CR Gazette – By The Gazette Editorial Board –
Ideas for amending Iowa’s constitution are piling up at the Statehouse.
The latest would add gun rights to the document. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution already guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms, but supporters of a state amendment say it’s not enough.
For one thing, they contend, our nation’s founders didn’t go far enough. The state proposal, HJR 2005, says Iowans have the right to “acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms to defend life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes is fundamental and shall not be infringed upon or denied.” It also prohibits any licensing or registration of firearms.
We think the measure is unnecessary. The Second Amendment is an adequate safeguard of individual liberty, and there is no need for a long and costly state process to one up the U.S. Constitution.
And although we support gun rights, we also believe that Iowans should have the ability to propose, discuss and enact common-sense limits on the possession and use of firearms. The broad nature of the state amendment proposal clearly seeks to end that discussion, toss out decades of reasonable regulation and erase the ability of citizens to ask elected leaders for even modest safeguards. It’s an unjustified overreach that should not move forward.
what in the name of god do iowans need to have gun rights for? did i wake up and all of a sudden iowa is at war with minnesota or wisconsin? short of that, there is no f***ing need for anyone but the law enforcement to have guns.
So, are you personally going to disarm all the criminals?
Your thinking is about as flawed as it can get. When you disarm the legal citizens you leave them deffenceless against the criminals. An do not think that law enforcement can be everywhere at once. Shrinking budgets and growing crime rates have seen to that.
I’m affraid you are living in a dream world.
I believe this is one time where the state does have to step in and take control. When so many local ordinances exist, citizens with no criminal intent are placed in jeopardy of running afoul of restrictions they don’t even know exist. If charged with a violation of an obscure local ordinance, the honest gun owner faces, at the very least, great expense and devotion of time to clearing his or her good name in court, and retrieving any firearms and other property possibly confiscated by law enforcement officials.
This is a very critical piece of legislation and will help keep a law-abiding citizen, from becoming a criminal just because we have crossed over some imaginary line.
If you support this, contact the members of the House Public Safety Committee and or your state legislator and ask them to support HF 2114 as well.
I believe the password was put on to keep the Spam out. If so that is a good reason to have it. Unfortunate, but good.
our rights are being chalanged by the third rite party, not by Americans, just like the pasword that has to be placed on here to speak what is on one’s mind
I agree. This is a necessary law. It’s to bad that this is what is needed to support a law already on the books, but that is current politic’s.
It is needed because of a few who seek to bypass new law. Some towns, cities and counties wish to pass ordanances which are more restrictive then the current law. Thus the need to add more to it to prevent this curtailment of gun rights.
The shall issue law was passed, it prevents sheriff’s and local governments adding restrictions for citizens that can legally own and carry a weapon.
It’s always a shame when more law has to be passed to protect what already exits. And as was stated, it boils down to common sense which no longer exists today. So more laws are passed.
I do see the need for this legislation to protect gun rights in Iowa.