Hawaii/United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the Democrats seen as a breath of fresh air is Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. She has, at times, seemed rational compared to the likes of her colleagues Jerrold Nadler or Eric Swalwell, the latter of whom is running for president on an extreme anti-Second Amendment platform.
Well, I wish I could say that Gabbard is great on Second Amendment issues, but that would not be reflective of her record. Regretfully, her voting record is as bad as Nadler or Swalwell, although to her credit, she hasn’t trafficked in the smears that Swalwell has.
According to one official campaign statement, Gabbard has supported the usual list of anti-Second Amendment legislation we have come to expect: A ban on modern multi-purpose semi-automatic firearms, arbitrary limits on magazine capacity, “universal” background checks… that list goes on and on. In other words, her votes are those of a typical anti-Second Amendment extremist. She also voted against preventing the District of Columbia from enforcing its draconian gun laws, and she also opposed HR 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
What is most concerning about her support for a ban on modern multi-purpose semi-automatic firearms is the fact that she, as a military veteran who deployed overseas, should know the difference between the real M16 and M4 assault rifles that our troops have used to fight the Global War on Terror and the AR-15s that law-abiding citizens have the right to buy and own in the United States. To her credit, she calls these firearms “military-style assault weapons,” which accurately reflects their visual appearance. Still, the very use of the term “assault weapon” creates confusion. This should prompt very sharp scrutiny from Second Amendment supporters to determine if she is misinformed, or deliberately lying.
But lumping her in with Swalwell, Feinstein, Schumer, and Nadler is a far too simplistic way to view her, though. In some ways, Gabbard is the type of person who Second Amendment supporters should be able to convince to see at least some issues our way. For instance, that official campaign statement which outlined the unconstitutional measures she supports that she did not want to see gun issues become “partisan political footballs.” In fact, in 2018, she scored a 50% rating from Gun Owners of America. By way of comparison, Steve Scalise scored a mere 20% rating from GOA that cycle.
For instance, she bucked many anti-Second Amendment extremists by voting for the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, which overturned an anti-Second Amendment regulation targeting certain veterans. She also worked with a pro-Second Amendment colleague to address one of the NICS issues that need fixing in the wake of the Sutherland Springs shooting. We may not like NICS, but criminal convictions that disqualify a person from firearms ownership should be in the database.
If we are to be stuck with an anti-Second Amendment president, then Tulsi Gabbard is one of the least bad outcomes that Second Amendment supporters would have to deal with. It goes without saying that it would be far better to avoid this situation, but while Gabbard has a poor voting record on Second Amendment issues, she is not an anti-Second Amendment extremist.
To be perfectly honest, a Gabbard Administration would force us to fight hard for our rights. But that said, Gabbard would not be smearing us, and would be likely to stand against the actions of an Andrew Cuomo. Furthermore, her openness to reach across the aisle means she may listen to the facts. If Second Amendment supporters can convince the Tulsi Gabbards in our personal lives – and across the country – to re-think Second Amendment issues, we could decisively shift the landscape in our favor.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Until I hear a candidate clearly express support for the 2nd Amendment in accordance with the intent of the founders, that candidate is not a trustworthy option. Period. Her own “official” websites indicate just the opposite. Not a tiny bit of support from me.
LOL…who is this writer? “she is not an anti-Second Amendment extremist”…buddy, any person wanting to infringe on my Second Amendment rights…is an extremist. I have to shake my head at any “gun owner” that tries to talk me into supporting her because she is not the worst person to take my guns. What a joke. Stop acting like you are going to win a democrat over to supporting gun rights…they would lose a large base of their financial support and voters.
Correction, Tulsi has not taken corporate or Oligarch money so she is not compromised and her decisions are of her own conscience. She is one of less than a handful of people in our legislature who’s conscience is greater than her thirst for power. That in itself makes her way more electable than someone who is an empty defender of the 2nd amendment. That is someone that defends the 2nd only becuase it keeps them elected in their district. Tulsi is genuine, and it is my belief that genuine people, as they are increasingly attacked by corporate/oligarch influence will naturally… Read more »
@ Valentine Carstensen : WHAT are you talking about?! I just googled Tulsi Gabbard and opensecrets and the first hit was a piece on how she gets MORE Pac and corporate PAC money per dollar raised than the average member of congress. She also works with and gets money from gun ban/confiscation groups like “Moms Demand” and “Everytown.” In act she also is getting more PAC and “superpac” money as a proportion of money raised than most of the Democrat field/ As far as the author of this piece mentioning that gabbard uses the term “military style.semi automatic weapons” That… Read more »
She used to take PAC money, but then came out against it for her 2020 presidential run. I was also confused when I looked at opensecrets.org, but make sure you’re looking at her 2020 bid and not her 2016 bid. Also, the media hates Tulsi for her anti-war stance. Do extensive research before you accept any position on her. Also, she chose to LEAVE the dnc vice chair position when she found out the DNC establishment, and by virtue of backroom deals, Hillary Clinton, was cheating Bernie Sanders. She’s a soldier, she would see common sense
Does that mean the President counts as an “extremist” with his bump stock ban and support for red flag laws and banning suppressors?
Yes
Absolutely YES
She’s a veteran and took an oath to defend the Constitution against enemy’s foreign and domestic and she’s against the second amendment as a veteran 11b Infantryman that sickens me
Tulsi is, by far, the best candidate the Democrats have to offer in the upcoming POTUS election cycle.
An gun owner that votes for any democrat has an I.Q. lower than the freezing point of 32 degrees.
Ok, just watched tulsi on firing line interview and while she is well spoken and pretty, she is clearly naive about how the world really works and what it takes to be a real international leader and foreign policy. She her words are neutral on American policy and foreign interests. She wants to make nice with everyone and sometimes you can’t be nice. She will create a void in world power which Russia and China would be glad to fill. So, end of day she’s anti US American interest in foreign policy and abroad. She keeps talking about civilians of… Read more »
Tulsi believes in diplomacy and cooperation. She has said she is a hawk on terrorists and a dove on regime change wars. She wants to end the regime change wars, bring our soldiers home, and use the money we save to fix our problems here at home. In the past when we have tried to do regime change, we have failed miserably…think Iraq, Libya, and Syria just to name the most recent examples. She served in the Iraq War, which we were lied into. She lost friends over there; other friends came home with visible and invisible wounds. But make… Read more »
She is a pushover. She changes her position when the wind blows. She was FOR those wars
Of course she might have been for those wars at the time dip$hit. She was in them! Either way she’s definitely the only Democrat I hope gets the nomination. I’d obviously vote for Trump over her but at least if the Democrats do pull the win it wouldn’t be as bad as it could be with any of those other 19 clowns running. Out of all 20 Democrats running for the presidency I literally only respect one of them and that’s Tulsi Gabbard. If she’s was pro 2A I’d probably even vote for her if Trump wasn’t up for re-election.
Wha? “”A half a loaf is better than none”” but there’s no need to compromise as the founders not only gave us the full loaf, they left us the keys to the bakery…
So here goes 2A traitor Harold again, telling us to “trust” an antigun Demonrat on the grounds that “if you give her a chance, she will change her ways”. Yet he fails to consider that like other antigun democrats, sometimes they will make pro-gun votes on issues, to trick the gullible into thinking that they don’t want to take away all your guns.
DON’T BUY THE LIE!!
And when is Ammoland going to stop publishing weaselzipper fudds who keep pushing an agenda of compromise and surrender???
Walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and VOTES like a duck. Just another radical democrat.
MAJ Gabbard is not redeemable on the Second Amendment. She will just lie. There are deep seated reasons that she threw in with the democrat party.
@“Kathleen”. Tell it to the Tuttles of Houston. Oh, that’s right you can’t, they’re dead. Police broke into their home, shot their dog, murdered the couple, and stole their property all based on a warrant filled with lies. Me thinks you are poorly informed and likely a paid shill. Your 1A “privledges” must be revoked!
After bump stock ban and trump saying the .gov should be able to take confiscate your weapons should someone call you crazy i do not trust trump.
Vote Libertarion party. The true conservatives party. https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-verizon&q=libertarian+party&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjurYDB9ezhAhXVqp4KHcUxApEQ7xYoAHoECAoQAg&biw=320&bih=489
The Founder’s wrote in the 2nd Amendment because of people like this so-called congresswoman
HH is a true paid troll. He must work for the Negotiating Rights Away outfit and does this prosperous writing on the side.
Either way he is not a patriot and, maybe, writes from his mother’s basement. He doesn’t fill the full description of a progressive because he is willing to settle for second best in presidential candidates on the democrat side. I’ve yet to see or hear one I would even think about voting for. They are all losers in their own ways.
She is an anti-gun democrat. She WILL support all anti-gun legislation to show her party loyalty. NO democrat can be trusted to support gun rights.
You can also be pretty sure that in order not to be primaried in 4years that she will sign every anti-gun piece of legislation that crosses her desk! She doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hades anyway, so why waste a vote, just vote on the republican side come November.
Somebody should take this woman? and the writer and feed them to the tiger sharks that are in Hawaiian waters. They are both a disgrace to America and the human race.
If we don’t have strong support of the the 2nd Amendment, the rest are meaningless. Give up the 2nd, the 1st, 4th’s and 5th and the rest are right behind in lost rights. Then you may expect unlimited monitoring, unlimited taxes, and maybe food shortages on purpose and rail cars to take us to “re-education camps” . We know it’s been done before, in Germany, and here in American, to some extent to the Cherokee, and those of Japanese heritage.
Hey Ammoland. Why do you have to moderate every posting? Who are/is the moderator(s)? Do they also work for Facebook & Twitter? Any members from Southern Poverty Law Center? It’s ridiculous that you have to censor postings… I guess Ammoland is owned by the left too?
How do you think they been getting that Koolaid out all these years? Yes correct, by playing pro gun roles just like those playing pro constitution then gutting it when we aren’t looking. How the heck you think it is we are under rule of the crown instead of that fabled constitutional law of USA? Those esquire (title of nobility) attorneys still got you fooled? That maritime law in substitution of the constitution still creating a fog of Koolaid? Sorry but they haven’t been using constitutional law in this country for well over a hundred years but the Koolaid is… Read more »
What kind of supposedly pro firearm website would publish a piece of garbage like this? A turd is a turd, even with lipstick and perfume on it. Get rid of the fool who wrote this nonsense.
When you have cancer, you don’t pick this tumor over that one! You cut all the tumors out and toss them in the incinerator.
I have to say Amen to you. Come on man what is HH doing?
What is, CIAMSN propaganda machine funded by the US Gov?
You really think these writers work for pitence. Nah, this pays big bucks to keep you fooled on the Koolaid.
Out of the goodness of their patriotism you say, bahahahahaha. Yeah right. Sure.
Note to readers: Go look at how much NRA folks get paid to keep your Koolaid flowing.
Sorry, Harold, you theory is baseless because ANY Democrat in the White House is unacceptable, even Tulsi Gabbard.
ALL Democrats have certain guidelines/beliefs they operate by, one is Pro-Abortion, the other is Anti-2nd Amendment, PERIOD. There are no good Democrats when it comes to gun control, if you want to give up on Republicans, do so, but never ever try to convince anyone that there are “acceptable” Democrats for the 2nd Amendment. You must be a liberal yourself to take any good view of a Democrat – please take your propaganda elsewhere.
What supposedly pro firearm website would publish a piece of feces like this? All democrats are garbage, even the cute female ones, grow up boy.
gun control = a**hole
Kathleen youvare ignorant. Police at all levels have screwed up and gone to the wrong house etc and shot dogs and people following no knock warrants and even n warrants. Furthermore educate yourself on Ruby Ridge and Bundy Ranch.
The lesser of two evils is still evil.
Ponder that.
If she was redeemable she wouldn’t be a democrat. Nice try.
Anyone who supports a ban on firearms or accessories gives rise for serious concern. More concerning is anyone who supports such style bans which fail to protect (grandfather) prior legal commerce.
Seems to me if we are gonna try and bring someone back from the dark side, we should concentrate our efforts on President Trump. His support of the bump stock ban making felons of those who engaged in prior legal commerce, and, his belief it is okay to take guns first, due process second (ERPO), is without question concerning.
It’s ashamed that a military police officer who swore to uphold and defend the constitution is not living up to her oath.
I wouldn’t give her credit for anything let alone an apologetic article like this one. You don’t give woman like her the time of day. She smears us just by her presence on the issues of firearms. There is no middle ground and shouldn’t be with people like her or her kind. You don’t give an inch with them.
Electing her over someone you consider worse is like asking if you would rather be shot or hung. If there is no good candidate on the ballot then a write is the best option. Don’t give your vote to a rino.
I don’t agree with the argument for the AR15 that it’s different than a military M4. The fact that US citizens cant keep and bear M4’s is an infringement as well. Quit calling it a modern sporting rifle. It’s the best weapon we can currently legally own to protect ourselves from the government.
Hutchingson has a crush on Tulsi plain and simple.
The lady is clearing trying to get military votes. So that explains her bipartisanism voting. All politicians care about is who has money for their campaign in the end, loyalties and common sense be damned.
You are already a Bolshevik if you think a government or gruop can give rights. They can take them and always do sooner than later.
Hutch must be a “but man” 2a but ….oh wait maybe the other kind of but.
@Drowning-im
Hutchison has been a left wing apologist for quite some time now, I think his crush is on progressive politics in general, not any particular candidate.
Hutchinson must go his opinions are the reason we are losing the war for our 2a right compromise compromise compromise
Yeap, your right on that point. However I don’t think I would kick her out of bed over it. lol!!!
Why is there any discussion about Gabbard at all? She’s only in the race to get some Democratic caucus $ for HI.
Currently running at 80:1 against.
Discussions should be around bolstering Trump and defeating Sanders, Biden, Harris, and Buttigieg.
Sanders and Biden are DOA, Harris is NOT eligible (two parents, neither cirizen at the time of her birth not Natural Born Citizen), AOC is not eligible, too young. Buttgig is actually the one I hope gets the nomination, because it is HIM agianst Trump it will be more of a landslide than it was against the Arkansas Hag.
I’m even considering switching my voter registration to Dem, so I can vote in the primaries and help select the most likely to lose.
@Tio, many of them are in the race, only, to fatten their campaign funds. They know that they can not win, but one can not beg for contributions, if one is not in the campaign.
They get the money. They loose the race. They are off the hook to the contributors.
I understanf the point your trying to make, but really its like trying to compare a solid turd with a soft one. Also your leaving out the fact that HAWIAN LEGISLATORS JUST INTRODUCED A BILL TO REPEAL THE 2ND. Idk know if she was involved in that, but ALMOST EVRY Hawaiian government offical I have seen is a anti-gun extremist. Birds of a feather flock together. She has proved to vote the most extreme party line when it comes to gun. And what makes it worst is she was a soldier her job is to protect our freedoms!!!! And she… Read more »
Even the “least bad” option out of a manure pile of choices… is still a piece of manure!!
Just because Nero was “not quite as bad” as Hitler… does NOT turn Nero into a desirable choice.
Don’t be silly, Nero was way worse.
@Artie F, Have a lot of experience working with the both of them, do you?
Hwy WB, Have you noticed that we’ve picked up a bunch of new trolls in the last few months. That floor in Bloomie’s building most be working overtime.
What is the deal Ammoland? This Hutchinson guy is so far out in compromise land he thinks a major anti gunner might be kinda alright… I’ve not read one of his columns I can even remotely agree with. get rid of him.
Being a Guardsman who’s been Active duty previously I can say that her being prior military is meaningless. I’ve met full blown socialists in the 12 years I’ve been in and yes you heard me correctly full blown socialists! Being in the military for as long as I’ve been has shown me just how much the government sucks and the last thing I want is for the governments footprint in our lives to be increased. In a perfect world I want the government so small it wouldn’t matter who is in a political position.
Tulsi Gabbard is beyond redemption, she IS the Enemy of the Second Amendment: https://gabbard.house.gov/gun-control “Tulsi is working to increase school security, shore up and reform our mental healthcare system, close the gun show and online loopholes, ban military- style assault weapons and bump stocks, and require background checks on anyone seeking to purchase a gun. She has cosponsored legislation like the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Act, the Keeping Guns from High Risk Individuals Act, the Assault Weapons Ban, the Support Assault Firearms Elimination and Reduction for our Streets Act, the Domestic Violence… Read more »
This sums up why she should be opposed.
So if you can fight or get raped, you’re saying that she’s the d!(k you’d wanna get f#$%ed by?
If there was a Draft for Women ,
During her time in service ,
She would probably have Been a
Conscientious Objector and
Refused to Go !!!!
SEMPER Fi My Friends I turned 18
in Okinawa 1972
I turned 18 in Eleusis, Greece in 1973. Fun times. The 1973 Yom Kippur war was raging and the week after I left, the Greek Govt brought tanks onto the streets of Athens to control demonstrations.
Gabbard could go to work for the Giffords Institute Insane Asylum where they are now saying to use fake rubber guns to scare off your attackers. She would fit right into the rubber gun squad.
Hey she’s an MP what do you expect
Ok vote for Trump since he loves to take away our 2A rights via BATF
At least with Gababard or Biden I know where they stand and can fight that!
It’s easy for tyrants to disregard rights at the drop of a pin because rights get in the way of agenda. If tyrants obeyed the Constitution they would be working for us and they would never do that. Heck if they did obey it Trump wouldn’t have been able to activate the Patriot Act by executive order so he could round up patriots for the FEMA camps with the impeachment/chaos psyop.
What rights did he take away???? Bump stocks the first time a buddy of mine showed a video of them, I told him it’s a bad idea. Some idiot or gang banger will use them and all hell will break lose like it did. Some times you have to make a choice lose the whole right or give up on something not really needed.
Red Flag law demanded by Trump throws Bill of Rights in the trash. Here in Colorado it violates some half dozen rights. I’m no fan of trump stocks, junk if you ask me but certainly they aren’t machine guns and since lots of people have them apparently they were in ordinary use at the time. False flags under Trump like Vegas are no different then under Obama or any other President. Hegelian Dialectic to take rights and control the people. They’re all actors on stage doing what they’re told to do. All exactly the same. All spraying chem trails and… Read more »
Dan Schwager, give up on something not really needed. That’s exactly what our or any government is needed for, telling us what we need and what we don’t. Wonder on which side you’re on. Our Forefathers would have used heavy machine guns and rocket launchers in their fight against the evil Brits.
Dan Schwager, I don’t care if YOU don’t like it, it’s my right to have it. Now think real hard, at what other times does this argument come up?
Substitute machine gun, semiautomatic, or just plain “gun” for bump stocks in your statement, who does it sound like?
I’d rather give my vote to Jokin Joe Biden.
At least he thinks highly enough of the right to arms he advised his wife to walk out onto the back deck and fire off a couple rounds of shot from a twelve bore if she felt threatened by someone on the property when he was away.
Besides that, he can’t think. Makes him just a bit less dangerous when it comes to exherting his politicalpower.
Yes indeed he did, he also said to shoot through the door with that 12 gauge !! If Joe Biden had half a brain he would be dangerous !! A vote for any democRAT is a vote for the one world government with the douche bags in charge and everyone else their slaves !!
Seriously, all of you, seriously?!!?!! The government is not going to knock down your door, shoot your dog or steal your property! (By the way, if you truly feel like that, what country are you living in?) Unless you break the law you have no need to fear the government, so I suspect that quite a few of you are living in a delusional world of your own creation! (& demeaning women simply because they’re female is unacceptable, & tells me a lot about the state of your thought process!) Anyways, I do believe in the validity of our Constitution,… Read more »
Go to hell, Kathleen: you don’t define the Second Amendment – We, The People define it and we will arm ourselves as We see fit. GTFO of America if you don’t like it.
@Kathleen – guess what you KKKommieKKKuntKKKlown – millions and millions of ex-military and ex-law enforcement disagree some come and get’em witch you and this so-called woman vet congresswoman are why the Founder’s wrote the 2nd Amendment and we don’t give a dam how you maggots feel
You are almost worth ignoring, but not quite. The only reason I am not fully convinced you are a paid troll is that your language s civil and lucid. Muskets? Surely you jest. Yes, those WERE the common tool of the military, but a careful look at the record of that era establishes the FACT that most Colonials did not possess “weapons of war”, they possessed simple firearms for the protection against indians, bears, and for putting food on their tables. Rhe Brits had far more, and far better, arms than what we had.Else why did General Thomas Gage, the… Read more »
I think 9/11 made it crystal clear to any half wit that all weapons are allowed to any freedom loving american.
The NFA and any restriction is superficial safety. Nothing is off the table. Because nothing is off the table from terrorists or those that threaten or rights. Yes i mean you Kathleen.
@Big Jim, I like what you wrote except for the word “allowed”. There is no “allowed” to it. Out Rights are ours, even if there were no government or Second Amendment.
@Tio, “Kathleen” is a paid propagandist, alright, but probably not even a kathleen.
@All paid mole trolls, why fear our firearms, when we can terminate millions of enemies of the Constitution, faster, easier, and cheaper with a gallon of gasoline and a match?
Your post would have some authority had you not started it with the talking points phrases, “The government is not going to knock down your door, shoot your dog or steal your property! (By the way, if you truly feel like that, what country are you living in?) Unless you break the law you have no need to fear the government”. These are the EXACT same words anti-gun people like you use when you troll these sites. I have to wonder just how much you people are paid to do this on a daily basis.
No need to respond – your open mindedness says it all. For those who actually think there were no newspapers as there are today, there was no TV and yet the first amendment sails along adored by the enemedia and the prestitutes.
Enjoy your lock mind state. How about Sharia are you for that too?
Kathleen youvare ignorant. Police at all levels have screwed up and gone to the wrong house etc and shot dogs and people following no knock warrants and even n warrants. Furthermore educate yourself on Ruby Ridge and Bundy Ranch.
“The government is not going to knock down your door, shoot your dog or steal your property!” If you actually pay attention, madam, you’d know that they do so all the time. “Unless you break the law you have no need to fear the government…” Jesus, you are ignorant AND stupid. “Anyways, I do believe in the validity of our Constitution, but it was written when muskets were the typical firearm, not these high-powered guns that kill hundreds in a matter of seconds!” By your own argument, none of your electronic documents or communication tools are protected by the First… Read more »
Pipe down Katy Manning. Go back.
It also wore a hijab fighting the war overseas. She was a fighter jet pilot in hijab.
I’m glad to yall aint drinking the koolaid this writer is serving.
Just sipping the liberal kool-aid, not gulping it down like Swalwell. Unfortunately the effects of Leftist re-education process is cumulative. To really save her, you need an intervention, ad deprogramming.
agree with Mike,
Ammoland routinely hits the NRA hard- but the ratings for politicians is dead on– if there was any redeeming qualities for Gabbard they would say so.
NRA and the Hawaii Rifle Association are saying no – but a 100% endorsement from the Brady Campaign- are you serious?
Yeap, your right on that point. However I don’t think I would kick her out of bed over it. lol!!!
I would….. no, wait. She’d neve occupy the same bed I do.
She swore the military oath, which has no expiration date. Here campaign rhetoric violates that, and if she’ll violate that oath what else will she not violate? Her heart is not quite as black as the CLinton She Unit’s, nor as those two mozziereps from Minnesotastan, but black is still black. Not in MY bed.. or house… or nation.
Look here youngin, when will you people learn that you can not trust Democrats, nor many Republicans? Just dont. I remember in the not to distant past the words career politician was a very bad slur. Also, di you know how many jobs in the military have nothing to do with guns? Damn near all of them. Some jobs who’s practitioners carry guns dont ever use them. All alot of them see are the results of combat, mutual combat, where the looser is chewed up. And this plays on their judgment about guns, especially women who are the nurtures. I… Read more »