Ed Emery: Protecting your gun rights and quoting George Washington

In his latest column, Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, says that Missourians' rights to own assault weapons (since that is the only type of weapons anyone is talking about limiting) are vital and quotes George Washington's views on guns. Emery fails to quote a couple of other things George Washington said. “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism," and “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.” (Emery has often spoken of God and the Founding Fathers.)

This week, the Senate addressed an initiative that is critically important to many citizens across the state. Missourians are frustrated over the threat the federal government poses to our state sovereignty and constitutional liberties. The federal government has touted increased gun control for citizens across the country. Although gun violence is an issue, taking away citizens’ firearms will not solve the problem. Furthermore, eliminating the people’s rights to own firearms is a direct violation of the constitution. The Missouri Senate is taking action to ensure your right to keep and bear arms remains as strong as when established in the day of our Founding Fathers.

Senate Joint Resolution 14 would place a proposed constitutional amendment before the people stating that a citizen has the right to keep and bear arms in defense of his or her family, in addition to that person’s current rights to defend themselves, and his or her home and property. Also, the amendment provides that the rights guaranteed under this provision of the Missouri Constitution are unalienable. Missouri is obligated to uphold these rights and under no circumstances decline to protect against their infringement. 

If the people vote “yes” at the ballot box, our Second Amendment rights of gun ownership will be more secure than before. The state of Missouri will be explicitly charged with defending our unalienable rights. All too often, the federal government’s predictable response to the actions of a criminal is to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens. For instance, if an intruder with firearms enters an establishment and commits acts of tragic violence, the federal government oversteps its bounds and proposes to limit all citizens’ access to guns. This is not a solution and would not help secure the people’s safety. This course of action would only penalize law-abiding citizens and leave them defenseless against criminals who do not obtain firearms legally. 

We need to preserve for our children and grandchildren the liberties that our Founding Fathers set in stone for us — it would be a travesty for them to only learn about the free America in history books, instead of enjoying those freedoms in their everyday lives. 

To quote President George Washington once more, “When any nation mistrusts its citizens with guns, it is sending a clear message: it no longer trusts its citizens, because such a government has evil plans.”