Right To Bear Arms Uninfringed
Bottom Line Up Front: “uninfringed” is our standard. While critics fear that means chaos, we believe an armed, educated populace is a safer populace. Data from other states with fewer restrictions shows no spike in crime; often, violent crime is lower because predators hesitate when citizens might be armed. We trust Coloradans to exercise their rights responsibly. For those who abuse guns to harm others, we have laws to punish them – and we fully enforce those. But we will not treat the constitutional right of the many as suspect due to the misdeeds of a few. The right to bear arms is a guardian of all other rights. By restoring it in Colorado, we ensure our people retain the ultimate check on tyranny and the means to protect life and property. Criminals and authoritarians beware: in Colorado, we intend that the Second Amendment stands strong.
a. Constitutional Command: The Second Amendment guarantees “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” We stand for a robust interpretation: law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms without undue hindrance, both for self-defense and as a safeguard of liberty. The Founders, fresh from a war where citizen militias secured freedom, enshrined this right so that individuals could protect themselves, their families, and their communities – and ultimately deter tyranny. Biblical perspective: Jesus advised His disciples, “he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one” (Luke 22:36), acknowledging self-defense as legitimate. While swords have been replaced by firearms, the principle stands. We believe a well-armed populace is a free and safe populace. Criminals or tyrants are less likely to prey on a community that can defend itself. We commit to rolling back laws that infringe on the Second Amendment and opposing any new restrictions that violate its original meaning.
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b. Colorado’s Current Situation: In recent years, Colorado has passed several gun control measures: 2013 saw a ban on magazines over 15 rounds and universal background checks; 2019 introduced a “red flag” Extreme Risk Protection Order law; 2021 and 2023 added further restrictions (waiting periods, raising purchase age to 21, expanding red flag petitioners, ghost gun ban, liability for gun industry). We believe many of these infringe on the right to bear arms as understood by the Framers and reaffirmed by Supreme Court decisions (Heller 2008, McDonald 2010, and Bruen 2022). The Bruen ruling in particular set a new test – gun regulations must be consistent with historical tradition of firearm regulation. We will review Colorado’s laws under that lens.
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c. Our Plan:
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1. Magazine Capacity and Firearm Bans: We will seek repeal of the 2013 magazine limit. Standard magazines (often 17 rounds for a 9mm pistol, 30 for AR-15) are common and their ban hasn’t demonstrated effectiveness in reducing crime. Criminals can still obtain or bring from out of state; meanwhile, law-abiding citizens are put at disadvantage (e.g., a homeowner facing multiple intruders shouldn’t have to reload frequently). We trust citizens with the same standard arms police use to protect us. Likewise, we oppose any “assault weapons” ban – both on constitutional grounds and practical grounds. Millions of semi-automatic rifles are owned by Americans for lawful purposes; banning them or requiring registration is an infringement and likely unenforceable without turning peaceable people into felons. We will veto any such ban and work to undo local ordinances that attempt it (ensuring state preemption of gun laws so rights don’t vanish when crossing city lines).
2. Permitless Carry (Constitutional Carry): We support allowing law-abiding adults to carry a handgun, openly or concealed, without requiring a government permit. This is often called Constitutional Carry, now law in ~25 states. Colorado currently requires a permit for concealed carry. While we encourage training, we don’t believe a right should require a paid permission slip. We will push legislation to allow permitless concealed carry for those 21+ who are not prohibited possessors. Permits would remain available for reciprocity with other states. This policy simply lets honest citizens exercise their self-defense right more freely, while criminals who carry illegally will do so regardless.
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3. Red Flag Law Reform/Repeal: Colorado’s red flag ERPO law allows seizure of firearms from individuals deemed a risk, via ex parte orders by a judge. While we all want to prevent violence, this law raises due process concerns – guns can be taken before the person gets a hearing, and “significant risk” may be broadly interpreted. It also can discourage people from seeking mental help for fear of losing rights. We would prefer focusing on criminal behavior and mental health treatment rather than preemptive confiscation. We will seek to repeal the red flag law. If the legislature won’t fully repeal, we will at least amend it: require a higher burden of proof (clear and convincing evidence), ensure appointed counsel for the respondent, impose penalties for false or malicious petitions, and limit who can petition (perhaps only law enforcement, not extended acquaintances). We’d also shift focus to enforcing existing laws against threats or domestic violence which already allow disarming individuals after proper adjudication.
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4. Waiting Period & Purchase Age: Recently a 3-day waiting period law passed; also purchase age was raised to 21 for all firearms. We oppose both. Waiting periods assume everyone is on verge of impulsive violence or suicide – in fact, denying an adult their defense tool for arbitrary days could cost lives if they’re under immediate threat. We’ll repeal the mandatory waiting period. Similarly, we believe legal adulthood (18) should confer full Second Amendment rights. If 18year-olds can vote and serve in the military, they should be able to buy a hunting rifle or a home-defense shotgun. We will work to lower the age back to 18 for long guns (federal law is 18) and ideally handguns too for private sales (federal dealers can’t sell handguns to under 21, but states can allow 18-20 via private transfers – something to explore). Many young adults, especially single women in rough neighborhoods or ranchers’ kids in rural areas, deserve protection. We’d accompany this with firearm safety education encouragement in high schools (perhaps optional training classes).
5. Gun-Free Zones and Preemption: We will examine state properties or laws that create defenseless victim zones. For instance, state colleges often ban concealed carry despite permittees. We support allowing licensed carry on campuses – responsible adults shouldn’t be disarmed (as some tragedies have shown, armed citizens can stop shooters). Also, we want to strengthen state preemption law to stop counties or cities from enacting patchwork gun control that confuses citizens. In 2021 Colorado weakened preemption allowing local gun regs; Boulder County and others passed local bans and carry restrictions, currently challenged in courts. We would restore uniformity – gun rights shouldn’t depend on your zip code.
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6. Education and Safety Initiatives: Promoting the right to bear arms also means promoting safe and responsible gun ownership. We will bolster voluntary firearm safety training and youth programs like hunter education, 4-H shooting sports, etc. We’ll partner with gun ranges and stores on giveaways of gun locks, and support outreach by groups like Kids S.A.F.E. to teach children not to touch guns unsupervised. Additionally, to address misuse, we’ll focus on tough enforcement against actual criminals – e.g., enhance penalties for felons caught with guns, and target straw purchasers (someone illegally buying for someone else) rather than broad restrictions on everyone. We’ll also invest in mental health crisis resources that respect rights (so troubled individuals get help rather than letting it escalate to violence).
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7. Cultural Re-framing: We want to remove the stigma some place on gun owners. Owning a firearm is a constitutional and often wise choice for personal security. We will highlight defensive gun use stories (which happen far more often than criminal uses, though less reported). Our administration might even host a “Second Amendment Heritage Day” to celebrate the positive role of firearms in American and Colorado history (from frontier survival to civil rights activists like the Deacons for Defense who protected their communities). By normalizing safe gun ownership, we strengthen community trust and safety.