March 5, 2018
Washington, DC
Signatures updated 3/18/18
The recent school shooting in Parkland, FL was a tragedy. 17 students and teachers lost their lives at the hands of a mentally unstable gunman. The bravery and selflessness shown by those who sacrificed their lives to help others to safety is a humbling example of the best of American virtues.
What adds to the tragedy in Parkland was the fact that it could have been prevented. The shooter was known to local Parkland law enforcement, which responded to calls at his house more than thirty times. The Federal Bureau of Investigation failed to forward a chillingly specific tip about the shooter—one in which he self-identified as someone who intended to become “a professional school shooter.” Moreover, the Broward County sheriff’s deputy tasked with protecting the students at Parkland heard the shots but remained outside the school.
Laws and procedures that might have prevented the shooting in Parkland were not followed or enforced, and those charged to “protect and serve” failed. A thorough investigation needs to be conducted to determine what actually happened and why. All of this makes concerted efforts by liberal activists and the media to infringe upon Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens misguided.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the plain text of the Second Amendment, which states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The language of the amendment—confirmed by the Supreme Court in the seminal case of District of Columbia vs Heller—clearly indicates this is a pre-existing individual liberty, one that is referenced in the 1689 English Bill of Rights. The language “shall not be infringed” indicates recognition, not creation. In addition, every state constitution includes language similar to the Second Amendment, most of which have been upheld by state supreme courts.
Taking away the rights of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms will not prevent future tragedies like Parkland. Neither will the creation of massive databases of lawful gun owners.
Evil cannot be regulated. However, measures can be taken to diminish the frequency and scope of mass shootings. As a Florida Teacher of the Year Kelly Guthrie Raley said recently, parents must be more involved in regulating bad behavior. Gun-free school zones should be done away with, and teachers who want to be trained to possess firearms in the classroom should be given the support to do so.
Finally, enforcing existing laws as they relate to addressing troubled individuals might have prevented the Parkland tragedy, and can likely prevent others. When law enforcement fails, as it did in Parkland, there must be accountability.
As conservatives, we affirm our commitment to the Second Amendment and oppose any legislation that would infringe upon the Constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former White House Advisor, President Ronald Reagan |
| Alfred S. Regnery Chairman Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
The Honorable David McIntosh U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Indiana |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan |
The Honorable Jim DeMint Former Member (SC) United States Senate |
| Ed Corrigan Former Executive Director Senate Steering Committee |
Rachel Bovard Former Policy Director Senate Steering Committee |
| Wesley Denton Former Communications Director Senator Jim DeMint (SC) |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
| Cleta Mitchell, Esq. | David Bozell President ForAmerica |
| William L. Walton Chairman CNP Action, Inc. |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
| Sandra S. Froman Treasurer Council for National Policy |
L. Brent Bozell, III Founder & President Media Research Center |
| The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli President Senate Conservatives Fund |
Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
| Ron Robinson President Young America’s Foundation |
Tim Macy Chairman Gun Owners of America |
| The Honorable Morton C. Blackwell Chairman The Weyrich Lunch |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Director Office of Management & Budget President Ronald Reagan, 1985-1988 |
| The Honorable Gary Bauer President American Values |
Rod D. Martin Founder and CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
| Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Jerry Melvin Former Dean Florida House of Representatives |
| Evelio Silvera Campaign for the American Future |
Nicholas Stehle Campaign for the American Future |
| Mitchell Morgan Chief Financial Officer Martin Imaging |
Sean Noble President American Encore |
| Rick Manning President Americans for Limited Government |
Christopher Malagisi Editor in Chief Conservative Book Club |
| James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
| Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse Board Chairman The Institute on Religion and Democracy |
William Mills President Mills Energy |
| Rod Vandenbos CEO Buzzbox Beverages, Inc. |
Mark Fitzgibbons President of Corporate Affairs American Target Advertising |
| The Honorable Penny Pullen Former Assistant Republican Leader Illinois House of Representatives (Ret.) |
Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship |
| Michelle Easton President Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute |
Matt Mackowiak Executive Director Fight for Tomorrow |
| Melvin Adams Former President Renewanation |
Martha Boneta President VCS |
| Richard Wright CEO AAndrews Consulting |
Dr. Virginia Armstrong Nat’l. Court Watch Chrm. National Eagle Forum |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Florida State House Former Member |
The Honorable Terrence Scanlon Retired Chairman and President Capital Research.Org |
| Roxanne Phillips Member, Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
Jeremy Cerone CEO EliteSafe Inc. |
| Joe R. Calvert President Rabon-Calvert Interest |
Mario H. Lopez President Hispanic Leadership Fund |
| Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
| Lee A. Beaman CEO Beaman Automotive Group |
Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| The Honorable Mike Spence Founding President Conservative Republicans of California |
Dr. Everett Piper President Oklahoma Wesleyan University |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
The Honorable Belden Bell CoChair Legacy Society The Heritage Foundation |
| Ralph A. Rebandt, II Lead Pastor/Police Chaplain Oakland Hills Community Church/Michigan Association of Police Chiefs |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| Donna Hearne Chief Executive Officer The Constitutional Coalition |
Norm Singleton President Campaign for Liberty |
| John Tate President America’s Liberty PAC |
The Honorable Michael R. Long State Chairman NYS Conservative Party |
| Craig Shirley Reagan Biographer Presidential Historian |
Star Parker President, CURE Creators Syndicated Columnist |
| Khadine L. Ritter President Eagle Forum of Ohio |
J. Christian Adams President Public Interest Legal Foundation |
| Dean Brode Nelson Chairman Frederick Douglass Foundation |
Richard Falknor Publisher blueridgeforum.com |
| The Honorable Diana Denman President Reagan Legacy Forum |
Dr. Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Washington Bureau Chief Infowars.com |
| Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
Edward Diefenthal President and CEO Woodvine Group, LLC |
| Bob Carlstrom President The Carlstrom Group, LLC |
Susan Carleson Chairman/CEO American Civil Rights Union |
| Frank J. Gaffney President & CEO Center for Security Policy |
Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor None |
| Paul Caprio Director Family Pac Federal |
Tom DeWeese President American Policy Center |
| Alan M. Gotttlieb Executive Vice President Second Amendment Foundation |
Charlie Gerow CEO Quantum Communications |
| Charles Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
Lewis K. Uhler pres NTLC |
| Joe Waldron Legislative Director Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms |
Kevin Freeman Founder NSIC Institute |
| James N. Clymer Former National Chairman, Constitution Party Constitution Party National Committee |
Felix Bronstein Attorney |
| Gene Mills President Louisiana Family Forum |
The Honorable Tom DeLay Former Majority Leader First Principles LLC |
| Mrs. Roy S. (Kayla) Moore President Foundation for Moral Law |
The Honorable Charles J. Cooper Former Assistant Attorney General. Ronald Reagan Administration Cooper& Kirk, PLLC |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
