“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.”

Gun control measures attempt to reduce legal access to firearms and ammunition. Reducing legal access to guns for law-abiding adults weakens the ability of people to both protect themselves from crime and defend their rights from growing encroachment by any government emboldened to abuse its authority.

The founding fathers were well aware of European history where authoritarian governments took away power from the general public in order to better control and tax them. We have seen many examples of governments doing that in modern history, and even to this day. Any time I see a World War II movie, or pictures of Polish people (for example) being marched away from their homes by a couple of armed people, into camps, and then many to their eventual deaths – the frustration I feel is overwhelming. If only they would have been able to protect themselves. If only they would have been able to assert their God-given rights. If only they were armed.

Many people in our country are ignorant about the necessity behind the 2nd Amendment. As an American people, we have gotten sheltered and complacent to possible threat. Wyoming does, and will continue to, lead the country in standing firm behind the protections of the 2nd Amendment. I will continue to uphold this right.