“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.” U.S. Constitution, Second Amendment

I am personally in awe of the Founding Fathers and of the Constitution which they created–and which has blessed so many with freedom and liberty for well over 200 years. From a standpoint of the judicial branch of government, I believe in, to the extent possible, applying the original meaning of the Constitution and avoiding “judicial activism”. As a member of the legislative branch of government, I will try to be guided by the same principles.

The Second Amendment is one simple sentence. However, there are a lot of different opinions out there as to what it means.

To me, it is pretty simple:

First, I believe that the the Second Amendment confers and preserves for the citizenry of the United States both a “collective” and an “individual” right to keep and bear arms.

Second, the Second Amendment is, as part of the Bill of Rights, on a “pedestal”–right up there with our rights of Free Speech, a Free Press, Religious Freedom, the Right to Assemble, our Rights to Due Process of Law and the other guarantees found in the Bill of Rights which we take for granted.

Third, paramount to the Right to Bear Arms are two concepts: that individuals have a right to self-defense, and that a free citizenry has the right–and duty–to keep its own government in “check”.

As a member of the Idaho Legislature, I will be a strong advocate for the fundamental right of Americans to bear arms, both as a means for self-defense and as a check against arbitrary and tyrannical government.