The Free Press editorialized Wednesday -- "Your taxes at work for
the NRA (and Cox)" -- against my filing of a legal brief with the U.S.
Supreme Court that supports the National Rifle Association's challenge
of a Chicago ordinance banning the possession of most handguns.
My
support for this challenge to the Chicago gun ban is rooted in
Michigan's own Constitution, which states: "Every person has a right to
keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state."
My
defense of this constitutional principle is longstanding. In 2007, I
filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in opposition to the
District of Columbia's drastic ban on guns, arguing that the Second
Amendment's right "to keep and bear arms" is an individual right. The
Supreme Court agreed with that position and overturned the D.C. ban in
its Heller decision.
The
Free Press failed to mention that 34 attorneys general signed on to the
NRA's challenge of Chicago's strict gun ban, including both Democrats
and Republicans. This isn't about politics; it's about standing up for
principle.
It may
come as news to the Free Press, but this office files amicus briefs all
the time to protect the rights of the state and its citizens. For
example, this office has filed amicus briefs in support of the Big
Three auto industry and tougher standards to protect the Great Lakes.
In
my own experience of more than 13 years as a homicide prosecutor and
head of the homicide unit of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, I
never saw anyone charged with murder who had a license to legally carry
a concealed weapon. Most people who want to possess guns are
law-abiding and present no threat to others. Rather than the
availability of weapons, my experience is that gun violence is driven
by culture, police presence, or the lack of same, and failures in the
supervision of parolees and probationers.
Since
becoming attorney general, I have worked to ensure that the rights of
Michigan citizens to defend themselves are protected. For example, I
have expanded the number of states that recognize Michigan CCW permits
from eight states to 35 states. And I'll continue to take action when
constitutional principles are threatened.
I make no apologies for my support of the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
Mike Cox
Michigan Attorney General, Lansing
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