Bill Meyers for Congress!Bill Meyers for Congress!Basic Position: I'm moderate on this issue.
Overview:
The 2nd Amendment, "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," has played an important
role in American history. It is one reason, though not the main
reason, we have had an elected government for over 200 years.
At the same time there is an intolerable amount of violence and crime in the United States. Guns are readily available to people with criminal intent. Careless people die or are wounded in accidents. Many people feel unsafe because of the constant presence of guns. Others feel unsafe unless they carry a gun or have one in their home.
The real solution to this problem is not banning guns, but decreasing the level of violence in this country. When Prohibition ended the level of violence in America dropped dramatically; the same will happen when marijuana is legalized and our other recreational drug problems are dealt with. High unemployment and low wages are also associated with crime and violence. See my economic plans for what needs to be done about that.
In rural areas many people are going to want to keep guns, and I see no valid argument against that. In urban and suburban areas, if crime can be gotten under control by the steps I mentioned above, then many people will give up their guns voluntarily. The police would then be able to store guns for any citizen who wanted to keep up military or target shooting skills. No one would need to carry a gun or have one at home. Perhaps, as in England two decades ago, even the police will not need to carry guns.
I urge citizens to talk to each other about gun laws. Let's tackle the real problems together. By working together with the kids in our schools we might be able to prevent another generation from becoming criminals.