Friday, January 18, 2013

Sommer: Why I filed the Missouri Firearms Freedom Act


In her latest report, Rep. Chrissy Sommer, R-St. Charles, explains why she filed HB 162, the Missouri Firearms Freedom Act, another of the various "you can't touch our guns" laws being filed in both houses.

On Tuesday, in response to proposals by President Obama’s commission headed by Vice President Biden regarding gun control, I filed legislation that would protect our 2nd Amendment rights under the powers of the United States Constitution.

The rights of law abiding citizens regarding gun ownership is clearly stated in the United States Constitution under the 2nd Amendment and under Article I, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution. I believe this is an important measure to ensure that we protect the rights of those law abiding citizens who are gun owners. 

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut is one that should not be ignored. However, I feel it is irresponsible for us to make a knee-jerk reaction based solely on emotion, not fact. The fact is there were a lot of factors that led to this tragedy. And, in Connecticut, it is a class D felony to carry a firearm on school property. Connecticut has some of the toughest gun laws in the country, and yet, it failed to prevent what happened. Adam Lanza broke many laws just prior to going on his shooting spree. He stole, murdered his mother, and forcibly entered a school with a weapon. Can anyone honestly say that one more law would have stopped him? 

This is not a time to make knee-jerk reactions or push political philosophy one way or another. This is a time to get the facts and make the best decision that will immediately help without having a long-term impact on the future of this country. Some laws, even cloaked with the best intentions, can end up hurting us in the long run. 

That is why I filed this bill, to protect the rights of law abiding citizens while waiting to get the facts of all that happened to better protect us. 

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