsmen. I think that homeowners have to be respected in their right to have a gun if they wish to. The problem I see is that there are too many guns getting into the hands of children and criminals and people who for whatever reason, really should not be able to get guns.
• I think these assault weapons are a problem.
• So I favor closing the gun-show loophole. In fact, I cast the tie-breaking vote to close it.
• I think we ought to restore the three-day waiting period under the Brady Law.
• We should toughen the enforcement of gun laws so that the ones that are already on the books can be enforced much more effectively. Some of the restrictions that have been placed by the Congress in the last few years, I think have been unfortunate.
• I think that we ought to make all schools gun free. Have a gun-free zone around every school in this country.
• And child safety trigger locks on a mandatory basis and others.

Al Gore: Gun licensing by states, but no registration

GORE: I’m not for registration. I am for licensing by states of new handgun purchases: A photo license I.D. like a driver’s license for new handguns.

George W. Bush: First, enforce the law; then keep guns from wrong people

Secondly, I don’t think we ought to be selling guns to people who shouldn’t have them. That’s why I support instant background checks at gun shows. There’s a lot of talk about trigger locks being on guns sold in the future, I support that, and so we’re distributing them in our state of Texas for free. I think we ought to raise the age at which a juvenile can carry a handgun from 18 to 21.