| We defend the constitutional right to keep
and bear arms, and we affirm the individual responsibility to safely use and
store firearms. Because self-defense is a basic human right, we will promote
training in their safe usage, especially in federal programs for women and the
elderly. A Republican administration will vigorously enforce current gun laws,
neglected by the Democrats, especially by prosecuting dangerous offenders
identified as felons in instant background checks. Although we support
background checks to ensure that guns do not fall into the hands of criminals,
we oppose federal licensing of law-abiding gun owners and national gun
registration as a violation of the Second Amendment and an invasion of privacy
of honest citizens. Through programs like Project Exile, we will hold criminals
individually accountable for their actions by strong enforcement of federal and
state firearm laws, especially when guns are used in violent or drug-related
crimes. With a special emphasis upon school safety, we propose the crackdown on
youth violence explained elsewhere in this platform. |
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| We will protect Americans' Second
Amendment right to own firearms, and we will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and
terrorists by fighting gun crime, reauthorizing the assault weapons ban, and closing the gun show
loophole, as President Bush proposed and failed to do. |
| The Right to Keep and Bear ArmsThe Issue: Governments at all levels often violate their citizens' right of self defense with laws that restrict, limit or outright prohibit the ownership and use of firearms. These "gun control" laws are often justified by the mistaken
premise that they will lead to a reduction in the level of violence in
our society.
The Principle: The Bill of Rights recognizes
that an armed citizenry is essential to a free society. We affirm the
right to keep and bear arms.
Solutions: We oppose all laws
at any level of government restricting, regulating or requiring the
ownership, manufacture, transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition. We
oppose all laws requiring registration of firearms or ammunition. We
support repeal of all gun control laws. We demand the immediate
abolition of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms.
Transition: We oppose any government efforts to
ban or restrict the use of tear gas, "mace" or other self-protection
devices. We further oppose all attempts to ban weapons or ammunition on
the grounds that they are risky or unsafe. We favor the repeal of laws
banning the concealment of weapons or prohibiting pocket weapons. We
also oppose the banning of inexpensive handguns ("Saturday night
specials") and semi-automatic or so-called assault weapons and their
magazines or feeding devices.
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