GALES FERRY – Today Sean Sullivan, the Republican Party’s Second Congressional District candidate, said the Supreme Court’s District of Columbia v. Heller decision, which struck down the handgun ban that has been in effect in the nation’s capital, was “a victory for the Constitution and the people of the United States.”

 

Sullivan said, “The majority of the Court eloquently explained that the Constitution protects the right of the people ‘to posses a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self defense within the home.’ The Second Amendment clearly protects the right of an individual to own a firearm, regardless of his or her relationship with the military. This is the first case to directly address that issue, which some have called an ambiguity. The Court got it right.”

 

Sullivan said, “The wording of the Second Amendment makes it clear that the right to keep arms is a right that precedes the Constitution. The right is not granted by government; it is protected by government. Too often we look to Washington to grant us rights or deliver ‘the goods’ whatever they may be. The Declaration of Independence reminds us that we ‘are endowed by our Creator’ with certain rights and ‘governments are instituted’ to protect them. With the Fourth of July less than two weeks away, this case is a timely reminder of the proper role of government, and of the need for the people to ensure it does not overextend itself and overplay its role.”