Duncan stumps for 2nd Amendment in Seneca

A large crowd packed Southern Firearms and Saddle on Ram Cat Alley in downtown Seneca Friday afternoon to tell Third District Congressman Jeff Duncan their thoughts on the Second Amendment.  The stop was part of the Congressman’s listening tour of constituents’ concerns on the right to bear arms.  “We are seeing an assault on our Second Amendment rights, where it is the threat of executive orders or the threat of legislation passing in Congress; we have got to be unified to push back against the Federal Government’s intrusion into those rights.” Congressman Duncan feels some politicians have blurred the Second Amendment issue. “Contrary to the Governor of New York, the Second Amendment is not just about hunting and sport shooting; it ultimately is about our right to defend our liberties, our freedoms and our government or from our government.” The congressman shared his strict interpretation of the Second Amendment. “I believe in a strict interpretation of the Second Amendment, that we have the right to keep and bear and arms and that shall not be infringed.” More conversation needs to be held about issues linked to the Second Amendment, added Congressman Duncan. “I am willing to have a conversation, which I think we ought to have about mental health and I don’t want us as a nation to confuse the mental health issue and make it a gun issue.  It is not a gun issue; it is a mental health issue.” The congressman also feels need more discussion needs to be held on background checks. “I think it is fair in Washington, D.C. to talk about background checks, what we are doing or not doing.” Congressman Duncan promotes responsible gun ownership to his constituents and to his family. “I as a father of three sons, who enjoy the sporting activities of hunting and I as a parent train my children about firearms, firearm safety, knowing your target, knowing what is beyond your target, and knowing the finality of death by a firearm, because we hunt and we talk about when we harvest an animal the finality of that because it is different from playing a video game and you get another life, right after that, it is different.  Taking responsibility for operating that firearm is something I stress to my sons.” The congressman made five stops on his listening tour across the Third District on Friday.  He started in Greenville, and then went to Walhalla, Seneca and Anderson, finally concluding in Greenwood.  If you were unable to meet with Congressman Duncan, he invites residents of the Third District to write him a letter or send him an e-mail with your thoughts on the Second Amendment.