Question:
I would like to know your view on gun control and our right to bear arms. How would you vote if our rights were about to be taken away? -- Theresa

Patricia's Answer:
Theresa, I am so thankful you asked me this question because it is one I have been asked quite a bit recently. I want to let you know that I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. As your Congresswoman, I would side with those who want to ensure our liberty and that includes the right to bear arms, and I would oppose legislation that would take that right away.

It is worth noting that my position on the 2nd Amendment has strengthened in the years since I was a member of the Kansas Legislature. In fact, one question I have been asked directly is to explain my vote against Concealed Carry in 2004, when I was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Though always a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, at the time of the 2004 vote, I had not fully thought through the specific issue of Concealed Carry. It was an extremely controversial issue within Johnson County , with a majority of Johnson County representatives voting no. Also, at the time, I had taken a constituent survey in which 85% of those responding were against it. It was a difficult vote for me, and in the end, I voted no.

Since that time, upon further research and consideration of the issue, I have come to the belief that the rights under the 2nd Amendment fundamentally include the right to defend oneself, and that must include concealed carry. In fact, 48 states provide citizens the ability to carry concealed weapons, with 39 of those being "shall issue" states, giving citizens the explicit right to carry and not leaving the decision to the discretion of local officials. Furthermore, studies have shown that concealed carry laws actually help reduce crime.

In addition to looking at this issue from a practical standpoint in giving individuals, particularly women, the right to defend themselves, I also reviewed it from a philosophical view as well. The core principle underlying the Constitution is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The reason the 2nd Amendment exists is to give law-abiding people the ability ensure those rights are not infringed.

In essence, a combination of philosophical consideration and fact-based research has persuaded me to a different conclusion than my vote in 2004. In 2006, over the Governor's veto, Concealed Carry passed in Kansas . I enthusiastically support that law and would be a vote in favor of Concealed Carry if I were still in the legislature.

Currently, Second Amendment rights are under assault by this Congress and the Obama Administration. The only choice we have is to fight by working hard to unseat those who remain deeply opposed to Concealed Carry and other rights under the Second Amendment. I have made it a key tenant of my campaign that we must protect our Constitution from those who seek to undermine it, and that includes the 2nd Amendment. If I am elected to Congress, gun owners and Second Amendment supporters will have an ally in upholding the right to bear arms.

Thank you.

Patricia Lightner