CapitalGunOwners.org
Founded August 4, 2008
"There seems to us no doubt, on the basis of both text and history, that the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms."
United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, June 26, 2008 District of Columbia et al. v. Dick Anthony Heller
Statement of Principles
Statement of Principles
We believe the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms encompasses a fundamental right that the District of Columbia may not infringe.
We believe that the best means to prevent violence is for citizens to be alert to danger and trained to protect themselves and their loved ones.
We believe that denying citizens the tools necessary for their own defense renders them helpless in the face of those who would prey upon them.
We believe the right person to select the right tool for a citizen’s defense is the citizen himself or herself.
We support and respect the police, but recognize they have no duty to individually protect any citizen.
Our Legislative Agenda
We advocate the following:
1. The District should implement a comprehensive firearm safety program for the public schools.
2. The District should repeal the ban on semi-automatic firearms.
3. The District should amend its rigid trigger lock requirement to merely require that the owner of each firearm registered in the District either have available a trigger lock, safe, or other means of securing firearms when not in use. The decision to unlock and load a firearm should be left to the sound discretion of District residents.
4. The District should implement a non-discriminatory program of granting licenses to carry handguns to persons passing a criminal background check and showing competence in firearm safety and operation. Such competence would be demonstrated by a military or law enforcement background or completion of training from a certified firearms trainer or recognized firearms training institution.
5. The District should follow the trend for states to grant reciprocity with and honor the valid firearm carry permits of all other states.
6. The District should (like the vast majority of states) eliminate any requirement for registration of firearms, In the alternative, the registration process should be simplified and streamlined to require the reporting of firearm ownership by residents and visitors by filing a short and simple form or Internet report in a timely fashion.
7. The District should approve retail firearms establishments without undue restrictions.
8. The District should establish one or more public ranges under the supervision of the Department of Parks and Recreation.
9. The Congress should amend federal law to allow residents of the District to purchase firearms in Maryland and Virginia.
How not to be a victim.
Your chances of being a victim of violent crime, murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault or burglary, in the District in any year are approximately 1.5 percent. It does not take a statistician to conclude that if you live here long enough there is a good chance you will become a victim. In the course of the commission of any violent crime your life and the lives of others could be at risk. Your best means to avoid a violent episode is to be alert and aware of your surroundings and take measures to avoid the assault before it happens. However, if it happens, we believe you should have access to the tools necessary to save your life and the lives of your loved ones. A firearm may be one of those tools.
We believe the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms encompasses a fundamental right that the District of Columbia may not infringe.
We believe that the best means to prevent violence is for citizens to be alert to danger and trained to protect themselves and their loved ones.
We believe that denying citizens the tools necessary for their own defense renders them helpless in the face of those who would prey upon them.
We believe the right person to select the right tool for a citizen’s defense is the citizen himself or herself.
We support and respect the police, but recognize they have no duty to individually protect any citizen.
Our Legislative Agenda
We advocate the following:
1. The District should implement a comprehensive firearm safety program for the public schools.
2. The District should repeal the ban on semi-automatic firearms.
3. The District should amend its rigid trigger lock requirement to merely require that the owner of each firearm registered in the District either have available a trigger lock, safe, or other means of securing firearms when not in use. The decision to unlock and load a firearm should be left to the sound discretion of District residents.
4. The District should implement a non-discriminatory program of granting licenses to carry handguns to persons passing a criminal background check and showing competence in firearm safety and operation. Such competence would be demonstrated by a military or law enforcement background or completion of training from a certified firearms trainer or recognized firearms training institution.
5. The District should follow the trend for states to grant reciprocity with and honor the valid firearm carry permits of all other states.
6. The District should (like the vast majority of states) eliminate any requirement for registration of firearms, In the alternative, the registration process should be simplified and streamlined to require the reporting of firearm ownership by residents and visitors by filing a short and simple form or Internet report in a timely fashion.
7. The District should approve retail firearms establishments without undue restrictions.
8. The District should establish one or more public ranges under the supervision of the Department of Parks and Recreation.
9. The Congress should amend federal law to allow residents of the District to purchase firearms in Maryland and Virginia.
How not to be a victim.
Your chances of being a victim of violent crime, murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault or burglary, in the District in any year are approximately 1.5 percent. It does not take a statistician to conclude that if you live here long enough there is a good chance you will become a victim. In the course of the commission of any violent crime your life and the lives of others could be at risk. Your best means to avoid a violent episode is to be alert and aware of your surroundings and take measures to avoid the assault before it happens. However, if it happens, we believe you should have access to the tools necessary to save your life and the lives of your loved ones. A firearm may be one of those tools.
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