# Democrats Hold Sit-In on House Floor **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 22, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060 "2016-06-22T17:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/121 "2016-06-23T13:02:58Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Here is the schedule when Ms. Pelosi was in charge. It’s hardly any better. Tu quoque, eh? And how did that schedule work out for her? Here’s to the same result for Mr. Ryan! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/122 "2016-06-23T13:30:58Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Just once … just ONE time, I’d like to hear someone defending “gun rights” actually offer a coherent position on whether those gun “rights” are good or bad. Instead all we ever get is that gun _rights_ are a _right_ because they are a _right_. I can say that spinach is a fruit because it’s a fruit, but that doesn’t make me right. Right? > > When rational thinkers question that the Second Commandment was given to Moses atop Mount Sinai — Wikipedia (a libtard blog) claims the Second Amendment was written by fallible humans 3000 years after Moses’ adventure — gun rights advocates insist that guns are a “Natural Right” that preceded even Moses. Presumably Hammurabi omitted mention of guns from his famous Code not because they hadn’t been invented yet, but because the right to bear arms was too obvious to mention. > > A nation of sentient beings might want to debate rationally whether terrorists and lunatics should be allowed to own guns. But there’s a popular but hysterical mindset in the U.S.A. unable to participate in such a debate. I think the 2nd amendment is an archaic folly that should be repealed. I think the scary majority of people who have guns are idiots. I think the passion people feel for this tool is creepy. I think there is no need for a general right to guns and that our current laws are ridiculous. And I feel that we do currently have a right to individual possession of guns, and curtailing that right requires due process and very stringent rules and justification. If we want to be a nation of laws, we need to be a nation of laws. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/123 "2016-06-23T13:52:21Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Uh- what? The founders envisioned a system where a terrorist lobbying group would be able to hold congressmen hostage to their unreasonable demands? They envisioned a system where large blocs of citizen-voters actually hold some sway with their representatives. Did you think the NRA was made up of robots? No, it’s full of American voters. Disagree with the outcome if you want, but don’t try to spin it as undemocratic. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/124 "2016-06-23T13:59:37Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > They envisioned a system where large blocs of citizen-voters actually hold some sway with their representatives. Did you think the NRA was made up of robots? No, it’s full of American voters. Disagree with the outcome if you want, but don’t try to spin it as undemocratic. You think it represents people? It represents gun manufacturers. The merchants of death make out like bandits every time the sheep members flock to the gun stores after a mass shooting occurs. As long as they can milk the paranoia of the gun lovers, they’ll laugh all the way to the bank. And as long as they keep writing checks to Republicans, they’ll still be the owners of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/125 "2016-06-23T14:33:53Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’m absolutely astonished that people are debating guns here rather than talking about the elephant in the room: whatever the bill’s content the Democrats are fighting for a cause using a traditional protest technique. I’m not convinced this particular bill is the gun control vote to do-or-die on (i’m really not a fan of the "no-fly list as is), but I too am astonished that the Democrats have suddenly grown backbones. Presumably whatever electoral number crunching they’re doing suggests the winds of change are blowing fair in their direction. Whether this is so remains to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/126 "2016-06-23T14:41:43Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What prevents the Republicans from simply going on taxpayer-paid vacation while the Democrats have the House floor? More importantly, what prevents the Republicans from staging their own sit-ins next time they’re in the minority? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/127 "2016-06-23T14:51:22Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > [House Democrats stage sit-in over gun legislation](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/22/house-democrats-stage-sit-in-over-gun-legislation/86241864/) > > Led by civil-rights campaigner John Lewis. > > Apparently this is not unprecedented. The Republicans were the last to do this. Quel irony. > > Remember that removing the gun-buying rights of people on the no-fly list is something agreed upon by both sides, wanted by Trump, and overwhelmingly favored by majorities among the public. > > My feeling is now there must be a bill voted out of the House, and it can’t be the worthless one favored by the NRA. > > I can feel the political currents changing. I never expected that. Kind of a scary change and hard to believe that the Democrats doing this really understand the implications of what they are doing…or if they do, hard to believe that there are so many people seemingly on this board who are good with this line of reasoning. Should we, in addition to taking away peoples ability to fly and to purchase or own guns because they are on the No Fly list, should we go ahead and take away their right to vote, to assembly and speech? Maybe we should revoke their drivers license and access to alcohol too, and deny them access to purchase anything that could, potentially, be used to make a bomb, since they are a supposed risk to society. If you feel comfortable taking away their right to guns based on being on this list why not other things? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/128 "2016-06-23T14:56:43Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Kind of a scary change and hard to believe that the Democrats doing this really understand the implications of what they are doing…or if they do, hard to believe that there are so many people seemingly on this board who are good with this line of reasoning. Should we, in addition to taking away peoples ability to fly and to purchase or own guns because they are on the No Fly list, should we go ahead and take away their right to vote, to assembly and speech? Maybe we should revoke their drivers license and access to alcohol too, and deny them access to purchase anything that could, potentially, be used to make a bomb, since they are a supposed risk to society. If you feel comfortable taking away their right to guns based on being on this list why not other things? I think there’s a difference between voting and purchasing items that have the sole purpose of slaughtering large numbers of people in rapid fire succession. The Democrats have the people behind them, large majorities support no fly no buy. In opposition you have ISIS and the NRA (as well as their wholly-owned subsidiary, the Republican Party. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/129 "2016-06-23T14:59:44Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Kind of a scary change and hard to believe that the Democrats doing this really understand the implications of what they are doing…or if they do, hard to believe that there are so many people seemingly on this board who are good with this line of reasoning. Should we, in addition to taking away peoples ability to fly and to purchase or own guns because they are on the No Fly list, should we go ahead and take away their right to vote, to assembly and speech? Maybe we should revoke their drivers license and access to alcohol too, and deny them access to purchase anything that could, potentially, be used to make a bomb, since they are a supposed risk to society. If you feel comfortable taking away their right to guns based on being on this list why not other things? Because they don’t think people should have a right to arms so it’s not a betrayal of principle to attack the right by any means possible. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/130 "2016-06-23T15:00:33Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You think it represents people? It represents gun manufacturers. The merchants of death make out like bandits every time the sheep members flock to the gun stores after a mass shooting occurs. As long as they can milk the paranoia of the gun lovers, they’ll laugh all the way to the bank. And as long as they keep writing checks to Republicans, they’ll still be the owners of Congress. "So what does the NRA membership look like today? 40% women 40% minority mostly Asian and Hispanic men and women. Sure, the rest are a lot of white guys but the average age is down from 60 to 40-45." > **[The Demographics of the NRA](https://www.ammoland.com/2016/01/the-demographics-of-the-nra/#axzz4CPmGyK2B)** > > The NRA is 23% democrat! Only slightly less than the national average! The NRA supports ANY politician who respects the 2nd Amendment & the Constitution. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/131 "2016-06-23T15:02:14Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You think it represents people? It represents gun manufacturers. The merchants of death make out like bandits every time the sheep members flock to the gun stores after a mass shooting occurs. As long as they can milk the paranoia of the gun lovers, they’ll laugh all the way to the bank. And as long as they keep writing checks to Republicans, they’ll still be the owners of Congress. Who do you think are the sheep members and the gun lovers? Reptilians? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/132 "2016-06-23T15:03:51Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > "So what does the NRA membership look like today? > > 40% women > 40% minority mostly Asian and Hispanic men and women. > Sure, the rest are a lot of white guys but the average age is down from 60 to 40-45." > > [The Demographics of the NRA](http://www.ammoland.com/2016/01/the-demographics-of-the-nra/#axzz4CPmGyK2B) They don’t control the NRA- the gun manufacturers do. The big money comes from them, they’ll happily cash Joe Sixpack’s check but they take their marching orders from the guys who write bigger checks. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/133 "2016-06-23T15:04:42Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > For the number of times that I’ve heard conservatives chide Obama for not understanding the Constitution, I’m surprised you don’t know the answer to this. Art I, sec 5 prohibits the Speaker from unilaterally establishing a six week recess. Can you clarify this statement? Yesterday, the House adjourned until July 5th, almost two weeks away. Did they get approval to do so from the other Chamber? If not, why are two weeks acceptable, and six weeks are not? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/134 "2016-06-23T15:04:50Z")
I am sure, XT, it’s merely because they don’t believe it should be a right so it doesn’t feel bad taking it away. I guess people figure this is a toe in the door for greater gun control but I am, as usual, disappointed that yet again a big event is being used as an excuse to push legislation that would not have affected said event. Neither the Orlando nor the San Bernardino shooters were on terror watchlists when they committed their crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/135 "2016-06-23T15:06:44Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Because they don’t think people should have a right to arms so it’s not a betrayal of principle to attack the right by any means possible. I’ve argued elsewhere that it’s a matter of consistency - _if_ the people on the no-fly list are so dangerous that they can’t be allowed to board a plane no matter how much scrutiny they get, _then_ it makes no sense to not place restrictions on their ability to freely purchase weapons that allow them to kill a lot of people very quickly. Either they’re an extraordinary threat to the general public or they aren’t. I’d rather see the list scrapped than have one more thing added to the long list of ways the government gets to treat individuals as criminals just because they say so, but here we are. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/136 "2016-06-23T15:06:52Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think there’s a difference between voting and purchasing items that have the sole purpose of slaughtering large numbers of people in rapid fire succession. The Democrats have the people behind them, large majorities support no fly no buy. In opposition you have ISIS and the NRA (as well as their wholly-owned subsidiary, the Republican Party. What is that difference? If you can take away one right, why not others? If you can take away one privilege why not others? Let me answer for you…because this isn’t about the No Fly List, this is about gun control, and you are good with gun control and really, truly don’t see how this could set a precedence for arbitrary removal of other rights based on such lists in the future. All you REALLY care about is using the current fear to chip away at a right you don’t like and don’t think Americans should have, and whatever you can do to achieve that is good. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/137 "2016-06-23T15:09:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think there’s a difference between voting and purchasing items that have the sole purpose of slaughtering large numbers of people in rapid fire succession. The Democrats have the people behind them, large majorities support no fly no buy. In opposition you have ISIS and the NRA (as well as their wholly-owned subsidiary, the Republican Party. And me, and people like me who would cheer if we repealed the 2nd but find the no fly list a horrific basis for curtailing liberty. Yes, even the liberty of people I think are cretins. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/138 "2016-06-23T15:09:51Z")
> [@XT](#): > > What is that difference? If you can take away one right, why not others? If you can take away one privilege why not others? Let me answer for you…because this isn’t about the No Fly List, this is about gun control, and you are good with gun control and really, truly don’t see how this could set a precedence for arbitrary removal of other rights based on such lists in the future. All you REALLY care about is using the current fear to chip away at a right you don’t like and don’t think Americans should have, and whatever you can do to achieve that is good. I don’t for one second believe that you have a right to own guns. The partisan Heller 5-4 decision was this generation’s version of Dred Scott and will in time be overturned. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/139 "2016-06-23T15:11:25Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You think it represents people? It represents gun manufacturers. The merchants of death make out like bandits every time the sheep members flock to the gun stores after a mass shooting occurs. As long as they can milk the paranoia of the gun lovers, they’ll laugh all the way to the bank. And as long as they keep writing checks to Republicans, they’ll still be the owners of Congress. Again, do you think the NRA is composed of robots? There are 5 million dues paying members of the NRA, which represents about 5% of American gun owners. Do you believe they are just composed of 5 million gun manufacturers? Do you believe no other gun owners are sympathetic to (part or all of) their message? Do you feel this way when unions or doctors persuade the government to pass law in their interest, too? ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060/140 "2016-06-23T15:12:05Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I’ve argued elsewhere that it’s a matter of consistency - _if_ the people on the no-fly list are so dangerous that they can’t be allowed to board a plane no matter how much scrutiny they get, _then_ it makes no sense to not place restrictions on their ability to freely purchase weapons that allow them to kill a lot of people very quickly. Either they’re an extraordinary threat to the general public or they aren’t. > > I’d rather see the list scrapped than have one more thing added to the long list of ways the government gets to treat individuals as criminals just because they say so, but here we are. This assumes that the standard for a person’s ability to take a commercial flight should be the same as for a person exercising a fundamental enumerated constitutional right. Why do you think those two separate items should have the same standards? So if you think the list is a bad practice, and you are faced with choice of expanding the use of the list to limit something else you think is bad practice, do you think it’s a principled position to encourage use of the list? That is not consistency. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-hold-sit-in-on-house-floor/758060.md?page=8)