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by AWR HAWKINS5 May 2016169
Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has a plan to defend gun rights in general and the Second Amendment in particular. The plan is visible in the policies set forth by Trump as well as his understanding of the value of the Second Amendment and the freedoms it guards.
Here are six aspects of his plan.
National Reciprocity for Concealed Carry–In a September 18 position paper,Trump explained that “the right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway.” He contended that right to defend one’s life is viable wherever a person goes. He said, “I have a concealed carry permit and…tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state.”
Understands Concealed Carry As ‘A Right, Not A Privilege’–This the “why” behind Trump’s push for national reciprocity. For him, honoring concealed carry licenses from every state is the “common sense” way to honor the right to bear arms for self-defense. He makes the point by contrasting rights and privileges, saying, “[If we can recognize licenses in all 50 states as it relates to] driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.”
Opposes ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban–Trump views attempts to ban “assault weapons” as a prime example of the left’s attempt to use language and demagoguery to limit the freedoms of the people. He said:
Opponents of gun rights try to come up with scary sounding phrases like “assault weapons,” “military-style weapons” and “high capacity magazines” to confuse people. What they’re really talking about are popular semi-automatic rifles and standard magazines that are owned by tens of millions of Americans. Law-abiding people should be allowed to own the firearm of their choice.
Opposes Expansion of Background Checks–Trump believes background checks have failed to live up to the hype surrounding them at the time they were enacted and, therefore, ought not be expanded. He observes that the U.S. has had background checks since 1998, yet they have not prevented numerous high profile shootings and terror attacks against our country and our stateside military personnel. He says we have a situation where criminals get guns when they need them–background system or not–while law-abiding citizens are burdened with going through a check that was supposed to “be instant, accurate and fair,” but isn’t.
Supports ‘Harsh Penalties’ For Gun Crime—Trump said:
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Several years ago there was a tremendous program in Richmond, Virginia called Project Exile. It said that if a violent felon uses a gun to commit a crime, you will be prosecuted in federal court and go to prison for five years – no parole or early release. Obama’s former Attorney General, Eric Holder, called that a “cookie cutter” program. That’s ridiculous. I call that program a success. Murders committed with guns in Richmond decreased by over 60% when Project Exile was in place – in the first two years of the program alone, 350 armed felons were taken off the street.
Arm U.S. Troops On Military Bases–Trump strongly opposes the policies that disarm troops and make them sitting ducks on military bases. He said:
Banning our military from carrying firearms on bases and at recruiting centers is ridiculous. We train our military how to safely and responsibly use firearms, but our current policies leave them defenseless. To make America great again, we need a strong military. To have a strong military, we need to allow them to defend themselves.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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Big Government, Donald Trump, 2nd Amendment, gun control, Second Amendment, Concealed Carry, Background Checks, Gun Rights, Gun Crime
