Where Do I Stand on Guns, National Security and Immigration?

The page is long, but here are some links to help you navigate:

Gun Control
National Security
Immigration
Abortion

2nd Amendment

I don’t currently own a gun, but fully support the right to bear arms. People should be educated about their safe and proper use, and convicted criminals should not be allowed to be found in possession of guns, but people have a right to protect their families and possessions through the use of firearms. Society is safer when private citizens own firearms. Yes, accidents and murders happen that involve guns. But they also happen with forks, knives, wood chippers and pens. The difference is that when people own those objects, crime rates don’t decrease. Crime rates do decrease when people own guns.

Think about it. Criminals are less likely to attack someone who could retaliate. So are repressive government regimes.

Anti-gun laws don’t stop criminals from obtaining guns, they just stop law abiding citizens from protecting themselves.

I support:

The right to bear arms
Gun owner education programs at a state level

Research for yourself:

Crime ratios compared to gun ownership rates – It is interesting to note that when guns are controlled, crime rates skyrocket. Pay particular attention to the studies done in the UK and other parts of Europe.

National Security

One of the federal government’s primary jobs is to protect our borders and citizens from threats – both foreign and domestic. I believe our Department of Homeland Security is putting our country at risk. Whether our administration acknowledges a war on terror or not, Islamic extremists are at war with us. We cannot allow political correctness to hamper our ability to identify and remove threats to our national security. I don’t think all Muslims are terrorists, but we do need to recognize there are extremists inside and outside the United States who want to do harm to Americans.

I don’t think foreign terrorists are the only threat to our country. There are also dangers within the country. There are always going to be people who are unhappy with the direction of the country. There will always be people who could harm large groups of people. Those people need to be stopped.

I support:

Secure borders
Using profiling as a tool to identify threats - For example, if a credible threat exists involving a 20-year old Nigerian man, then it is acceptable to increase searches of individuals meeting that description
Military trials for foreign terrorists
Citizens’ rights to peaceably assemble
Stronger security at our air and sea ports

I oppose:

Trying foreign terrorists on US soil
Giving citizens’ rights to foreign enemy combatants

Immigration

Two out of four of my grandparents were immigrants to this country. So is my wife. They all immigrated legally. Yes, the immigration system needs to be reformed, and it can sometimes be unkind to people who are trying to provide themselves or their families a better life. But it is a matter of national security and the well-being of our citizens that everyone in our country has been vetted and proven to be able to contribute fully to our society.

Illegal immigration is taking a toll on our economy, our health care, social programs and prison systems. Some estimates claim that nearly one third of our prison population is in the country illegally. This needs to be addressed, especially when states like California are being told to release 40,000 convicted criminals back into society.

I agree that many people who are in the country illegally provide valuable services to society. But by definition, they are breaking the law. When they are forced to operate under the cloak of darkness, they have to break other laws to continue the lie. Plus, they are even more susceptible to exploitation through substandard wages, human trafficking and other deplorable practices.

Amnesty is not the answer. It would only overwhelm our system and reward bad behavior.

If you came home one day and found a stranger sitting at your kitchen table, would you allow them to eat to their heart’s content without even a question? That would be ridiculous. Our country is our home. No other country would allow such behavior.

I support:

Physical and electronic barriers along our southern and northern borders and increased security at our air and sea ports
State and local police helping to enforce immigration laws
Immigration status verification when providing non-emergency hospital services and entitlement programs
Fair but firm immigration law reform

I oppose blanket amnesty or amnesty-first programs.

Abortion

I believe every abortion is a tragedy, but I know that abortions will occur whether they are legal or not.

Although I don't agree with abortion, I understand that women want the right to control what happens to and within their body, particularly in cases of rape, incest or when their own lives may be in danger.

The pro-choice lobby claims to be concerned with women’s rights, but doesn’t do enough to stop fathers-to-be, government agencies or abortion clinics from leaning heavily on some women to move forward with terminating a pregnancy. Part of the motivation for clinics like Planned Parenthood is profit. Another component is a social agenda. I will fight to eliminate coercive abortion practices at all levels. I also believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death.

I support:

Legislation that prosecutes perpetrators of forced or coercive abortions
Legislation that will support and facilitate offering alternatives to terminating a pregnancy

I oppose:

Legislation that would provide federal funding for abortions
Coercive abortion tactics

Email me with your thoughts at chris@chrispareja.com.