Senator Ted Cruz deftly answered a question from a reporter who asked about the presidential candidate’s thoughts on gun control.
The interviewer framed their question around emotion, citing the Sandy Hook shooting and following it up with polls that suggest 90% of Americans support expanded background checks on gun purchases.
The individual asked, “Did you go against the want of the nation?”
It was a tough question that the conservative candidate can likely expect more of on the campaign trail. But one that he answered beautifully.
Cruz didn’t deny anything that was presented to him, rather he explained that as far as popular opinion goes, there’s something far more important.
“When it comes to Constitutional rights,” he said, “What matters is what the Bill of Rights says, it doesn’t matter what might be popular at the moment.”
Cruz didn’t shy away either when discussing why the Second Amendment exists. Hint – It isn’t, as Governor Cuomo once said, “to kill a deer.”
Watch…
Cruz: We’ve seen regimes across the face of the Earth come and take away people’s guns, strip away their rights to defend themselves. And sometimes it’s been very popular. Yet, it is an inevitable prelude to tyranny. Our country was founded on a radical proposition which is that our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. The purpose of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson said the Constitution ‘serves as chains to bind the mischief of government.’ And the entire reason for the Second Amendment is not for hunting, it’s not for target shooting – those are both wonderful, it’s great to go with your family, with your kids to go hunting, to go skeet shooting – but that’s not what the Second Amendment is for. The Second Amendment is there so that you and I can protect our homes and our families and our children and our lives. It’s also there as a fundamental check of government tyranny, and that ultimately is not subject to public opinion polls, it’s subject to the express protections of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.
What did you think of Cruz’ response to the question? Is he dead on?
