Ronald Reagan once described the United States as a shining city on a hill. This distinction was not merely due to our strong economy, our powerful military, or our leadership status in the Cold War; at the most basic yet profound level, President Reagan was speaking of our freedoms. It is freedom that formed America, freedom that gave it definition and substance, and freedom that has preserved and will preserve our national identity as a beacon and example to all. The well-known and sacred rights to freedom of religion, of the press, and of free speech are embodied in the Constitution, the highest law of the land. Americans today could not fathom a nation without these rights. Rights which we would not have if it were not for the 2 Amendment.



