By Ben Langlotz
|
October 5, 2015
|
Firearms, Opinion Pieces
|
0 Comments
Donald Trump Gun Law Positions
As a Texan who appreciates a true legal genius who understands the Constitution and firearms law, it’s easy for me to be a Ted Cruz supporter. I won’t campaign for him here, but I have urged my Facebook friends to download and read the free Kindle sample of his book. I like what Ted says on the Second Amendment so much I should get his permission to excerpt his book’s section on the subject in these pages. Not only does he say the right things, and allow himself to be videoed shooting full auto (and cooking bacon wrapped about the overheating barrel), but he has successfully litigated on behalf of gun rights, with an impressive record at the Supreme Court.
But one figure in the news that has been trumping Cruz is the New York tycoon. I’m not certain he’s precisely the conservative I’m looking for, but I love how he refuses to buy into the media-enforced political correctness rules. Many people might believe that he’s a big jerk, but I think deep down we believe that he loves this nation, wants to see it do better, and will fearlessly fight for what he thinks will lead the nation down a better path. Maybe people realize deep down that most other politicians are big jerks too, and at least Trump’s not phony about it. He’s first and foremost a success, and there are few Americans who don’t want to have that kind of leader (which explains his unusually high poll numbers among usually-liberal demographics). The ones who hate him most seem to be the GOP establishment that are guilty of enabling the far left to take over with little opposition, even when they control Congress.
Trump’s gun right and firearms law positions are among the strongest I’ve seen articulated. His boldest position is that concealed carry licenses should be respected nationwide just like drivers licenses, which we haven’t heard from anyone at this level before.
He sounds like the GOA on gun bans:
“Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. That’s been proven every time it’s been tried. Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like “assault weapons”, “military-style weapons” and “high capacity magazines” to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.”
If I’d been advising Trump, I’d have reminded him that the primary purpose of the Second Amendment is not self-defense as he states (certainly a better answer than hunting or target sports) but to secure freedom against a potentially tyrannical government. I’d love to hear Trump say this, and when the media and opponents (including in the GOP) publicly worry at this “crazy” notion, spring the trap by reminding them that the view used to be commonplace even among patriotic Democrats on the far left:
“Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used, and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.”
– Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, MN, Guns Magazine, “Know Your Lawmaker” February 1960 (p.4)
Trump might seem like an extreme solution, but the fact of his widespread appeal is the best evidence of how far the nation has drifted off track.
Stately Guns?
One article I posted on Facebook revealed that to date six states have named official state guns:
Utah: Browning’s 1911
Arizona: Colt Single Action Army revolver
Indiana: Grouseland Rifle
Pennsylvania: Long Rifle
Alaska: Winchester Model 70, pre-’64
West Virginia: Hall Flintlock Model 1819
What should your state gun be? I’ll let the Texans who have a fuller understanding of our history propose what ours should be. Let me know yours.
