Governor's Column - July 13, 2007
by Governor Matt Blunt
Strengthening Missourians Second Amendment Rights
Americans maintain a deep reverence for the freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. My administration has a proud record of supporting those freedoms for law-abiding Missourians. We understand that our Constitution and Bill of Rights were created to limit the powers of government, not the rights of the people, and that the Second Amendment is no less important than the First, Fifth, or Fourteenth.
In April, I was pleased to sign Senate Bill 257 ensuring that law-abiding Missourians would maintain their Second Amendment freedom to possess firearms in natural disasters, the very time when they may need firearms most.
This month I was pleased to approve another one of my legislative priorities as I signed Senate Bill 62, Missouri's Castle Doctrine. This legislation is an extension of our Second Amendment rights and ensures that law-abiding Missourians will not be punished when they use force to defend themselves and their loved ones from attack.
Missourians are now assured of their freedom to defend their own home from attack. This legislation affirmatively states that a Missouri homeowner does not have a duty to retreat from a criminal who has broken into his or her home. If the homeowner must, he or she may use force in self-defense without worrying about ridiculous criminal or civil liability because they chose to defend themselves and their families.
With the combination of Senate Bills 62 and 257, Missourians can be certain that they will have access to self-defense when they need it the most. When faced with looters and hooligans after a natural disaster, our state government will not seize their firearms. And when faced with a violent criminal in their own home, our state government will not subject them to unfair criminal or civil prosecution.
No one ever wants to be put in a situation where a firearm is necessary for self-defense. Unfortunately, there are circumstances where Missourians are faced with dangerous situations where they must protect themselves. Moreover, criminals will now know that in Missouri our people have the right to defend themselves. The Second Amendment guarantees the freedom and right of law-abiding Missourians to own firearms, and I was pleased to sign legislation that clarifies our state's willingness to clearly annunciate that freedom.