Issue Position: On Responsible Gun Ownership

Issue Position

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Some people focus on the phrase "the right to bear arms" to mean that anyone should be able to own guns. Other people focus on the phrase "A well regulated militia" to mean that the federal government cannot infringe on state's rights to have an armed militia to protect itself from the government. It is unlikely the two sides will ever agree upon an interpretation, and trying to do so will get us nowhere. But there are common sense measure we can take.

My concern is not whether or not anyone can or cannot own a gun, but that they demonstrate basic competence. Also that they do not have a history which would suggest they should not have a gun.

There are several measures we can take that have wide support; requiring a background check for all gun sales; banning assault weapons, making devices such as bumpstocks illegal; insuring that individuals who have committed violent felonies, people with mental illness which impairs their ability to handle firearms, or individuals who have been identified as dangerous to the country do not have guns.

Source