Freedom Matters, Freedom Works
By Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14)
Panel: Will Congress Take Your Guns?
Friday, February 27, 2009

**As Prepared for Delivery**

Thank you for the introduction and thank you for inviting me to be on this panel today.

I believe freedom is the core of all human progress. But without security, no one is truly free. And true prosperity can only be achieved when freedom and security exist together.

I believe that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.

I believe our Constitution is a sacred document and means what it says.

I believe we should be free to speak, assemble, worship, and achieve—free from an intrusive government.

The Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect.

Why? Because without the ability to defend ourselves against those who would do us harm, we cannot protect against those who would take away our other fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, our religious freedoms, and others. And the Second Amendment guarantees each one of us that ability.

But many in Congress—who find other fundamental rights not actually written in the Constitution—seem to want to overlook the plain language and original intent of the Second Amendment.

The Second Amendment was written with a driving core principle in mind. That core principle was freedom.

While freedom has become an oft-used word in politics, it is a dream longed for by hundreds of millions around the world who know only tyranny and oppression.

But in 21st century America, despite all freedom has done to make our country strong and resilient, it is an ideal that is all too-often taken for granted in a country where too many politicians and citizens are too easily surrendering it.

Our forefathers like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Mason and others battled for their freedom in places like Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and Valley Forge. In the end, the crown’s professional soldiers were no match for a people determined to fight and die for the cause of liberty.

The Founders feared a concentration of power in an intrusive national government. Their steadfast belief in freedom as a natural right was the basis of the compact that guaranteed a limited federal government, with powers divided among its branches and the states, and with a guarantee of rights and liberties retained by the people. Among those rights was the right to keep and bear arms which is enumerated in the Second Amendment.

For those who want a basic understanding of what drove the Founders to write the Second Amendment, you need look no further than the writer of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s third president. The right of self-defense—against homegrown tyrants as well as common criminals—was much on the minds of Americans when the Founders wrote the Bill of Rights.

The brilliant patriots who crafted our Constitution and form of government understood the importance of individual rights of their fellow citizens. They fought to ensure that the Bill of Rights would defend life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness against all threats, foreign or domestic.

In the past half-century, we have witnessed a fierce struggle between those who place their faith in government and those who, like us, retain the Founders’ belief of trust in free people and free markets. This debate sharpened greatly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th. And it has accelerated since the financial collapse of last year. More people are more and more willing to give up essential liberties to an ever-more-power-hungry federal government.

This cannot stand.

I believe that at the core of freedom and liberty is a limited government dedicated to maximizing the freedoms and opportunities for the American people. We need a limited government that doesn’t spend too much, doesn’t tax too much, and doesn’t regulate too much. And we need a limited government that respects the precepts of the Constitution.

But there are those in the anti-gun movement who have said that the Second Amendment is archaic and irrelevant in a modern, civilized society. They also say that the right to own a gun is a collective right that applies to the states and not to the people. Well, thank goodness that the Supreme Court got the ruling on the DC gun ban right!

As we all know, in a truly free society, it is up to the people, and not the government, to safeguard freedom.

In this age of terrorism and financial uncertainty, too many Americans seem all too willing to give up their personal freedoms in exchange for government control for what they hope will be a safe and risk-free life. But encroaching on our right to keep and bear arms is unacceptable. As Benjamin Franklin warned us, “they that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety.”

We as conservatives must reaffirm our commitment to the core principles that made our nation great and which should drive the conservative movement today: individual liberty; limited government; a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution; federalism; free-market principles; and, a strong national defense.

As President Reagan said, “freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.”

Those of you who work tirelessly to defend the Second Amendment rights of Americans know what is at stake. We must continue to fight against those who would undermine our liberties and strip Americans of their unique right to bear arms.

As the Father of the Bill of Rights and one of our Nation’s Founders George Mason warned, “To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”

America’s strength, determination, and limitless future exist because freedom works.

Our freedom matters. It must be the hallmark of everything we do. And it is our generation’s obligation to continue to protect our way of life and preserve it for our children and grandchildren.

I look forward to standing with you as we do just that.

Thank you.