in every law enforcement position I have served, I have voluntarily taken an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States
I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I wasn’t obligated to stand by the 2nd Amendment.
Since 1976 when I joined the U.S. Marine Corps and in every local and state law enforcement position in which I have had the opportunity to serve, I have voluntarily taken an oath to either defend and uphold or to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. In other words, I cannot remember a time in my adult life when I wasn’t obligated to stand by the 2nd Amendment.
The Georgia Sheriff’s Association has taken a position to “aggressively oppose federal or state legislation which infringes upon law abiding citizens’ right to bear arms....” I echo that response and am concerned about state legislators in other states who may not be the strict “Constitutionalist” as I have found myself to be.
Like many great documents that our Country was founded upon, our U.S. Constitution
has stood the test of time in this “great experiment” we know as a representative
democracy. Every time I have the opportunity to teach Constitutional Law as an Adjunct
Professor or as a law enforcement instructor I am amazed at how relevant our founding
fathers work remains in our society. Fortunately, in today’s environment of immediate
gratification, our Criminal Justice System and our government moves slower that we
might sometimes like, as it should.
I have owned firearms since I was old enough to carry a shotgun or rifle and go hunting
with my father or grandfather. It is difficult to fathom living in a country where this basic
right could be infringed upon. Like many things in life, there are a few people who may
not need to own a firearm. But so far, our Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the
Georgia General Assembly have protected our Second Amendment and established
due process procedures when these few may be prohibited from such ownership.
The delegates to our first and second Continental Congress were adamant that a
representative government could only survive and function with an informed citizenry. It
is incumbent upon all of us to remain informed, remain in contact with our
representatives, state and national, and to make our views known. If we do not, if we fail
to vote when we have the opportunity, if we become complacent, then we will likely
become the recipients of changes we may not see coming and may not want.
Thank you for your question and for your interest in my campaign. I look forward to
meeting you soon!