Political Quotes

“I always try to apply a personal ``Three C'' test to questions of public policy. First I ask myself whether it's constitutional. Then I consider whether it's something my constituents want. Finally, I examine my own conscience. The District of Columbia Personal Protection Act passes that test with flying colors. What's more, the existing policy of denying basic second amendment rights to the people of the District of Columbia not only fails the ``Three C'' test, it also is offensive to the very principles on which our nation was founded. The second amendment clearly states that ``the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.'' It does not say the right to keep and bear arms applies only to people who live within the jurisdiction of a State. It does not say the right to keep and bear arms is subject to the wrong-headed whims of social engineers. And it does not say the right to keep and bear arms may be infringed in misguided response to violent crime. The second amendment was designed to empower the people--the source of American sovereignty--to protect themselves, their families, and their homes. Instead, unreasonable restrictions and outright prohibitions on firearms in the District of Columbia have emboldened criminals to prey on innocent and unarmed citizens. The result is that America's Capital City has been consistently and needlessly turned into America's Murder Capital.”