South Dakotans Way of Life
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
Washington, D.C. has a tendency of making life more complicated for the average South Dakotan. For years – decades, even – modern politicians have claimed to “know better” than the rest of us. I saw this firsthand this week when House Democrats, led by Speaker Pelosi, put forth two bills to restrict our Constitutional right to bear arms.
I’m a proud gun owner and I take my ownership seriously. I also take seriously my responsibility to teach my three sons how to safely use firearms. What I don’t need, and what South Dakotans surely do not need, is the federal government placing more restrictions on our way of life.
These two bills, both of which I voted against, would heavily curb law-abiding citizens’ access to firearms. For example, H.R.1112 would create unnecessary bureaucratic delay by extending the background check determination window from three days to ten. To add icing to the bureaucratic cake, H.R.8 would criminalize almost all gun transfers between private individuals, including some family members. Imagine that. Transferring a family heirloom to a cousin could wind you up in jail.
I support safeguards when they make sense – when they protect the general welfare of society and when government action can prevent bad actors from taking advantage of the system. But what I can’t get behind are regulations that infringe upon rights specifically guaranteed to American citizens in the U.S. Constitution. I also can’t support legislation that inherently contradicts our South Dakotan way of life.
South Dakota is boldly leading the way in protecting the Second Amendment. In fact, the first bill Governor Noem signed into law legalized Constitutional Carry throughout the state. South Dakota now joins 14 states who do not require a permit to conceal carry, and instead gives the individual the option to obtain a permit if they choose.
Washington should protect the rights of law-abiding citizens, not those who come to our country illegally. I was proud to cast my vote in support of an amendment which would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be notified when illegal immigrants try to purchase a firearm through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This amendment passed in the U.S. House, even though 208 Democrats voted against this common-sense change.
It’s true that our country’s Founding Fathers never predicted we would live in an age of instant information access, space exploration and Snapchat, but they did know that the foundation they wrote in the U.S. Constitution would be the basis for everything that was to come after. It is their wisdom, their guidance and their desire to protect our nation from tyranny that continues to deserve unwavering support today. I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the Constitution over the last few weeks, and the Founders were clear: “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” It’s time Congress remembers this principle.
We could have done so much better.