Alaska: Fairbanks campaign ad reignites gun debate

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) -- An attorney running for the Fairbanks Assembly is calling out the incumbent for carrying a gun to public meetings and community barbecues. Van Lawrence placed an advertisement in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that targets incumbent Michael Dukes. Lawrence says he ran the ad to point out what he felt are key differences between himself and Dukes. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner said the ad, which ran Sept. 11, was titled, "4 Reasons Why You Should Vote For Me." Besides the gun issue, Lawrence noted in the ad that he is not "an anti-government zealot," that he is "a sensible and positive problem-solver" and that "he is not Michael Dukes." "I'm most troubled by him taking (a gun) to the assembly. I think that is entirely inappropriate," Lawrence said. "Just because it's in his right to carry a gun to the assembly meetings doesn't make it right. I think it sends the message of intimidation." Dukes is a local radio personality who often talks about firearms on his show. He said carrying a gun is only a small part of who he is and that he doesn't feel it's irresponsible. "It's no secret to carry a gun. It's every Alaskan's right," he said. "It's not like I walk around with a big shiny arrow pointing to my hip with a big chrome pistol. It's a responsibility that I've chosen to exert for the last 25 or 30 years." Lawrence said his concern goes beyond the gun Dukes carries. He noted that T-shirts and mugs Dukes sold through his blog before he was elected to the assembly in 2010 had a picture of a rifle and the words "When all else fails ... vote from the rooftops." Lawrence likened the message to controversial statements made by Sharron Angle, a Nevada Republican who waged an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate last year and was criticized for what she called "Second Amendment remedies" to problems in government. "I think it sends a horrible message," Lawrence said. "It implies that if a person doesn't get what he wants out of the ballot box, he should resort to firearms to get his way." Published: Thu, Sep 22, 2011