"Your freedom to worship doesn't vary from state to state, your freedom to speak freely doesn't vary from state to state, your freedom to be free of unreasonable search and seizure is universal -- so why not gun rights?"
By Jim Brown
The Libertarian Party is urging voters to hold 39 senators accountable at the ballot box for voting yesterday against their gun rights.
Yesterday the Senate fell two votes short of the 60 needed to pass an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that would have allowed people with concealed carry permits in their states to carry guns in all other states that have concealed carry laws. Fifty-eight senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), supported the amendment; 39 voted against, including Republicans Dick Lugar (Indiana) and George Voinovich (Ohio). (See roll call vote)
Donny Ferguson, communications director for the Libertarian National Committee, says he is troubled that 39 senators believe Americans' constitutional rights end at the state line.
"It's very simple -- and especially since the people often targeted by criminals are truckers and travelers, it just seems like it would be common sense for states to honor one another's concealed carry permits."
Ferguson predicts voters will throw politicians out of office for voting against their gun rights. He points out that Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania lost his Senate reelection bid in 1994 because of his support for the assault weapons ban.
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