Courtland Skyes: "I Totally Oppose Gun Control"
In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate from Missouri, three candidates are grabbing the most attention: Austin Petersen, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, and Courtland Sykes.
Sykes is an Iraq war veteran, a Harvard graduate, and a defense contracting business owner. He has a track record of accomplishments and general success, making him the best choice for primary voters seeking to defeat incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill. While Sykes' stances on the issues are uniformly conservative (more so that either Petersen or Hawley), his position on gun control sets him apart.
Courtland Sykes, Missouri U.S. Senate candidate
Without apology, Sykes announced in a Q&A style policy statement that he is "totally" opposed to gun control. He continued, writing,
The right of Americans to keep and bear arms is constitutionally inviolate. No compromises on this. I am an NRA life-member. I hunt, conceal carry, collect guns, do competitive shooting, and attend gun shows. I totally oppose gun control.
I grew up in the mountains of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas and began gun collecting and hunting in my youth, and I had my first gun at age eight. I favor youth hunting and gun training programs by the NRA and others. I believe in Missouri's constitutional "no permit needed" concealed or open carry regime and in the promotion of hunting nationwide.
I will be, in the U.S. Senate, the most pro-gun and anti-regulation Senator in U.S. history.
Throughout the rest of the document, Sykes presents his convincing argument against gun control and for citizen ownership of firearms.
In doing so, Sykes proves that he is the best choice for Missourians who seek to own guns without the intervention of the federal government.
While support of the Second Amendment is common among Republicans in deep-red Missouri, Sykes' complete sincerity absolutely sets him apart. He believes that support for firearms should be encouraged in the United States, and he supports government efforts to increase gun ownership rates. Sykes writes,
I believe that every year, public service commendations should be offered to the ten gun owners who have best defended themselves in their homes—providing that they, with their guns, have successfully killed the home invading criminal outright.
The merits of government support for firearms is backed by real-world results.
Switzerland, which mandates participation in the national military, allows for service members to purchase their guns after they have completed their time. Perhaps coincidentally, Switzerland's gun-related crime rate is extremely low.
Read the rest of Sykes' gun control policy here: https://sykesforsenate2018.com/faqs/.