Written by Justin Culetu
“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.” – Amendment II (1791)
In light of the recent shootings in Colorado and Georgia, Democrats decided to politicize the tragedy and attempt to infringe upon the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans. Consequently, San Diego County’s board of supervisors voted in a 3-2 decision on Tuesday to support state and federal legislation that increases gun safety reforms through methods such as universal background checks. Republican Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson both voted “no” on the matter.
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer proposed to amend the County’s Legislative Program, which would support proposals that close private sales loopholes in gun purchases, such as U.S. House Resolution 8.
“We are joining with concerned Americans across the nation to call for universal background checks and investments in communities impacted by gun violence, common-sense measures that will help our neighborhoods and keep guns out of the wrong hands,” Lawson-Remer said after the board’s vote.
Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson both criticized the merit of universal background checks, respectively stating that California already has strict background checks and that they do not account for criminals who illegally obtain weapons. “There’s a big difference between illegal possession and legal ownership,” Anderson said.
While universal background checks sound appealing, the evidence on their effectiveness in reducing gun violence is mixed. The fact of the matter is that background checks do not consider the illegal purchasing of guns, as highlighted by Supervisor Anderson. In a study done by the U.S Department of Justice, 90% of prisoners who possessed a gun during their offense did not obtain it from a retail source, with 27% of them using it to kill someone. It is also worth noting that Colorado already has background checks for gun purchases, but that did not stop the recent shooting in Boulder.
The Second Amendment is a crucial right for every American in order to provide themselves with self defense when no one else will, including their own government. America’s founders understood this importance, as they fought off an unwanted, tyrannical government using a well regulated Militia. The second amendment serves as a reminder that the right to defend oneself was not given by the government, therefore they cannot interfere with it.
Photo via the Associated Press
