Americans Retain Right to Bear Arms
Growing up in St. Joseph my father and his friends loved to fish and hunt. It never crossed their minds that citizens did not have the right to own a rifle or a shotgun. They believed the Second Amendment protected this right, just as the rest of the Ten Amendments protect rights like free speech.
Therefore, I agree with the Supreme Court's interpretation last week that an absolute prohibition against gun ownership violates the Second Amendment right for citizens to bear arms. Most legal observers believe the Court did allow for reasonable safety precautions.
To combat crimes committed by those with guns, we need to maintain our support of law enforcement. Congress has not kept its promise to adequately fund our local law enforcement agencies. Congressman Sam Graves is part of this problem. In 2005 for example, Graves voted against increasing funding for state and local law enforcement programs, including COPS, by $200 million. Law enforcement grants were cut by $400 million from the previous year and that year's level was $226 million below the year before. This isn't how to keep our communities safe.
Now that the highest court in our country has affirmed the right of law abiding citizens to own arms, we must turn our full attention to cracking down on criminals who illegally possess guns. In Kansas City I worked with the U.S. Attorney and the Justice Department to arrest and prosecute convicted criminals who after serving their sentence again sought guns to use in illegal conduct. Within a matter of a few years, federal prosecutors working closely with local law enforcement agencies identified and charged 1,000 felons with federal firearm violations.
The Supreme Court has settled the issue of gun ownership and the right of citizens to use guns in a responsible manner. Whether that use is to hunt or to protect one's family in their homes, we now know that they can do so with the full protection of the law.
Kay Barnes is a candidate for U.S. representative for Missouri's 6th Congressional District
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