Hoffman will protect our right to own guns

Twenty-seven words placed second in order and passed by Congress, Sept. 25, 1789, and ratified by the states two years later on Dec. 15, 1791, Amendment II of our Constitution is titled "Right to Bear Arms." It reads, "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."

The Second Amendment, although guaranteeing individual freedom against infringement by state and local governments, has never been applied specifically to the states. Thus, the Second Amendment has been interpreted to mean only the national government cannot take my gun.

This was modified with the passage of the 14th Amendment in 1868, which said, "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdictions equal protection of the laws."

I am not a constitutional scholar or lawyer, but I believe if the great state of New York tried to grab guns from its citizens, the 14th Amendment to our U.S Constitution would preclude them from doing so.

Our present Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling said Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting. Surely this ruling along with the 14th Amendment sends a message to any New York state lawmaker that trespassing on our Second Amendment will not stand.

Guns inside one's home should not be regulated if they're used for self-defense or hunting. Guns outside the home, of course, fall into a different category.

Hunters, the way to remain secure in the knowledge your guns are safe is to elect Doug Hoffman for your representative in the 23rd Congressional District. Mr. Hoffman is cut from the same cloth as those five Supreme Court justices, neither or any are gun-grabbers.

Joe Stark

Norfolk