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Issues
Second Amendment Rights
Second Amendment Rights
Related Issue(s):
Judiciary
Congressman Souder's 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.
-- Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
I am a strong supporter of our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Many Americans choose to own firearms for sport, hunting, collecting, and protection. In my opinion, all of these reasons justify the ownership of firearms. I do not believe that guns are responsible for violent crime problems or that more gun control would reduce violence and criminal activity. Most of the weapons used in criminal activities are purchased illegally, and law-abiding Americans should not be rendered defenseless while criminals would continue to be armed. Not only is this bad policy, it’s unconstitutional. Instead of passing more gun control laws, the government should enforce the many that are already on the books.
In February 2008, I led Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the case D.C. v. Heller, which questioned whether D.C.'s oppressive gun control law was constitutional. I strongly believed it was not. The amicus brief we filed with the U.S. Supreme Court was joined by 250 House Members, 55 Senators, and the Vice President (in his capacity as President of the Senate)--representing a majority of Congress. In June 2008, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment does indeed protect an individual American's right to keep and bear arms, and it overturned D.C.'s handgun ban. This ruling represented a considerable victory for our First Freedom, although much work is still required to ensure that our rights are protected.
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