Democratic Candidate Cory Booker Tackles Gun Violence, White Nationalism At Philadelphia Campaign Stop
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The contenders for the Democratic nomination for president are talking about guns in the wake of recent mass shootings. Hundreds of people gathered inside the Fillmore in Fishtown on Wednesday night for Sen. Cory Booker's first presidential campaign event in Philadelphia.
And the New Jersey senator is hoping Philadelphia plays a major role in one of the biggest swing states.
"I believe that there is an interpretation of the Second Amendment that allows people to have guns. I don't think that there is any interpretation of the Second Amendment that allows assault rifles," Princeton resident Toni Anneblake said.
"I'm not quite sold yet either. We are here to find out where his stances are, especially on things like health care and gun control," Collingswood resident George Martell said.
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Philadelphia is one of several major cities in key swing states, including Detroit and Milwaukee, where Booker is addressing gun violence and white nationalism.
"If there is bigotry, if there is hate, it's not enough to say I'm not anti-Semitic, you need to be anti- anti-Semitism. It's not enough to say I am not a misogynist, if misogyny exists, you need to be anti-misogyny because there is no neutral," Booker said.
But Booker isn't the only Democratic presidential hopeful addressing gun violence. So is former Vice President Joe Biden, who revealed some of his initiatives on the campaign trial in Burlington, Iowa, Wednesday.
"They'll be banned and when we do it, we'll put in place a buyback program to get as many of these military-style weapons of war as possible off the street. And we need a domestic terrorism law," Biden said.
Booker says he's got a plan, too, keeping Philadelphia's gun violence in mind.
"I'm going to be a president that recognizes a sense of urgency because for 20 years I've lived in a community that our children are not safe, our communities are not safe, our schools are not safe," Booker said.
Booker also addressed poverty and failing our veterans at the rally. He said he is also for universal background checks.