John Wallace on the Second Amendment

by John Wallace

posted 10/01/07

I believe that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect. Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our God-given liberties. Even though they devised a formal system of checks and balances for our government, they were still concerned that the system could fail and that we might someday face a new tyranny, not from a foreign government, but from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that's why they gave us the Second Amendment.

The Founding Fathers knew that a government facing an armed citizenry was less likely to take away our rights, while a disarmed population wouldn't have much hope. We can see this throughout the world today, as dictators and tyrants use deadly force against their own unarmed citizens. Without our Second Amendment rights, all of our other rights would not be inalienable. They would just be "on loan" from the government. Second Amendment rights belong to individual citizens, not to town, village, city, county, state or federal governments.

As a former law enforcement officer, I know that criminals will always find a way to get guns. By disarming our law-abiding citizens, we take away the strongest deterrent to violent criminals - the uncertainty that their next potential victim might be armed and able to protect themselves. We know that law enforcement personnel can't be everywhere, all the time. Lawfully-armed citizens have assisted their fellow citizens by using their firearms to prevent robberies, rapes, and the murder of innocents. After some recent emergencies, with regular law enforcement almost non-existent, many victims have been able to protect their lives, their homes, their families and neighbors only because they were armed.

The government has a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens. Gun control has been a proven failure in fighting crime and law abiding citizens should not be asked to give up their rights because of criminals who ignore gun control laws anyway.

I oppose attempts to restrict Second Amendment rights by holding gun manufacturers liable for crimes committed by third parties using firearms, which is really aimed at destroying the entire firearms industry as a way to reduce our Second Amendment rights.

I oppose restrictions on so-called "assault rifles."

I believe that every firearms owner has a responsibility to learn how to safely use and store the firearm they have chosen, whether for target shooting, hunting, or personal protection. I support legislation requiring gun manufacturers to include gun safety devices such as trigger locks in product packaging.

I believe that active and former law enforcement officers should be able to carry concealed handguns nationwide.

I support instant criminal and mental health background checks to help prohibit criminals and mentally impaired persons from buying firearms, to ensure they are conducted thoroughly, efficiently, and without infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens.

I support legislation that would require an instant criminal background check for all sales at gun shows and believe that such checks must be conducted quickly to ensure that unnecessary delays do not effectively block transactions.

I oppose the confiscation of firearms from private citizens, particularly during times of crisis or emergency.

I believe in strict, mandatory penalties for criminals who use a firearm in the commission of a crime or illegally possess a firearm. Enforcing the current gun laws on the books is the best way to deter crime.

By: JOHN W. WALLACE

Candidate for Congress

New York's 20th Congressional District

www.johnwallaceforcongress.com