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)