Protecting Our Gun Rights

One of the most sacred duties of government is to protect our individual rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, including our Second Amendment. These rights are fundamental to our way of life as Americans. As I travel around the fifth district, people tell me that they want all of our rights to be protected—without politicians picking which Amendments deserve to be taken seriously.

The Second Amendment guarantees the individual right to keep and bear arms. The Supreme Court upheld this understanding this year in the DC vs. Heller case, which I applauded. That decision is a victory for freedom and liberty at a time when our Constitution has been under attack from this Administration. 

I am proud to have received an A rating from the NRA for my support of Second Amendment rights. But protecting those rights is only one part of protecting our way of life. We must make sure that we preserve a culture of responsibility in our homes and families so that gun ownership remains the great tradition that it is. We must recommit ourselves—as parents, family members, and friends—to encouraging a culture of responsibility and tradition with our children. Problems like this will be solved by more parenting, not more government.

The primary role of government in this should be to support pro-family policies such as affordable healthcare, a plan for economic revival, and ensuring a living wage. I was talking to a hunter recently who said he was sick of choosing between the party that wants to protect jobs and the one that protects guns. I will do both in Congress. I will stand strong for the rights of gun owners and sportsmen in the Fifth District and also fight for economic revival and brining good jobs back to our communities.

I will also fight for clean streams and forests for Virginia sportsmen. I will support tax incentives for conservation easements to preserve open space and protect water quality. We must seriously address climate change so the threat of wildfires, drought, and flooding will not affect the natural habitats and migration patterns of wildlife. We must also do more to protect the 80,000 acres of wetlands that are lost every year. 

If I'm blessed enough to get to Congress, I will be a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and fight to protect the rights of gun owners. But I won't stop there. I will also fight for policies to support working families so that grandparents, parents, and children can continue the family tradition of hunting and encouraging responsible gun ownership.

Tom Perriello is the Democratic candidate for Congress in Virginia's Fifth District. You can find out more about his campaign at www.PerrielloForCongress.com or by visiting one of our eight district offices in: Appomattox, Bedford, Charlottesville, Danville, Farmville, Martinsville, Moneta, and South Hill.