Protecting the second amendment will make America great again

PROTECTING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

Donald J. Trump on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear. The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.

The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right that belongs to all law-abiding Americans. The Constitution doesn’t create that right – it ensures that the government can’t take it away. Our Founding Fathers knew, and our Supreme Court has upheld, that the Second Amendment’s purpose is to guarantee our right to defend ourselves and our families. This is about self-defense, plain and simple.

It’s been said that the Second Amendment is America’s first freedom. That’s because the Right to Keep and Bear Arms protects all our other rights. We are the only country in the world that has a Second Amendment. Protecting that freedom is imperative. Here’s how we will do that:

Enforce The Laws On The Books

We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals. The Obama administration’s record on that is abysmal. Violent crime in cities like Baltimore, Chicago and many others is out of control. Drug dealers and gang members are given a slap on the wrist and turned loose on the street. This needs to stop.

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.

Why does that matter to law-abiding gun owners? Because they’re the ones who anti-gun politicians and the media blame when criminals misuse guns. We need to bring back and expand programs like Project Exile and get gang members and drug dealers off the street. When we do, crime will go down and our cities and communities will be safer places to live.

Here’s another important way to fight crime – empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement is great, they do a tremendous job, but they can’t be everywhere all of the time. Our personal protection is ultimately up to us. That’s why I’m a gun owner, that’s why I have a concealed carry permit, and that’s why tens of millions of Americans have concealed carry permits as well. It’s just common sense. To make America great again, we’re going to go after criminals and put the law back on the side of the law-abiding.

Fix Our Broken Mental Health System

Let’s be clear about this. Our mental health system is broken. It needs to be fixed. Too many politicians have ignored this problem for too long.

All of the tragic mass murders that occurred in the past several years have something in common – there were red flags that were ignored. We can’t allow that to continue. We need to expand treatment programs, because most people with mental health problems aren’t violent, they just need help. But for those who are violent, a danger to themselves or others, we need to get them off the street before they can terrorize our communities. This is just common sense.

And why does this matter to law-abiding gun owners? Once again, because they get blamed by anti-gun politicians, gun control groups and the media for the acts of deranged madmen. When one of these tragedies occurs, we can count on two things: one, that opponents of gun rights will immediately exploit it to push their political agenda; and two, that none of their so-called “solutions” would have prevented the tragedy in the first place. They’ve even admitted it.

We need real solutions to address real problems. Not grandstanding or political agendas.

Defend The Rights of Law-Abiding Gun Owners

GUN AND MAGAZINE BANS. Gun and magazine bans are a total failure. That’s been proven every time it’s been tried. 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. The government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own.

BACKGROUND CHECKS. There has been a national background check system in place since 1998. Every time a person buys a gun from a federally licensed gun dealer – which is the overwhelming majority of all gun purchases – they go through a federal background check. Study after study has shown that very few criminals are stupid enough to try and pass a background check – they get their guns from friends/family members or by stealing them. So the overwhelming majority of people who go through background checks are law-abiding gun owners. When the system was created, gun owners were promised that it would be instant, accurate and fair. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today. Too many states are failing to put criminal and mental health records into the system – and it should go without saying that a system’s only going to be as effective as the records that are put into it. What we need to do is fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.

NATIONAL RIGHT TO CARRY. The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why 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. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.

MILITARY BASES AND RECRUITING CENTERS. 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.

 

How does any of that nonsense "make America great again"?

I own and fire plenty of firearms, and I firmly believe in the 2nd, but I don't see it as the indicator of great or (*)(*)(*)(*)ty.






Also, I think that Trump seems to be promote grunting as it were, not real solutions. Nothing in that rant of his addresses the causation of criminality nor how we as a society will pay for draconian, government mandated, standardized punishments.

 

I'm not sure myself that's why I posted the thread.

 

This type of enforcement against violent criminals is the single fastest way to reduce gun crime stats and it has nothing to do with gun restrictions.
You would think that if public safety was truly the goal by those that seek gun restrictions, that they would see that if we enacted laws like this, gun crime would plummet, and our stats would look like most other countries.

 

If ALL you do is increase the penalties for gun crimes you better build a lot more prisons. We already incarcerate more people per capita than any other country in the world BY FAR and this is not cheap. I am not disagreeing with this idea. I am saying you are calling for a TOTAL reform of the criminal justice system if you want to make it work at a price we can afford. Change the entire system and ONLY use prison for violent offenders or weapons charges and this could work to reduce gun crimes in this country.

 

Then you don't "firmly" believe in the 2A.

 

What?


I am not sure I understand your premise.


What in trump's insanely stupid rant would "make 'merica great again"?

 

Were talking about federal prison for violent offenders. This has nothing to do with the incarceration of low level crime due to drug offenses in county or state. End the failed war on drugs will take care of the overcrowding issues.
Violent criminals need to be segregated so we have fewer victims, no matter the cost. People that are worried about the cost over the lives of the innocent are not truly interested in public safety, just gun restrictions.

Crimes prosecuted routinely in federal courts are:
1. Fraud conducted through the mail (mail fraud);
2. Fraud conducted over interstate telephone or fax lines (wire fraud);
3. Public corruption;
4. Bank fraud;
5. Securities fraud;
6. Money laundering;
7. Tax crimes;
8. Interstate drug trafficking;
9. Trading with the enemy (export crimes); and
10. Conspiracy to commit the crimes above.

We should add violent gun crime to this list.

 

Clearly you can't see the forest through the trees.

 

A strengthened and protected 2A is primary to making America great.

 

You advocate for gun control yet when presented a solution that does not effect legal gun owners the first thing you bring up is cost. As OC said

 

I also said I agreed with it. But it would require a massive change in the criminal justice system. Federal prisons will not be taking on gun offenders. That is a state issue. So each state would have to engage in a massive criminal justice effort. Good Luck. I will support it 100%. If there is a way to do it on the federal level I am all for it. But if the answer is just build more prisons then I am out

 

No?

So what is it about gun ownership that makes America great?

- - - Updated - - -

How so?

 

I'm glad he's changed his mind from supporting the AWB and mag limits.

 

Source here.
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/second-amendment-rights

 

Why not? Building is what this country does, plus building equals more jobs.

 

Are you kidding? Do you know what the cost is to staff and run these facilities? You must love paying taxes.

 

Texas prisons were self sufficient till Federal Judges got involved.

 

I would gladly pay more in taxes to see the violent crime rate plummet. Better than paying more taxes to give free stuff to all the Bernie and Hillary supporters.
If we got rid of all the waste in government we can try violent gun crime in federal court.
We can cut costs and lower the incarceration rate by ending the war on Drugs.

To throw your hands in the air and say it can't be done, shows no resolve to reduce violent gun crime.
I suppose there will be no support from those that only seek to restrict guns under the guise of public safety.

 

Not kidding! This is a viable solution and I would gladly pay more taxes however I don't think that needs to happen to achieve this goal.
Guess the real question is how serious you are about solving the problem?

 

A HUGE part of the problem with the "war on drugs" is that far too many people in the high offices of our Country are facilitating the enemy. Corruption is our biggest problem. The drugs could not reach American crime capitals if everyone who is responsible for stopping them was doing what we pay them to do.
Far too many people in politics and law enforcement are abusing their positions as gateways into the communities of corruption, where personal gain is the ONLY concern.
You wanna' claim that you're working to solve the problem of gang related gun death? Root out our corrupt officials, and execute them. They are the cancer on the organism that is our society. If this cancer goes untreated, it can only grow and further degrade us. America can never hope to be great at all unless we eliminate these parasitic, corrupt officials.

 

Hey I am with you. You are talking about a massive undertaking. Lets cut the military in half. We will have plenty of money for prisons. I am fine with ending the war on drugs. Which candidate supports that?

 

Clearly you don't understand the intent of the Constitution.

 

It's not that massive of an undertaking. Richmond Va. did it....

"Project Exile, the aggressive strategy partnered by local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution, and designed to halt violent crime, has swiftly put the fear of punishment back into the criminal equation. In just three years, it's helped cut Richmond's murder rate in half — and then half again. It's helped drop the city from fifth to 75th in murder rate per capita. Project Exile has helped residents of troubled neighborhoods and urban business owners feel they have the power to take back their streets — or at least report when they're besieged by guns."

"At a time when the anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy looms like a thundercloud and the Million Mom March is right around the corner, the perception of Project Exile may be more important than ever. And everyone from the U.S. Attorney General's office — often reported to be skeptical of Exile — to gun control advocates like Handgun Control, Inc., to the National Rifle Association, is cozying up to Exile. The NRA two weeks ago gave another $100,000 to the Exile foundation to continue its marketing campaign."

 

That sounds like a great program. But Richmond is one city in one state. The ONLY way to get this done on a national level is thru federal law. And I don't see it happening. But I would support it if it did happen