Issue Position: Gun Rights

Issue Position

The second amendment is quite clear:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The people are that militia, and together, we keep this nation free. The second amendment is not in place to provide us with guns for hunting and sport, although those are side benefits. Rather, this amendment foresaw the possibility of a tyrannical state -- one that would take away the freedoms of its people, as England attempted to do with the colonies centuries ago.

Guns don't fire themselves; a person has to pull the trigger. When addressing gun violence, we must start with the mental and health care for those who are deranged, and consider that "gun free zones" are frequently where gun violence is the worst. We have to use common sense, and also abide by the Constitution of the United States of America. That is a fine balancing act, but I believe in leaning toward the side of freedom.

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