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CONSERVATIVES MUST DEFEND THE SECOND AMENDMENT
March 5, 2018
Washington, DC
The recent school shooting in Parkland, FL was a tragedy. 17 students and teachers lost their lives at the hands of a mentally unstable gunman. The bravery and selflessness shown by those who sacrificed their lives to help others to safety is a humbling example of the best of American virtues.
What adds to the tragedy in Parkland was the fact that it could have been prevented. The shooter was known to local Parkland law enforcement, which responded to calls at his house more than thirty times. The Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to forward a chillingly specific tip about the shooter—one in which he self-identified as someone who intended to become “a professional school shooter.” Moreover, the Broward County sheriff’s deputy tasked with protecting the students at Parkland heard the shots but remained outside the school.
Laws and procedures that might have prevented the shooting in Parkland were not followed or enforced, and those charged to “protect and serve” failed. A thorough investigation needs to be conducted to determine what actually happened and why. All of this makes concerted efforts by liberal activists and the media to infringe upon Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens misguided.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the plain text of the Second Amendment, which states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The language of the amendment—confirmed by the Supreme Court in the seminal case of District of Columbia vs Heller—clearly indicates this is a pre-existing individual liberty, one that is referenced in the 1689 English Bill of Rights. The language “shall not be infringed” indicates recognition, not creation. In addition, every state constitution includes language similar to the Second Amendment, most of which have been upheld by state supreme courts.
Taking away the rights of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms will not prevent future tragedies like Parkland. Neither will the creation of massive databases of lawful gun owners.
Evil cannot be eliminated by regulation. However, measures can be taken to diminish the frequency and scope of mass shootings. As a Florida Teacher of the Year Kelly Guthrie Raley said recently, parents must be more involved in regulating bad behavior. Gun-free school zones should be done away with, and teachers who want to be trained to possess firearms in the classroom should be given the support to do so.
Finally, enforcing existing laws as they relate to addressing troubled individuals might have prevented the Parkland tragedy, and can likely prevent others. When law enforcement fails, as it did in Parkland, there must be accountability.
As conservatives, we affirm our commitment to the Second Amendment and oppose any legislation that would infringe upon the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families.
The Honorable Edwin Meese III
Former
Attorney General
President Ronald Reagan
The Honorable Kenneth Blackwell
Chairman
Constitutional Congress, Inc.
The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli II
President
Senate Conservatives Fund
Rod D. Martin
Founder & CEO
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Haley E. Martin
President
The Martin Foundation
Nicholas Stehle
Campaign for the American Future
Rick Manning
President
Americans for Limited Government
Ed Corrigan
Former Executive Director
Senate Steering Committee
Alfred S. Regnery
Chairman / Law Enforcement
Legal Defense Fund
Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin (Ret.)
Executive Vice President
Family Research Council
William L. Walton
Chairman
CNP Action, Inc.
Rod Vandenbos
CEO
Buzzbox Beverages, Inc.
Lee A. Beaman
CEO
Beaman Automotive Group
Floyd Brown
Chairman
Western Center for Journalism
James L. Martin
Founder & Chairman
60 Plus Association
Martha Boneta
President
VSC
Sean Noble
President
American Encore
William Mills
President
Mills Energy
Matt Mackowiak
Executive Director
Fight for Tomorrow
Willes K. Lee
President
National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Tim LeFever
Chairman
Capitol Resource Institute
Mark Fitzgibbons
President of Corporate Affairs
American Target Advertising
C. Preston Noell III
President
Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.
The Honorable Penny Pullen
Former Assistant
Republican Leader
Illinois House of Representatives (Retired)
Chad Connelly
President
Faith Wins
The Honorable Michael R. Long
State Chairman
NYS Conservative Party
The Honorable Mike Hill
Florida State House
Former Member
Joe R. Calvert
President
Rabon-Calvert Interest
Melvin Adams
Former President
Renewanation
Roxanne Phillips
Member, Executive Committee
Council for National Policy
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer
President
American Values
The Honorable Terrence M Scanlon
Retired Chairman and President
CapitalResearch.org
Jenny Beth Martin
Chairman
Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund
Mario H. Lopez
President
Hispanic Leadership Fund
Donna Hearne
Chief Executive Officer
The Constitutional Coalition
Elaine Donnelly
President
Center for Military Readiness
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop
Chairman, Conservative Action Project
Former White House Advisor,
President Ronald Reagan
The Honorable Colin Hanna
President
Let Freedom Ring, Inc.
David Bozell
President
ForAmerica
Sherri R. Martin
Executive Vice President
The Martin Organization, Inc.
Shawn A. Mitchell
Former National Chaplain
National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Evelio Silvera
Campaign for the American Future
The Honorable Jim DeMint
United States Senate
Former Member, South Carolina
The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell
Chairman
The Weyrich Lunch
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.
Former Chief Domestic Advisor
President Ronald Reagan
Wesley Denton
Former Communications Director
Senator Jim DeMint (SC)
The Honorable David McIntosh
U.S. House of Representatives
Former Member, Indiana
The Honorable James C. Miller III
Director Office of Management & Budget
President Ronald Reagan 1985-1988
The Honorable Belden Bell
Co-Chair Legacy Society
The Heritage Foundation
Sandra S. Froman
Treasurer
Council for National Policy
Rachel Bovard
Former Policy Director
Senate Steering Committee
Richard Wright
CEO
Andrews Consulting
L. Brent Bozell, III
Founder & President
Family Research Center
Dr. Everett Piper
President
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Norm Singleton
President
Campaign for Liberty
Michelle Easton
President
Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute
Dr. Virginia Armstrong
National Court Watch Chrm.
National Eagle Forum
Christopher Malagisi
Editor in Chief
Conservative Book Club
Ron Robinson
President
Young America’s Foundation
Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse
Board Chairman
The Institute of Religion
and Democracy
Jeremy Cerone
CEO
EliteSafe Inc.
Judson Phillips
Founder
Tea Party Nation
Mitchell Morgan
Chief Financial Officer
Martin Imaging
Peter J. Thomas
Chairman
The Conservative Causus
Ralph A. Rebandt II
Senior Pastor / Police Chaplain
Oakland Hills Community Church
Robert K. Fischer
Meeting Coordinator
Conservatives of Faith
Allen Hebert
Chairman
American-Chinese Fellowship
Tim Macy
Chairman
Gun Owners of America
John F. Tate
President
America’s Liberty PAC
The Honorable Mike Spence
Founding President
Conservative Republicans of California
Jerry Melvin
Former Dean
Florida House of Representatives
Cleta Mitchell, Esq.
(All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only)
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
