Conservatism demands tougher gun laws

(This essay was published in the Oklahoman on September 7, 2025)

Since my last column on this topic, mass shootings have continued to plague our country, leaving families shattered and communities fearful. As I write this, at least two children are confirmed dead from a recent tragedy in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the news cycle has already begun its shift to other matters, underscoring the routine nature of mass shootings.

Republicans and the Trump administration are currently fixated on “securing our cities,” which raises the question: Why has the Republican Party, known for championing law and order, neglected to address gun violence with the same urgency? The concern simply disappears when it comes to gun laws even though most weapons used in mass shootings are obtained legally.

The Second Amendment is valid and important. But our Founding Fathers understood that the tension between freedom and security is not fixed. Laws and regulations must adapt to threats if liberty is to mean anything. James Madison warned, “liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as the abuses of power” (Federalist No. 63). Today, our danger comes not from government overreach but from overly permissive gun laws.

At its core, conservatism means defending freedom against its greatest threats. In our time, that threat has become the routine massacre of innocent people. We are less free when parents fear sending their children to class. We are less free when every public space feels like a potential crime scene.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s congressional delegation and state elected officials have failed to lead on this issue and, instead, chosen party loyalty over principle. They seem to have forgotten the essence of conservatism is not reflexive opposition to change; it is the careful stewardship of freedom. Edmund Burke spoke of the need for change to preserve stability when he said, “A state without the means of change is without the means of its conservation.” Today, the means of change include pragmatic gun reforms that will conserve our nation’s original commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Here is the path forward. Congress, in coordination with the states, should enact these reforms:

1. Universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole
2. Ban assault rifles
3. Increase the age requirement for gun purchases from 18 to 21
4. Establish 30-day waiting period before purchase
5. Institute red flag laws

If my fellow Republicans wish to remain the party of order and responsibility, they cannot blindly dismiss gun reform. To do so would be to trade principle for partisanship while American citizens continue to wander helplessly into one tragedy after another.