The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) presented a fascinating report card to the nation last week. The Second Amendment organization’s inaugural Freedom Index ranked the 50 states on how much their citizens can exercise the right to keep and bear arms.
And the results are telling.
The Freedom Index considered which firearms law-abiding citizens may legally own in the states, how to acquire them, where they may be lawfully carried, preemption protections, registration requirements, and other important criteria.
The Freedom Index’s last-place finisher is hardly a surprise
Exactly two states, Kansas and New Hampshire, earned perfect scores in this handy tally of gun rights. On the other end of the spectrum, California ranked dead last.
FPC President Brandon Combs blasted states that proclaim to be “free” but regularly infringe on the Second Amendment.
“Every state other than Kansas and New Hampshire has had every opportunity to get to 100%, but instead they chose not to,” Combs declared. “This is not a minor oversight—it’s a betrayal of the people and our fundamental rights. These states need to get their act together and fix their laws to fully respect the right to keep and bear arms.”
Some states are not practicing what they loudly preach on gun rights
The FPC noted that supposed beacons of freedom from state overreach such as Florida and Ohio posted lower scores than many of their counterparts.
Even Texas, known for its generally staunch defense of individual freedoms, has work left to be done on behalf of its gun owners.
The Freedom Index should prove an invaluable tool for highlighting deficiencies in the upholding of fundamental constitutional rights. It should also be a wake-up call for leaders who proclaim their unwavering support for the Second Amendment while simultaneously doing the exact opposite.
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