Representative Alcee Hastings (D-FL) called his own state “crazy” for considering open carry, and joked that if he bought a billboard saying “Negro Gun Show Next Friday” “that would be the end of damn gun shows” on Tuesday’s broadcast of Fox News Radio’s “Alan Colmes Show.”
After host Alan Colmes argued, [relevant remarks begin around 13:40] “if you had black gun owners in this country, I bet there’d be a very different attitude, don’t you think?” Hastings said, “I’m going to tell you a joke, and I know that it is going — it is not a joke. … one day about 10 years ago, I was thinking about this issue, and I passed on the Reagan Sunshine Parkway in Florida, a gun show sign, big sign. And I might add, Florida, crazy state that it is, is considering open carry, as the crazy state Texas already has, carrying in schools, that’s — and I heard someone say the day before yesterday that it’s likely to pass. But here’s what I told my lady friend, I said ‘If I had me enough money to put up one of those signs that said, ‘Negro Gun Show Next Friday’ that would be the end of damn gun shows.'”
Earlier, Hastings stated [relevant remarks begin around 9:00] that he believes in the 2nd Amendment and owns a gun, although, “I do not have a gun permit. I just moved. Previously, my gun was registered, and I have not have time to register it with authorities in the area where I live, but I will.” He also said he believes the president will take “some executive action” on gun control.
Hastings also argued [relevant remarks being around 5:00 that impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen “would be a very bad move, these people need to learn that they’re in the midst of an election where there’s an awful lot of anger, and frustration, and disappointment about the dysfunction here in Congress. Now, their objective, I would think, must be that the IRS went after some Republicans. I don’t think they will ever be able to prove that. And please give me just this 15 seconds to say this, I belong to Mount Hermon AME Church, and I took John Kerry to that church, where he was not endorsed by the minister or anybody there, other than me, and I didn’t stand up and say anything to them, we were investigated by the IRS for two years, but I never perceived as the kind of witch hunt that these people do. The IRS does its job.” He further criticized the select committee to investigate Planned Parenthood.
Hastings, who is a Clinton supporter, also commented on the Benghazi Select Committee, saying [relevant remarks begin around 2:50] he wished Democrats on the committee “had used the word ‘inquisition,’ because that’s basically what that was.” After this comment, host Alan Colmes pointed out that back in 1998, Hastings was impeached as a federal judge.
At the end of the interview, Hastings suggested that Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson would have a hard time in southern states because of his race.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.