Libertarians support the right to keep and bear arms. The more citizens who have the opportunity to own a firearm, the safer we all are. Over the past decade, crime rates have been falling. Even so, tens of millions of Americans (one of every four households) are victimized by criminals each year. That's too many victims.

It is generally agreed that Americans use firearms approximately 2.5 million times a year to stop crime. In most cases this happens without a single shot being fired. Firearm ownership works. Law-abiding citizens in Florida, for example, have been able to carry concealed weapons since 1987. During that time, the murder rate in Florida declined more than 20% faster than the national average.

Rather than gun control or so-called "sensible gun laws", Libertarians support swift and certain justice for those guilty of committing crimes of violence, theft, or fraud against others. Unfortunately, police spend billions of dollars a year to arrest people for victimless crimes like drug use or gambling. As a result, our prisons are filled beyond their capacity, often forcing the early release of violent felons back into our communities. Police resources should be redirected to focus on criminals who prey on innocent Americans, and not on those people who commit "crimes" that harm no one but themselves.

• Organizations Defending Second Amendment Rights
• RSMo Chapter 563 - "Defense of Justification"
• RSMo Chapter 571 - "Weapons Offenses"
• RSMo Chapter 44 - "Civil Defense"
• Lookup your Federal and State Elected Officials
• House Bill List 2008
• Senate Bill List 2008 -also by- Topical Index