Condoleezza Rice on Gun Control Secretary of State

Right to bear arms comes from fear of the government

Eventually Daddy & the men of the neighborhood formed a watch. They would take shifts at the head of the entrances to our streets. Occasionally they would fire a gun into the air to scare off intruders, but they never actually shot anyone.

Because of this experience, I'm a fierce defender of the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms. Had my father and his neighbors registered their weapons, Bull Connor surely would have confiscated them or worse. The Constitution speaks of the right to a well-regulated militia. The inspiration for this was the Founding Fathers' fear of the government. They insisted that citizens have the right, if necessary, to resist the authorities themselves. What better example of responsible gun ownership is there than what the men of my neighborhood did in response to the KKK and Bull Connor?

Developed opposition to gun control due to KKK

Armed with a shotgun, her father joined the other men of the black community in night patrols to keep the KKK out of the neighborhood. It was in the crucible of that experience that Condoleezza developed her opposition to gun control and came to value what she sees as the Second Amendment guarantee of the ”right to bear arms.“

I am a Second Amendment absolutist

My father and his friends defended our community in 1962 and 1963 against white nightriders sitting there armed. And so I’m very concerned about any abridgement of the Second Amendment.

I am a Second Amendment absolutist.