Second Amendment
Positive & Negative Rights
It is scary to be a parent
When my daughter started at the public school near our home, I wasn’t thinking about bullies, fitting in, or crushes; I was thinking about school shootings. I feel lucky to live in Massachusetts, where we have some gun control laws in place. I want to ensure all Americans are as safe as the children in Massachusetts and continue momentum from there. Gun violence is one of the leading causes of death for young people and it’s completely preventable.
The second amendment permits arms and the formation of militia. I contend that if anyone wants to have a musket or a bayonet, they should be permitted to do so. Beyond that, we need stricter regulations. In the same way we don’t permit civilians to own operational tanks, or fighter jets, we need the same logic applied to gun ownership.
Who can buy a gun
We must be stricter about who can own a gun and where a gun can be purchased. The minimum age for purchasing firearms should be raised to twenty-one. I support limited exceptions for hunting with strict permitting and supervision.
We must implement stronger background checks and required mental health assessments by a trained professional to purchase any weapon.
Stricter Regulation
I will fight to ensure no new gun stores can be opened within a half-mile of a school (double the current requirement). We must close gun show loopholes and ensure there are waiting periods for all firearm sales. We must ban the sale of extended magazines, advanced scopes, and all automatic weapons.
No one has the right to own a weapon that can destroy an animal, decimate a crowd, or ruin a community. No one has the right to assassinate political figures or interrupt the free discussion of ideas with excessive force. We all have the right to live peacefully without the risks of mass shootings and gun violence.