Explore Candidates President Sarah Palin on Gun Control

Sarah Palin on Gun Control

Sarah Palin's running mate is John McCain
The right to bear arms is part of the United States Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Exactly what this right means today is a debate that all the candidates have weighed in on from many different perspectives. This topic includes information about candidate positions on: restricting access to firearms, the assault rifles ban, and background checks on gun purchasers.
Sarah Palin strongly opposes restrictions on access to firearms

In February of this year, she [Palin] signed Alaska on to a multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. The brief reads, in part: "The Framers were understandably wary of standing armies and the powers of a potentially oppressive government ... The introductory clause [of the Second Amendment], properly understood, confirms the primary benefit of the operational clause -- a citizenry capable of defending its rights by force, when all other means have failed, against any future oppression."

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"I am a lifetime member of the NRA, I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth."

Campaign website, www.palinforgovernor.com,

"Governor Sarah Palin announced the State of Alaska will join the multi-state amicus brief authored by the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment right of individual Americans to bear arms. The Texas amicus brief in the case Washington, D.C. v. Heller will be filed by February 11, 2008. Governor Palin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, has long been a champion of the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth. "I am proud to join the State of Texas in support of the Second Amendment," Governor Palin said. "We need to send a strong message that law-abiding citizens have a right to own firearms, for personal protection, for hunting and for any other lawful purpose."

Governor's office press release,

Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision upholding the right of Americans to own guns for self-defense, hunting and other purposes. The high court's 5-4 ruling in District of Columbia vs. Heller affirmed gun rights by striking down the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. "This decision is a victory for all Alaskans and individual Americans. The right to own guns and use them responsibly is something I and many other Alaskans cherish," Governor Palin said. "I applaud the Court for standing up for the Constitution and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms."

Governor's office press release,

"You start putting more and more laws on guns and you take away a second amendment right, it's going to be the bad guys that have the guns, not those that are law abiding citizens."

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Sarah Palin strongly opposes a ban on assault weapons

"Q: 70% of this country supports a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons. Do you? A: I do not…"

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