By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Alabama State Senators Arthur Orr, Paul Sanford, Bill Holtzclaw, and Clay Scofield spoke to over fifteen hundred Second Amendment supporters gathered at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville on Sunday to declare their support for Second Amendment rights. The rally was held by the South Huntsville Citizens Association.
Alabama State Senator Paul Sanford (R) from Huntsville said that he was there, “To defend my radical belief that we should have the right to keep and bear arms.”
State Senator Clay Scofield (R) from Arab said, “Oftentimes we get lost in the words of the Constitution. It is important to note the period and the time. The people who wrote this (the Founding Fathers) knew what it was like to live under tyranny. They knew what it was like to live under King George and an oppressive Parliament.”
State Sen. Bill Holtzclaw (R) from Madison said that current Alabama Law is very cumbersome and difficult to understand. “I am not a lawyer. I am a retired Marine. The confusion is what we have to address.” Holtzclaw said that Senate Bill 129 takes an omnibus approach to resolving the confusion in Alabama guns law. Holtzclaw praised the work that Alabama State Senator Scott Beason had done on SB 129. Holtzclaw said, “Beason is the expert. He is very studious.” Holtzclaw said, “Current law puts law enforcement and individuals in conflict. Holtzclaw said SB 129 removes the confusion.
Addressing the concerns of the crowd on gun confiscation Sen. Arthur Orr (R) from Decatur said, “I am every confident that our Alabama legislature will not go down that road at all. We will do everything in our power to prevent that (gun confiscation) from happening.”
Sanford reminded the crowd that the Revolutionary War began in Lexington Massachusetts when 800 redcoats on a mission to raid and destroy stored weapons were met by just 75 members of the local militia.
Scofield said there is a reason why the Second Amendment is the number two amendment in the bill of rights. It backs up the First Amendment and all the others.
Sanford said, “The true debate is over the primacy of the individual or the primacy of the government
government and liberty are natural adversaries. The founders understood that.” Sanford said that they crafted a Constitution and a bill of rights to protect the rights of the individual. “The rights they intended to protect were written in the Declaration of Independence.” “Government does not grant rights. Governments are instituted by man. The Constitution is written as a limit on the power of the government.”
Orr said that several years ago the state of Florida passed a law saying that a doctor can not ask about whether a patient can have guns in the home. That was overturned in federal courts and is now before the Supreme Court. The chance of passing a similar law in this session is high. Orr said that patients have the right to refuse to answer any doctor’s questions about guns. If the patient refused the doctor could still refuse to treat them.
Sanford said that there is no difference between the suppression of gun rights and the suppression of free speech rights. Sanford said, “We fail to learn from the lessons of history.” Sanford warned that Joe Biden has been quoted saying, ‘Banning guns is a time which has come.” Sanford asked the attendees to read the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the bill of rights.
Holtzclaw said, “Some states require that you go through ten, twenty, thirty hours of firearms training to get a concealed carry permit. I don’t support that because it would be another hindrance.” Holtzclaw added, “If you carry a weapon for concealed carry for protection and you haven’t fired that weapon in six months you are kidding yourself. You need to go to the range and fire that weapon.” Holtzclaw who is also a certified firearms instructor said that you should train in the environment that you are likely to use that weapon. I go to the range in a suit because that is how I will be carrying in actual life, not in jeans or sweat pants. “Shooting is muscle memory like bowling or tennis.”
Scofield said, “We are representing you. It is our job to make sure this (the Constitution) is upheld.”
