“I don’t know of anyone in the Senate who wants to take guns away. But there’s this feeling of everything involving guns is sacred. A lot of lawmakers have become afraid of it. In the back of my mind, I’m worried I will be labeled anti-gun.” – South Carolina State Senator Thomas McElveen, SC politicians’ guns blazing this election season [at heraldonline.com]

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60 COMMENTS

    • Or maybe he lives under a rock? How does someone in his position (someone who can shape policy/law) not know of the hot button issues in this country?

      He is either stupid or incompetent, both are reasons to not vote for him, take your pick.

      • While I agree 100% about his seeming ignorance, don’t forget that in South Carolina, we really see guns no different from a hammer or a drill. It’s a tool that’s useful for a given purpose, it’s legal to own, a majority of South Carolina residents own them, and the vast majority handle and keep them responsibly. It’s a general mindset far different from those living in more restrictive states.

        I’m from Illinois, and after we moved to SC, I was admittedly shocked at how easy it was for me to legally purchase a handgun in South Carolina. Since my exposure to shooting sports, my mindset has changed as well.

    • He is a State Senator, and is speaking about the South Carolina State Senate. Feinstein, thankfully, has nothing to do with what he’s talking about.

    • Or, maybe the article from which this SC state Senator’s quote is drawn is about South Carolina politics and he’s referring to South Carolina’s state Senate?

    • Exact first thought in my mind, couldnt remember if that bitch feinslime was a house critter or a senate critter. Seriously, if you are that oblivious as to being completely unaware of the current political climate, don’t run for office. Then again hes just some chode with a D next to his name, just “pretending” to be unaware 🙂

    • I would be willing to bet this guy never spent a day even contemplating military service, much less learning anything from the military. He hasn’t the slightest idea of the difference between cover and concealment.

      It is an unfortunate side effect for the pro-gun side of the argument that the SCOTUS gave these types CONCEALMENT by claiming in the Heller decision that the natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms could be regulated. All the gun-grabbing politicians are now using this as reasoning that they can produce all sorts of regulations that have the ultimate effect of either eroding or denying entirely the RKBA. They are hiding behind this small, erroneous portion of the Heller decision under the delusion that it gives them cover from the NRA and POTG when they promote their anti-2A agenda when in fact in only gives them the slimmest amount of concealment and they are still entirely vulnerable to political death by incoming pro-2A constituent votes.

      They can run, and they can hide, but I don’t think they can expect not to get wounded.

  4. Good. Politicians should be afraid of being labelled anti-gun. It’ll keep them from getting too complacent with the right to keep and bear arms. While he’s at it, he should also start feeling afraid of being anti-free speech and anti-due process, because those things are just as sacred.

    “When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”

  7. As a Democrat, you have already been labeled as anti-gun. It’s up to you to prove that you’re not. If that’s guilty until proven innocent, then so be it.

    Sleep with dogs, wake up with fleas.

    • This guy’s a closet gun grabber. He just had the misfortune of being born and raised in South Carolina, where his political career would crater if he pursued his true agenda openly. If he ever got to the U.S. Senate and attempted national office, his liberal bona fides would come gushing out just like they did with Al Gore, Jr. from pro-firearms Tennessee.

      The proof? It’s in this chump’s choice of words. He describes himself as pro-common sense on gun ownership. Well good golly, Miss Molly! Who *wouldn’t* consider himself pro-common sense? Yet, the only ones who actually go around declaring themselves such are the gun grabbers who know full well their agenda is extreme and needs to be redefined in terms of moderation.

      He also makes reference to the “Wild West” (*yawn*) as justification for gun control. Yet, he turned around and voted in favor of the carry-in-restaurants bill, only because he fears the wrath of SC voters.

      Ohhh….you just know this wolf in wolf’s clothing is just champing at the bit to be free of those idiot hicks, bitterly clinging to their guns and religion, so he can snatch their guns and run their lives.

    • And even if/when they are (nominally) pro-2A they are extremely susceptible to pressure from their party leadership to toe the anti-2A line on legislation if they want any of the perks that go with their position, or even party support (dollars) during their next election bid. Never think, even for a minute, that a politician with a (D) cannot be coerced into turning his back on the Second Amendment.

  9. Jumped to the link….Any elected representative who says “I’ll fight for your 2A rights” should be put over the mortar tube. Why do you have to fight for what’s is ours. Confirms half of Congress lost their minds.

    • We have to fight for what’s ours because there are a bunch of assholes fighting to take it away from us. It’s stupid to think that we can keep our gun rights without fighting for them, and without our elected officials fighting for us.

    • Properly phrased: “I will fight for you against the people trying to deny your Constitutional rights, especially your right to keep and bear arms.”

      The right is natural, civil and Constitutionally protected and has already been fought for and enshrined in our founding documents. The enemy to be fought is that group of fascist statists who never go away and always attempt to enslave the populace under their authority.

  10. Every lawmaker should be scared of being labeled anti-anything in the bill of rights. If you’ve taken a position that may be contrary to upholding the rights you’ve sworn to respect and uphold, you damn well better be scared of being labeled. Consider the rehash below:

    “I don’t know of anyone in the Senate who wants to take [speech] away. But there’s this feeling of everything involving [speech] is sacred. A lot of lawmakers have become afraid of it. In the back of my mind, I’m worried I will be labeled anti-[speech].”

    The media takes tar and feathers to anyone who threatens their speech, but they get all philosophical and introspective when reporting on efforts to threaten keeping and bearing arms. They talk about violence, cost vs. benefits (or rather just costs), and get all fuzzy and gray on what constitutes infringement. But even a minor affront to speech is treated with the Shock & Awe offensive. They would take Mr. McElveen to town for the above rehash of his quote, but say nothing when our rights are threatened. Rather, they practically support it in the manner that they report.

    Ugh…I’m tired of this.

  11. Well now, did the good people of South Carolina elect you to represent them or to impose unpopular laws on them?

      • The constitution is only as strong as the public’s will to defend it. If taking or rights away was popular he wouldn’t be whining about the potential for being booted out of office for it.

        • The human race has a long sordid history of taking God given rights away from others. The Bill of Rights didn’t stop people from owning slaves, it was the popular will. As long as you live with other men it is imperative that your rights are popular or they will be taken from you.

        • It’s much more complex than that. Were it as simple as you suggest, then the Bill of Rights, even the entire Constitution and the United States, would not exist to codify these rights. After all, the Revolution was either unsupported or outright opposed by a large majority of the Colonial population.

        • The Gov makes a point that I never hear addressed from the lot of you that go on about “God-given rights.” Either these rights don’t exist or they are meaningless, because they are violated with no problems here and everywhere else in the world.

          You’ve got to fight. For your right. To… um…. wait, now I’m thinking of something else I think.

        • Here is the complete version of the quote so often repeated n this blog:

          L. Neil Smith: “The freedom to own and carry the weapon of your choice is a natural, fundamental, and inalienable human, individual, civil and Constitutional right — subject neither to the democratic process nor to arguments grounded in social utility.”

        • Go try open carrying in New York City or Washington DC and see where that gets you. The only rights you’ll have is the ‘right’ to keep silent and the right to an attorney.

  12. Exiles from “up north” are flooding SC right now. They are the types who say they support RKBA, “within reason.” Then they let their dog crap on your yard and if you complain they say “hey, dogs dont know where the property line is.” These Northern exiles, in their desire to move away from tyranny, bring their liberal Democrat voting politics with them.

    Kind of like Mexicans who jump the border.

    • I think you’re giving them too much credit. They’re not moving away from tyranny. They’re just moving to warmer weather and bringing their tyranny with them. They are not comfortable without it.

      • +1 and plus 10 more. If I had a nickel for every Yankee who went to Charleston, fell in love with it and moved there, I’d retire. Now in my suburb, Mt Pleasant, they’ve gotten themselves elected and banned everything from BB guns to fireworks. The Mt Pleasant PD is now over 200 officers and the taxes are some of the highest in the state. Thanks. They’re moving down there and bringing their own special brand of tyranny with them. Helping us poor ignant Sutherners get civilized. Mark my words, Twin Ponds is next as the housing development moves towards it. Someone will complain about the centerfire booms and that’ll be that.

        ok, sorry rant off\

        • Doubtful Twin Ponds range will close, since its deep inside Francis Marion park land. Its not like there are so many free ranges in SC they can afford to close any. Besides the first thing the NY liberals do in SC is buy a handgun, “because they can.” Then they go to the range and act like an idiot with it. They dont practice what they preach, they vote libtard but still want guns and low taxes for themselves.

          Funny story about Twin Ponds, was there one weekday early morning and a couple blue vans pull in full of Coast Guard recruits, there to try their M16s and shotguns. I asked the Chief what the deal was, didnt they have a place on military land, he said they usually practice off the ship but some scheduling thing made them go there to practice before shipping out. The swabs were all interested in my AK, I let the Chief try it and he let me dump a mag from a 16. Great guys. Must suck having to salute the current Commie n Thief.

    • I believe there is a difference between “pathological”, which means you cannot control yourself, and just being really, really good at it, like a politician or a used car salesman.

  14. I’m a SC resident and am happy to hear a State Senator make a statement like this. He should be concerned about it. We here in SC are very pro-gun by and large and we intend to keep it that way. Let the politicians be aware that an anti gun stance will be met with opposition and come election time they will be jobless. Besides, as has been already stated all of our rights given by God and protected in the Constitution are sacred.

    Wheelgun

  15. Go with that gut feeling Thomas. I don’t want some asshat figuring out which parts aren’t sacred, Randy

  16. They don’t want to take our guns, they just want reasonable gun laws. It’s for the children, don’t you know.

  17. Boy is this guy out of touch, he doesn’t even recognize the issues,let alone the fellow senators he works with….I predict SC will make this h year his last…

  18. like most politicians, he worry’s about his image, instead of his constituents. The sad part about this whole thing is that they {the politicians} can not fix the mess they have made of America, so they social engineer the Constitution too say they are doing something, sort of like a dog licking it’s butt, more and more the Peoples Democrat Party of America is destroying the Essence of How great we are! look, at the befuddlement of the person they made president but I agree with another writer it has a lot too do with the democrat party Sig Heil

  19. If South Carolina politicians are so pro-gun, they need to remove the prohibition on open carry there.

    The fact that I can OC in my state (Delaware) but cannot in South Carolina or Florida or Texas is quite surprising to me.

    • There sure are a lot of quirks in state laws, especially when compared to each other. For example, Texas, as you mention, does not allow open carry of handguns. However, just across the Red River in Oklahoma, they do allow open carry by licensed individuals. Oklahoma recognizes Texas’ concealed carry licenses.

      So as a licensed concealed carrying Texan, I have more firearms freedom for being allowed to open carry in Oklahoma, than I do in my own home state of Texas. How bizzare.

  21. He is full of sh!t. The McElveens are old money here in SC. They have been in their ivory tower too long and lost touch with the people. This is what happens when you send your kids up north for their education, and elect them to legislate. They know nothing of what the people want, and vote their own opinions when a bill comes up.

    • While I agree with you in principal, I seriously doubt a blue blood like Tommy Boy whose Daddy bought his election would ever go to a northern university for anything. We haven’t reached that point, yet.

      Thomas McElveen is a South Carolina state senator, representing the 35th district. He is a member of the Democrat Party.

      Born: Sumter, SC
      Party: Democratic Party
      Education:
      Davidson College, B.A., 2000 (North Carolina)
      University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., 2003

  23. He’s obviously never heard the remarks of former U.S. Attorney General Janet “Waco” Reno”, or current U.S. Attorney General Eric “Fast & Furious” B. “We Must Brainwash The People” Holder, or Jim & Sarah Brady, or Dianne Feinstein, or Cuomo, or Hickenlooper, or Rahm Emmanuel, or the New Jersey Legislature, or…

    You get the picture.

  24. He’s a STATE Senator talking about the situation in the South Carolina STATE Senate. Can that be emphasized in the original post so we can skip the “What about Di-Fi?!”?

  25. You can only be labeled anti gun if you support a position that is anti gun. Thus there is a simple course of action to follow: dont be for anything that can be construed and interfering with or making gun ownership more difficult.

  26. If this d-bag isn’t anti-gun, then doesn’t have to worry about being labeled anti-gun.

    Let this choad’s quote be awake up call to Carolinians. Know where your Reps stand on the issues you care about.

  27. He is a young guy. He lacks the experience of watching government legislators tell him what he should believe and do when he disagrees with them and finds his ideas logically and reasonably more sound. He has not yet asked himself the question… should we have rights or should we not, and when he finally resolves a conclusion to these thoughts, he’ll look around and ask himself why all this injustice is widespread everywhere by even government officials. Then he can finally ask himself… maybe this isn’t a good idea. Then hopefully he’ll grow a pair and realize that people can choose the easy path… or they can choose the “right” path. Easy and right are typically mutually exclusive.

  28. Glad to hear no one in the Senate wants to take guns away!! lol. And yes, everything involving guns IS sacred. I’m happy to hear that lawmakers have become afraid of it. They should be. We gun owners take our guns VERY seriously…yes to the point of it being a sacred issue! The Constitution IS sacred!!

    Do not BE anti-gun, BE PRO-gun, and then you won’t have to worry about being labeled “anti.” I’d recommend people in the Senate take AGGRESSIVE PRO-GUN stances on the issues involving guns.
    Matter of fact, I eMailed an Ohio State Senator today regarding this very thing. People in government need to realize that “we the people” who have the right to “keep and bear” and who exercise that right, also exercise our right to VOTE.

    That’s all I have to say about it.
    ~S~

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