By: Kathryn DeLong
HUMANEVENTS.COM
When Americans head to the polls this November, the vast majority of votes will be cast with jobs and the economy in mind. Recent surveys indicate that these are the issues that matter most. It comes as no surprise that economic issues top the list. Even in the wake of the tragic Aurora, Colorado shooting, views on gun laws have virtually remained the same.
But this data doesn’t mean that the Second Amendment has become irrelevant; many Americans care deeply about gun rights. So where do the presidential candidates stand on the right to keep and bear arms?
Not long ago, I wrote this article about Mitt Romney’s not-so-stellar Second Amendment record. Based on his actions as Governor of Massachusetts, Gun Owners of America gave Romney a grade of D- for failing to uphold the Second Amendment – the lowest of all the Republican presidential hopefuls at the time. GOA has publicly called out Romney for his anti-gun record
President Obama is no ally to Second Amendment advocates, either. The Obama administration hasn’t made gun control a prominent issue, but as an Illinois and U.S. Senator, Obama supported legislation that curbed gun rights.
But if your heart is set on a true pro-Second Amendment candidate, don’t give up just yet. There is one person running for President who firmly believes in gun rights: Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. As Governor of New Mexico, Johnson signed legislation protecting shooting ranges from “noise-based nuisance lawsuits aimed at shutting them down.” He insists that concealed carry leads to less gun violence.
When it comes to gun rights, Romney and Obama pale in comparison to Gary Johnson. Although most votes this election cycle won’t be dictated by the candidates’ positions on the Second Amendment, it’s still important to know where these men stand. If a candidate doesn’t uphold the constitutional right to keep and bear arms, what other freedoms will he be willing to chip away at?
Related articles
- Romney: New gun laws won’t make a difference ‘in this type of tragedy’ (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Paul Ryan and the Gun Control Factor (businessweek.com)
- Know your gun rights history (globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com)
- Obama Still Thinks the Second Amendment Is About Hunting (reason.com)
- As Ryan Looks to Focus on Economy, Spotlight Shines on His Other Views (nytimes.com)
- Rick Perry: States Should Be Allowed To Ban Guns (crooksandliars.com)
