The Republican Presidential Candidates Positions on Gun Control

The issue of Gun Control revolves around the interpretation of the Second Amendment to the Constitution:
Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
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.

What did the writers mean all those years ago? Did they refer just to the right to bear arms just to raise a militia? Or did they refer to keeping arms for any purpose? Hunting was pretty much taken for granted back then. There were no corner butchers to go to.

The Republican Presidential Candidates who have expressed their opinions on gun control on their Republican Presidential Candidates web site do agree that there must be some form of gun control. Where they differ is in how much gun control there should . Read the opinions of the Republican Presidential Candidates and see if any of them have the plan that you feel is the best.

Senator Samuel D. "Sam" Brownback
Senator Brownback has his position on Gun Control listed on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site:"At the heart of the Bill of Rights is the Second Amendment. This Amendment guarantees an individual the right to keep and bear arms, which is essential, as the Amendment itself affirms, to "the security of a free state." Restrictive gun control laws aimed at weakening this constitutional right are not the answer. Instead, it is important for the government to enforce criminal gun laws already on the books, for communities to stand against gun violence, and for parents to teach children about gun safety."

Former Governor James S. "Jim" Gilmore III Of Virginia
Governor Gilmore has a statement on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site outlining his position on gun control as well as talking about what measures he took as Governor regarding gun control. "Jim Gilmore is a member of the National Rifle Association's Board of Directors and has spent much of his life working to protect our 2nd Amendment rights. Jim Gilmore believes the right to keep and bear arms is entitled to the same protection as every other amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Jim Gilmore believes gun ownership is based on the American tradition of personal responsibility and he is committed to protecting the rights of hunters, sportsmen and gun owners. As Governor, Jim Gilmore created Virginia Exile to put those illegally using guns in jail. His efforts as Attorney General and Governor, including the abolition of parole, truth in the sentencing of criminals and juvenile justice reform, reduced Virginia crime rates to a 25-year low. As President, Jim Gilmore will continue to work to get guns out of the hand of criminals and he will forcefully oppose any new controls on gun ownership."

Former Mayor Rudolph W.L. "Rudy" Giuliani III of New York
Mayor Giuliani does have a statement on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site regarding his support of the 2nd Amendment, however it talks about what he did as mayor rather than what his policy would be as President.
Rudy Giuliani is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. When he was Mayor of a city suffering an average of almost 2000 murders a year, he protected people by getting illegal handguns out of the hands of criminals. As a result, shootings fell by 72% and the murder rate was cut by two-thirds. But Rudy understands that what works in New York doesn't necessarily work in Mississippi or Montana.

Former Governor Michael D. "Mike" Huckabee of Arkansas
Governor Huckabee does not have his policies listed on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site at the present moment.

Congressman Duncan L. Hunter of California
Congressman Hunter makes his position on gun control very clear in this statement that appears on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site. "It seems every election year, some liberal politician dons an NRA cap and grabs a shotgun for a hunting photo-op, as if that means they support our right as Americans to keep and bear arms. I, myself, thoroughly enjoy hunting, having just recently spent a great weekend hunting elk in Arizona. But, the second amendment is not about hunting. It is about the right of you and me to be secure in our homes. We must vigorously defend against all attempts to chip away at the Second Amendment. You know as well as I do that there is one thing criminals prefer over any other: unarmed victims."

Senator John S. McCain III of Arizona
Senator McCain has one of the most detailed discussions of any of the candidates regarding his position on gun control on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site. In summary he states: he opposes Gun Manufacturer Liability, opposes restriction on Assault Weapons, opposes restrictions on the Importation of High Capacity Magazines, He has supported legislation requiring gun manufacturers to include gun safety devices such as trigger locks in product packaging, opposes Banning Ammunition used for hunting that is armor piercing, he cosponsored legislation to lift a ban on the law abiding citizens of the District of Columbia from exercising their Constitutional right to bear arms, supports instant criminal background checks to help prohibit criminals from buying firearms, introduced legislation that would require an instant criminal background check for all sales at gun shows, is opposed to The Firearm Purchase Waiting Period, is opposed to The confiscation of firearms after an emergency, and supports Stiffer Penalties for Criminals who use a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime.

Congressman Ronald E. "Ron" Paul of Texas
Congressman Paul does not have his position on gun control listed on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site.

Former Governor W. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts
Governor Romney does not have a policy on gun control on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site.

Congressman Thomas G. "Tom" Tancredo of Colorado
Congressman Tancredo has a statement on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site regarding gun control . "I fully and completely support the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The failure of the ACLU to defend this right, and of federal courts to make the second amendment binding on the states, as they have made the first amendment and most others, testifies to their intellectual hypocrisy." However he does not go into details on what his policy on gun control would be.

Former Governor Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin
Governor Thompson has a short statement on his Republican Presidential Candidates web site regarding his position on gun control:"Governor Thompson is a gun owner who signed legislation that banned Wisconsin communities from passing anti-gun ordinances that are stricter than state law."