"Face Off" Broadcast: Gun Control
Dublin Core
Title
"Face Off" Broadcast: Gun Control
Subject
"Face Off" broadcast during Waco siege regarding gun control laws
Description
Sound recording of the radio program "Face Off." Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy of Massachusetts and Senator Alan K. "Al" Simpson of Wyoming debate the need for strict new gun control laws following a confrontation between federal authorities and an armed cult (the Branch Davidians) in Waco, Texas. The episode aired on Tuesday, March 16, 1993, on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
This conversation would be continued well into the future by people lobbying for more or less gun freedoms, as the validity of the ATF claims and their use of CS tear gas was called into question again and again. The massacre at Waco is remembered even today as an example of government interaction with citizens bearing arms; many people oppose large government intervention in fear that they will inadvertently support a "mass murder" like Waco (Paul, 2021).
This conversation would be continued well into the future by people lobbying for more or less gun freedoms, as the validity of the ATF claims and their use of CS tear gas was called into question again and again. The massacre at Waco is remembered even today as an example of government interaction with citizens bearing arms; many people oppose large government intervention in fear that they will inadvertently support a "mass murder" like Waco (Paul, 2021).
Creator
Mutual Broadcasting System
Publisher
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Date
16 March 1993
Contributor
Kennedy, Edward M. (Edward Moore), Mutual Broadcasting System, Simpson, Alan K.
Paul, Ron. “The Lessons of Waco.” Tenth Amendment Center, 15 June 2021, https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2021/06/16/the-lessons-of-waco/. Accessed 2 December 2021.
Rights
United States public domain
Format
Item 16 on 1 audio tape/reel (1/4 inch; stereo; 1 minute, 59 seconds)
Sound Item Type Metadata
Transcription
[introductory fanfare]
Sen. Kennedy: This is Ted Kennedy, [inaudible] gun control laws are finally within reach. Will Senator Al Simpson stand in the way? In a moment, we’ll “Face Off.”
Sen. Kennedy: Al, that confrontation in Waco is a wake-up call, even for you. It's time to stop the arms race here at home. The insanity of that Texas cult is matched only by the insanity of our “anything goes” gun control laws; they don't control a thing. The massive firepower legally assembled by that cult proves current laws are worthless. People are fed up with the senseless proliferation of handguns, assault rifles, and semi-automatic weapons. Waco may be the worst example, but it's far from the only one. The way to crack down on gun crimes is to crack down on guns: ban firearms that have no sporting purpose, put strict controls on the purchase of any others. When you have to call in the tanks, you know it's time for change. Or are you still in the tank with a National Rifle Association?
Sen. Simpson: No tanks, pal. After you've got our military, there won't be any tanks left, anyway. Ted, Thomas Jefferson believed that the best reason for people to bear arms was to protect themselves against tyranny and government. He must have had a mystic vision of you when he said that. Ted, I anguish over the Waco incident, too, and the other tragedies dealing with sick and obsessed people, but I do not naively believe, as you do, that outlawing all guns will keep criminals and madmen from getting their weapons. Ted, I say again, we already have strict laws against weapons like those being brandished by that wacko in Waco. What we desperately need is for those laws will be enforced with darn tough jail sentences, and yes, the death penalty. That would send a clearer and tougher message than simply making a more powerful black market for guns, but you never help us punish these crazies. You're always too busy lobbying political anti-NRA artillery shells to even notice.
[closing fanfare]
Sen. Simpson: Ted Kennedy and I would like to “Face Off” on a topic that intrigues you. Send your suggestion to this radio station. I’m Al Simpson on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Sen. Kennedy: This is Ted Kennedy, [inaudible] gun control laws are finally within reach. Will Senator Al Simpson stand in the way? In a moment, we’ll “Face Off.”
Sen. Kennedy: Al, that confrontation in Waco is a wake-up call, even for you. It's time to stop the arms race here at home. The insanity of that Texas cult is matched only by the insanity of our “anything goes” gun control laws; they don't control a thing. The massive firepower legally assembled by that cult proves current laws are worthless. People are fed up with the senseless proliferation of handguns, assault rifles, and semi-automatic weapons. Waco may be the worst example, but it's far from the only one. The way to crack down on gun crimes is to crack down on guns: ban firearms that have no sporting purpose, put strict controls on the purchase of any others. When you have to call in the tanks, you know it's time for change. Or are you still in the tank with a National Rifle Association?
Sen. Simpson: No tanks, pal. After you've got our military, there won't be any tanks left, anyway. Ted, Thomas Jefferson believed that the best reason for people to bear arms was to protect themselves against tyranny and government. He must have had a mystic vision of you when he said that. Ted, I anguish over the Waco incident, too, and the other tragedies dealing with sick and obsessed people, but I do not naively believe, as you do, that outlawing all guns will keep criminals and madmen from getting their weapons. Ted, I say again, we already have strict laws against weapons like those being brandished by that wacko in Waco. What we desperately need is for those laws will be enforced with darn tough jail sentences, and yes, the death penalty. That would send a clearer and tougher message than simply making a more powerful black market for guns, but you never help us punish these crazies. You're always too busy lobbying political anti-NRA artillery shells to even notice.
[closing fanfare]
Sen. Simpson: Ted Kennedy and I would like to “Face Off” on a topic that intrigues you. Send your suggestion to this radio station. I’m Al Simpson on the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Original Format
Sound recording of radio broadcast
Duration
1 minute, 59 seconds
Collection
Citation
Mutual Broadcasting System, “"Face Off" Broadcast: Gun Control,” ENGL 3460 -- Literature and Utopia, accessed September 19, 2024, https://mapping-nature.org/3460-fall2021/items/show/13.