[Montana Moe]

I'm not saying these were going to be successful, just that firearms are not needed to attempt it. Most, if not all wannabe and successful assassins were U.S. citizens. Most, if not all were also deranged and/or political sympathizers looking for recognition individually or within their sphere of influence.

I stand by my opinion that it is the President or candidates position in world politics that makes for the frequency of these attempts, not the availability of firearms. If the U.S. were of a lesser global standing, these attempts would not happen as often.

Quick and dirty source for other attempts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Assasinations

John F. Kennedy
December 11, 1960: While vacationing in Palm Beach, Florida, President-elect John F. Kennedy's life was threatened by Richard Paul Pavlick, a 73-year-old former postal worker. Pavlick's plan was to serve as a suicide bomber by crashing his dynamite-laden 1950 Buick into Kennedy's vehicle, but the plan was disrupted when Pavlick saw Kennedy's wife and daughter bidding him goodbye.

Richard Nixon
February 22, 1974: Samuel Byck planned to kill Nixon by crashing a commercial airliner into the White House. Once on the plane, he was informed that it could not take off with the wheel blocks still in place. He shot the pilot and copilot before killing himself. The events surrounding this assassination attempt were portrayed in the film The Assassination of Richard Nixon.

George H. W. Bush
April 13, 1993: Sixteen men, in the alleged employment of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, smuggled a car bomb into Kuwait with the intent of killing Bush as he spoke at Kuwait University. The plot was foiled when Kuwaiti officials found the bomb and arrested the suspected assassins.

Bill Clinton: First assassination attempt
September 12, 1994: Frank Eugene Corder flew a single engine Cessna into the White House lawn, apparently trying to hit the White House. The President and First Family were not home at the time. Corder was the only casualty.

George W. Bush: Second possible assassination attempt
September 11, 2001: On the morning of 9/11, President George W. Bush was at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida.He woke up around 6:00 AM and prepared for his morning jog. A van occupied by men of Middle Eastern descent arrived at the Colony Beach Resort and claimed they had a "poolside" interview with the President. They did not have an appointment and were turned away.It is possible this was an assassination attempt modeled on the one used on anti-Taliban fighter and Northern Alliance military leader Ahmed Massoud two days earlier.

First verified assassination attempt
May 10, 2005: While President George W. Bush was giving a speech in the Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, Vladimir Arutyunian threw a live Soviet-made RGD-5 hand grenade towards the podium where he was standing and where Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and their two wives and officials were seated. The grenade was live and had its pin pulled, but did not explode because a red tartan handkerchief wrapped tightly around the grenade kept the firing pin from deploying quickly enough.

Also the rumored assassinations of Taylor and Harding.

Once again, these are thwarted and/or possible attempts. The only two that may have been successful were the rumored murders of Taylor and Harding.

Firearms may make it easier, but making them illegal certainly won't stop assassination attempts.


Trying to get the thread back on topic...

Banning any sort of firearm will not deter criminals from getting their hands on them.

Accidents will still happen, innocents will still die, even without handguns or assault weapons, however they are defined.

Criminals intent on killing someone, or entering your home for property or worse are not going to stop because handguns are banned or restricted. I just want a fair shake, I would hope others would expect the same.

I'm a Marine Corps veteran with 20+ years experience using multiple types of weapons, from daddy's shotgun to a .50 cal machine gun. I'm of sound mind, and have never run afoul of the law other than a speeding ticket. Does anyone really have an issue with someone like me protecting my house with a pistol?

If you're going to lump me in with some FOB gangbanger who gets a $100 .380 from his buddy, then I guess we know who is being irrational when it comes to guns.