"For the coming elections, I am helping Gun Violence Prevention Arizona prepare a Candidate Report Card to inform voters about candidates’ views on public safety issues related to gun violence prevention. The responses you provide to the statements below will provide the basis for the Gun Violence Prevention Arizona Candidate Report Card, which will be distributed to Southern Arizona voters before the election to help inform them about the views of the candidates."
Meg,
Thanks for the opportunity to share my views on this important topic. In order to answer properly in agree or disagree terms, I have some clarifying questions. All my responses are in blue.
1/ Background checks should be required for all firearm sales and transfers.
My Answer: Required by whom?
Question: Universal background checks are needed to close the private sale loophole and reduce the potential for guns being sold to, or bought from, prohibited possessors. Exceptions to be included for immediate family and temporary transfers such as for hunting, target shooting, etc.
My Answer: Who gets to decide what the exceptions are?
_________AGREE _____X__DISAGREE
2/ Federal Concealed Carry Reciprocity (CCR) should not be enacted.
At the federal level, CCR overrides the sovereignty of a state to determine how to regulate the requirements needed to be able to carry a concealed weapon, allowing even those who do not need a permit in their own state to carry their concealed weapons in states with stringent permit requirements. This presents a clear threat to public safety and to law enforcement and should not be enacted.
My Answer: How does a state determine if someone is carrying concealed? If they are using law enforcement officers to violate people with searches, that creates a greater threat to public safety and law enforcement. States don't have rights, only individuals. So if the effect of the federal law is to prevent states from doing violence against individuals, then I support it and can check disagree.
________AGREE ______X_DISAGREE
3/ Gun trafficking and straw purchases should be federal crimes.
A national standard needs to be applied to the definition, prosecution and enforcement of gun trafficking and straw purchases whereby criminals gain access to firearms. The agencies responsible for upholding this law must have the funding and authority needed.
My Answer: No victim, no crime. When government agents enforce victimless crime laws, they are the criminals.
_________AGREE ___X____DISAGREE
4/ Research on gun violence should be restored and funded.
Firearm deaths and injuries are a public health crisis. The Center for Disease Control should be empowered and fully funded to conduct research into the causes of gun violence that can lead to effective public policies to deal with this crisis.
My Answer: I'm all for research on this serious issue in proportion to the threat, but that doesn't allow me to steal from other people and taxation is theft, I won't advocate for stealing from people to support research that I might like to see happen. So with the assumption that you don't want to steal from people and would fund the CDC research through voluntary means, I can check agree.
____X_____AGREE _______DISAGREE
Your direct response will most accurately reflect your current position on these issues. If we do not hear from you, we will use other sources such as statements made in public forums, in policy statements, on candidate websites or other media formats, as well as incumbents’ voting records and bill sponsorship.
My Answer: Part of the problem with gun violence is that most of it is done in the name of government, but most people want to use more government violence violate individual rights. I say this as someone who was trained in gun violence by government as a United States Marine who has since renounced all government violence. I wish that people who care deeply about gun violence would join me and fellow Libertarians in consistently opposing all government violence so that we can create a more peaceful and harmonious world.
Peace and love,
Adam Kokesh
KokeshForSenate.com