Heidi Rathjen Quotes

Our experience in Hawaii has shown that we can place common sense limits on gun sales, demonstrate our respect for gun owners, and, most importantly, help ensure the safety of our residents.

Gun owners and non-gun owners alike agree on expanding background checks, making gun trafficking a serious crime with stiff penalties, making it illegal for all stalkers and all domestic abusers to buy guns, and expanding mental health resources so the mentally ill find it easier to receive treatment than to buy firearms.

There are online forms you can fill out to send to your lawmakers, demanding that nothing - nothing at all or in any way - be done about any guns whatever, anywhere.

Gun regulation is historically as American as is gun possession.

The 2nd Amendment protects the right of the people to bear arms. That doesn't mean that they should be able to bear any arms, at any time, under any circumstances.

Self defense—a reason which is not accepted in Great Britain as a reason for owning a gun.

A firearm is a luxury.

There's been a gap between perception and reality, the perception being that California is on the cutting edge of gun safety legislation when, in fact, there are a number of areas where we have fallen behind.

I don't know why people carry guns. Guns kill people.

If you listen to the rhetoric, it is so over-the-top and so overheated, and most importantly, is not acknowledging the fact that there's nothing else [like guns] in our lives that we purchase where we don't try to make it a little safer if we can.

Mexico has strict gun control. You cannot own a gun in Mexico.

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

If I were governor, and a bill came to my desk that provided for background checks at gun shows, I would sign that.

I support an assault weapons ban, and I'll tell you why. We already have one in California, so I don't support doing anything above what we do in California.

Americans have the right under the Second Amendment to own firearms, and that is not going to change.

I have a very strict gun control policy: if there's a gun around, I want to be in control of it.

I don't believe there should be any restrictions when it comes to firearms. None.

I haven't pursued it as a senator because I know it's like spitting in the wind. But I still believe it's the right thing. And if I were governor and a bill came to my desk that provided for background checks at gun shows, I would sign that.

It seems ridiculous that you can be in one state with your driver's license and buy a firearm, and then in the next state it is totally illegal. There are real problems to that, but as soon as you bring up the subject and say 'gun control,' it sets a red flag.

I think guns are terrible.

It would be refreshing to have a politician try to defend guns without any reference to the Second Amendment, but on the merits of guns.

I understand the Second Amendment. I respect the Second Amendment. I think we need to use common sense tools to keep the American people safe, to keep our streets safe.

Gun control means being able to hit your target. If I have a 'hot button' issue, this is definitely it. Don't even think about taking my guns. My rights are not negotiable, and I am totally unwilling to compromise when it comes to the Second Amendment.

I am all for controlling guns.

I think that it's very, very hard for the NRA to continue to defend the position that people who are on the terrorist watch list should be allowed to buy firearms in this country. That's their position. I don't know how they stand by it.