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You know, we can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans to legitimately own handguns and rifles-it's something I strongly support-we can't be so fixated on that that we are unable to think about the reality of life that millions of Americans face on streets that are unsafe, under conditions that no other nation-no other nations-has permitted to exist. And at some point, I still hope that the leadership of the National Rifle Association will go back to doing what it did when I was a boy and which made me want to be a lifetime member because they put out valuable information about hunting and marksmanship and safe use of guns. But just to know of the conditions we face today in a lot of our cities and other places in this country and the enormous threat to public safety is amazing.

Bill Clinton#7

LeadershipPolicyCitiesRightsSafety

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker supports gun ownership rights but urges balance with public safety concerns in unsafe urban environments.
In plain terms
We should support gun rights but also focus on making cities safer for everyone.
What can you take from it?
Balance individual rights with collective public safety needs.

Where it applies

  • policy debates
  • community meetings
  • legislative discussions

Putting it to work

  • review gun policies
  • focus on safety education
  • address urban violence

Questions to consider

  • How do you balance individual rights with public safety?
  • What makes a community safe?

Another view

It does not specify how to balance these competing interests practically.

More from Bill Clinton

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