Issue Position: Protecting the Second Amendment

Issue Position

As are most Americans, Barry has been horrified by the acts of evil perpetrated recently, especially on our children at school.

He has been the victim of gun violence, and experienced firsthand the trauma of being shot at with a semi-automatic rifle. Barry has been through the horror of witnessing friends and colleagues struggling for their lives after being shot. Barry has also been through the terror of being shot at without the ability to protect himself or others, because of restrictive laws that prohibited him from having a weapon to defend himself.

As an elected representative of the people, Barry has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States; and the right to purchase and own a firearm is clearly specified as a right afforded to citizens of the United States.

Barry takes his oath of office very seriously and, while we must address the issue of violence in this nation, we have to focus on the actual source of the violence which, in every case, is the perpetrator of the crime, not the weapon they choose.

The safety and security of the people of this country is a core responsibility of our government, which, Barry believes, includes protecting every citizen's right to protect themselves and their family. Barry remains a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and opposes measures to restrict the rights of law abiding citizens to purchase and carry firearms.

However, Barry believes there are measures we can take to stop these perpetrators before they can carry out their acts of violence. Recent tragedies have highlighted gaps in our system that must be addressed, such as ensuring that our law enforcement appropriately responds to leads of individuals who have made threats or may be prone to carry out acts of violence.

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