In a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. The Founders included and the States ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right.

The Second Amendment is not about hunting deer or keeping a pistol in your nightstand. It is not about protecting oneself against common criminals. It is about preventing tyranny. The role of small arms in defending against aggression should not be overlooked.

There were no federal laws at the end of the 19th Century dealing with guns. Gun violence was rare. Now, after a hundred years of progressive government intervention in dealing with guns, and with thousands of laws and regulations, we have more gun violence. The federal government's influences by special interests have set their sights on one of America’s most sacred rights as protected by the Second Amendment.

The many federal anti-gun laws written since 1934, along with the constant threat of outright registration and confiscation, have put the FBI and the BATF at odds with millions of law-abiding citizens who believe the Constitution is explicit in granting the right of gun ownership to all non-violent Americans. We, as a nation, have forgotten a basic precept of a free society - that all citizens must be responsible for their own acts.

We support the original intent of an individual right to keep and bear arms.

Gun control proponents like to characterize light weapons as ineffective in wartime, but history proves they are critical to the self-defense of nations. The founders knew that unarmed citizens would never be able to overthrow a tyrannical government as they did. They envisioned government as a servant, not a master, of the American people. The muskets they used against the British Army were the assault rifles of the time. It is practical, rather than alarmist, to understand that unarmed citizens cannot be secure in their freedoms. It’s convenient for gun banners to dismiss this argument by saying “That could never happen here, this is America” - but history shows that only vigilant people can keep government under control. By banning certain weapons today, we may plant the seeds for tyranny to flourish ten, thirty, or fifty years from now.

Tortured interpretations of the Second Amendment cannot change the fact that both the letter of the amendment itself and the legislative history conclusively show that the Founders intended ordinary citizens to be armed. The notion that the Second Amendment confers rights only upon organized state-run militias is preposterous; the amendment is meaningless unless it protects the gun rights of individuals.

Thomas Jefferson said "The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; ...that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed." Jefferson, and all of the Founders, would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents law-abiding Americans from exercising their right and duty to keep and bear arms. We at the RLC are committed to upholding the Founders' vision for a free society by co-sponsoring the Second Amendment Restoration Act.