Gun control is a very divisive issue in California. The US Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, but it does not prohibit reasonable regulation of that right. Different parts of the state, and of the country, have different situations regarding firearms. Families in farm country, far from a local sheriff’s office, need to protect themselves. For city-dwellers, however, publicly carrying a firearm might present a greater risk of harm. Should we defer to rules set by counties and cities rather than state-wide approaches? Should there be national minimum standards? The orthodox Republican view objects to virtually any curbs on gun ownership; the orthodox Democratic view requires a legislator to support virtually any restriction on gun ownership or use.

The above are statements on several public policy issues drafted by Tom Campbell, former US Congressman, former California State Senator, former Director of Finance for California, and currently Interim Chairman of the Common Sense Party. They are meant to initiate consideration of several important issues; they are not the official views of the Common Sense Party. Please feel free to submit your own thoughts on these issues on the Open Policy Discussion Page.