Last week the anti-gun Brady Campaign admonished Congressman Joe Walsh for suggesting that guns are the last line of defense between Americans and their government.
Walsh uttered the statement during a town hall meeting in Huntley, where he promised to become an advocate for the second amendment and stand up for concealed carry in Illinois -- the last state to not have such a law.
"The people of Illinois deserve an explanation from Joe Walsh,” asked Brady acting president Dennis Henigan in a statement. "Is he saying Illinois needs to legalize the carrying of hidden, loaded guns to allow residents to threaten violence against the government?"
This week, Walsh answered in a letter to the Brady campaign that he sent to the media.
“Illinois is now the only state in the entire nation that doesn’t allow lawful Americans to carry a firearm. Violent crimes continue to decrease even as more states such as Wisconsin – that recently passed a concealed carry permit – repeal archaic laws crafted to restrict gun rights,” he said in a statement.
“We need not forget that freedom was gained and will always be maintained by a strict interpretation of our Constitution and this certainly includes the Second Amendment. While I respect the mission of the Brady Campaign to reduce crime and violence, we strongly disagree on how this should be done. It should not be done through the slow dismantling of our right to bear arms, and by disarming law abiding Americans.”
