Protecting Our Citizens And Their Rights

A Legislative Column by Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C –East Aurora)

I am a staunch defender of the Second Amendment of our United States Constitution and will make protecting the citizens of the 147th Assembly District a priority. I’m a member of the NRA; I’ve had articles published in the Shooter’s Committee on Political Education (SCOPE), and I’m a member of the Safari Club. I’ve aligned myself with organizations that will not allow the rights of New Yorkers to be infringed. This is something I take great pride in, and while I will listen to proposals brought to the Assembly floor, rest assured, I will be a consistent voter for liberty and personal responsibility. This is why I voted ‘No’ on the gun control legislation presented during the opening days of session.

Personal responsibility is not only a core tenet of my own ideology, but also a major pillar of the Assembly Minority. We cannot continue to cede responsibility to the government for the promise of safety. We must continue to safeguard our rights with the vigilance a free nation requires. To increase the role of government is to limit the freedom we enjoy every single day as Americans.

The Second Amendment exists to defend the rest of the Bill of Rights and our cherished Constitution. When you disarm law-abiding citizens, firearms only remain in the hands of criminals. We have seen how strict gun regulation has failed the people of Chicago. Through December 9, 2012, there were 487 murders in the city of Chicago. Virtually all of them were committed with guns.

In his recent State of the State address, Governor Cuomo discussed some of the most anti-Second Amendment proposals in the nation. The governor has used the emotions following the Sandy Hook and Webster tragedies to eat away at a fundamental right. I don’t believe in capitalizing on a tragedy, and I surely don’t believe in stripping the rights of all honest citizens based on the actions of a few evil men.

During my time in Albany, I want to assure everyone in the 147th District, and the rest of New York, that I will not vote to limit or restrict your Second Amendment rights. Part of the oath of office I took was to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and I believe that in order to fulfill that role I will vote to uphold the Second Amendment.