President Donald Trump gets an ‘A’ on Second Amendment rights stance

Let’s take a moment to hit the pause button on the protests and vitriolic debates to discuss something that we can all agree on one issue that President Donald Trump is nailing: Adherence to the Constitution of the United States when it comes to Second Amendment!

Hurray!

Wait, not everyone is coming with me? Hang tight, because you might.

As the resident gun guy here at KTAR, I have been asked to break down the president’s stance on the issue. Let’s take it line by line.

Right out of the gates, the President comes out swinging; “Defend the Second Amendment of our Constitution. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.”

Trump took a bit of creative license by adding the word “period” at the end. This was, I believe, to highlight that the Second Amendment shall not be infringed upon.

Let’s face it: The government has done a fair bit of infringing over the years. The vast majority of us have tolerated these infringements for what some might refer to as the greater good.

Us gun rights supporters have seen just about enough infringing. It’s refreshing to have a president that recognizes this and is willing to take a stand. As we move on, you will see that it is stand for law-abiding citizens.

Next up: “Enforce the laws on the books. We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals.”

No, we do not need to keep piling new laws on top of old laws that just aren’t being enforced. The fact is that most of these laws are just making it harder for law-abiding citizens to bear arms (also known as infringement).

Criminals aren’t concerned with the rule of law. That’s what makes them criminals.

Trump goes on to talk about incarceration. I’m not sure I am walking lock step with him on this one, as this issue is an entirely different can of worms — imbalanced incarceration rates, recidivism, over-crowding, private prisons, you get the idea.

Then: “Empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement does a tremendous job, but they can’t be everywhere all of the time.”

Agreed, but I want more details on what “empower law-abiding citizens” means. Does that mean he will be revisiting Castle Doctrine? Does that mean those that have committed a crime in the past will not be able to defend themselves?

My hope is that Trump will encourage change in this regard. As it stands, those that have been convicted of a felony cannot legally own a firearm — ALL felons. This includes all felonies that had absolutely NOTHING to do with a firearm or were not violent in nature, such as white-collar crime.

This should change. If you commit a crime with a gun, no more guns for you. If you commit bank fraud, no more checking accounts for you. See? Better.

And: “Fix our broken mental health system. 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 must expand treatment programs, and reform the laws to make it easier to take preventive action to save innocent lives. Most people with mental health problems are not violent, but just need help, and these reforms will help everyone.”

Finally! OK, does anyone have a problem with this? No? Good. Moving on.

How about the National Instant Criminal Background Check System?

“Background checks — We need to fix the system we have and make it work as intended. What we don’t need to do is expand a broken system.”

Preach on, Trump! If you think that the background check system is doing its job, you are sorely misinformed.

I’m not just talking about weeding out the bad guys. I’m talking about the system running. Period. The site is down a lot. Just fix it and let’s start there.

Finally, my favorite: “National right to carry should be legal in all 50 states including military bases and recruiting centers to have a strong military. We need to allow them to defend themselves.”

I have a concealed carry permit in a state that doesn’t require me to have one. Why? Reciprocity. There are several other states that will honor my CCW.

Now, what happens when I enter a state that does not honor my CCW or, even worse, won’t allow me to carry at all? I have to adhere to that state’s laws.

In some cases, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself or my family with a firearm. You know, bear arms. Once again, infringement.

I’m all about state’s rights, up to the point in which they infringe on my constitutional rights as a law-abiding citizen.

And come on. Gun-free zones on military bases and recruiting centers? Asinine! Change this! Now!

Overall, I give Trump a solid ‘A’ for his stance on the Second Amendment.

But as they say, the devil is in the details. I’ll stay on top of these and see how they unfold.

Follow @GOMikeRussell