Americans in general, and Utahans in particular, are an arms-bearing people. The Self Defense plank in the Utah Republican Party platform states: “We support the individual constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes. We encourage personal responsibility for the care and use of these firearms.” And the contract that each American citizen has with its federal government includes the clause that states: “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

But the knee-jerk reaction to sensationalized reporting of “gun violence” has moved some to call for the surrender of our God-given right to keep and bear arms. Those who are calling for us to surrender this specific right are certainly those who don’t exercise this right, and famously are often those who are protected by armed bodyguards. But it’s easy to talk about giving up rights that you don't exercise. Which leads me to wonder which rights those same people would be willing to give up next: their right to free speech? To petition? To congregate? My guess is none.

In this discussion, let's agree that everyone, on both sides of this issue, wants to protect our children and make our communities safer. The disagreement is only on how to make our schools and communities safer places. The fact is that the country IS a safer place already. In America, the homicide rate is lower than it was in 1950. And in spite of the fact that Americans own more guns per capita than any other country, the United States is one of the top five safest countries in the world if you discount Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC, St Louis, and New Orleans – all cities with onerous anti-gun laws.

So if gun ownership in America is not new, and if homicide rates are down, why are we hearing so much more about gun violence in schools? Guns on campus are not new; when I was a freshman in high school, I was on my school’s varsity rifle team. We stored rifles and ammunition on campus and practiced in the school's rifle range on campus. And this was in the late 70s, not the 50s. I’ve heard many credible sources explaining the root cause as violent media, or psychotropic drugs, or lack of fathers, or lack of physical security of school campuses. But no credible analysis points to the guns themselves as the root cause.

If guns themselves were the problem, prison would be the safest place on earth; recent headlines remind us that that’s not the case. London is another example of bad policy from recent headlines; they banned guns some time ago and now have had time to see that it hasn’t helped their street violence problem. So, banning guns, types of guns, or sizes of magazines isn't picking low hanging fruit; it's stopping at the mirage to drink sand rather than pressing on to the oasis to find real water. My advice: don’t ever give up your rights – any of them – and don’t ask me to give up my rights. Because I won’t.

I believe that economic development in Utah is key to creating the high-paying and satisfying jobs that our children and grandchildren need in order to be able to settle and thrive in Utah. As a state, we can’t afford the brain drain in which Utah’s greatest export is our children. In Utah, we have wonderful scenic sites and vistas, but we can’t afford to rely solely on the service industry for jobs. We need to develop high tech and industrial jobs alike. I have worked on the Washington County Economic Development Council that promotes real economic development, including the creation of the very successful Fort Pierce Industrial Park. I believe in the Economic Development plank of the UTGOP platform that says: “We believe that a strong, diversified economy based on a positive work ethic, a well trained and well educated work force, a business-friendly environment, and safe work place will help Utah compete in a world market place. We believe that developing our human resources is essential to the future of Utah. We support the Utah Right to Work Law.”

Once useful laws, regulations, and services build up on government like barnacles on a ship. My mission will be to remove as many barnacles as possible during my tenure.