PRESS RELEASE
CAMPAIGN TO RE-ELECT BRYAN CUTLER
STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 100TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
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Bryan Cutler issues editorial regarding Supreme Court
Discusses recent Second Amendment ruling & implications of upcoming Presidential election
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2008
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Cutler
E-mail: bcutler@electbryancutler.com
Phone: 717-548-3594
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Bryan Cutler candidate for re-election to the 100th Legislative District, State House of Representatives, has
issued the following:
Supreme Court confirms we can “cling to our guns”
I was encouraged to learn that the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed what many of us have believed for a long time;
that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to own and use a firearm. In a recent case
involving a draconian gun ban in Washington D.C., District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court had an
opportunity to decide the meaning of the Second Amendment for the first time. The decision was made after
thoroughly researching the meaning of the text, surrounding history and other proposed drafts of the Amendment.
A logical decision was reached. The right to own and use a gun is an individual right guaranteed by the U.S.
Constitution.
As great as this news is, it does come with some concern. The Court’s ruling was a 5-4 split, and decided by only
one vote. Since two of the elder justices are 88 and 75 they will likely be replaced during the tenure of the next
president. Our next president could potentially replace up to 4 of the sitting justices. The next presidential cycle
will be the most important time in the history of our nation for the composition of the Supreme Court. This
November, voters have an important decision to make. Will we continue to support the appointment of justices
who enforce the plain and logical meaning of the Constitution, or do we want a Court that decides cases based
on international influence and popular opinion? We have watched in utter disbelief as recent American cases
were influenced by African Law and European Union concepts while the plain meaning of our own founding
documents was ignored.
This close decision and the aging of the Supreme Court is why the next presidential election will be so important.
As voters we will directly influence who will nominate justices for the Supreme Court. We can select Sen. John
McCain, who has already voted to confirm Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito and has pledged to
appoint “strict constructionists” who will interpret existing law rather than create their own, or we can choose Sen.
Barack Obama who voted against each of these confirmations and seeks to impose his personal views on the
Second Amendment and the U.S. Constitution. In this case, actions speak much louder than words. During these
appointment proceedings, Sen. Obama’s true colors shined through long before he was running for president and
adjusting his views based upon present political winds.
In 1996, Sen. Obama indicated on an Independent Voters of Illinois Questionnaire that he supported “banning the
manufacturing, sale and owning of handguns.” Afterwards, claiming that he never saw or filled the survey out, he
was confronted with the fact that he was also interviewed in person for the survey. He subsequently filed an
amended form changing his position. During his tenure in the Senate he has also voted against providing legal
protection for homeowners who shoot an intruder in self defense (Vote on S.B. 2165 on 3-25-04).
Furthermore, we only need to look as recently as an interview with the Chicago Tribune on 11/20/07 where he
supported the D.C. gun ban saying he believed it was constitutional. Later, in an ABC interview on 2/12/08, he
again confirmed this belief. Clearly, Sen. Obama does not have a firm understanding of the meaning of our
Constitution and this recent decision by the Supreme Court further reinforces his naivety. We cannot trust him to
nominate replacements for the Supreme Court. If he does not have a basic understanding of what our
Constitution says, then how can he pick people who will understand it?
For me, the choice is as clear and logical as the decision that was just issued. Our founding documents are to be
read and applied, not reinterpreted and distorted. We need someone at the helm of our nation making decisions
that will support the very Constitution that they have sworn to uphold. We need to elect Sen. John McCain to
serve as our next president.
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