The focus or emphasis should be on crimes that harm others. Crimes for self-destructive actions such as possession of drugs or prostitution should be legal unless harm is being done to other citizens. In other words, laws for crimes without victims should be rescinded. If the local police are failing to protect citizens, qualified citizens have every right to carry guns for their protection to practice their right to self-defense. I am not a fan of guns, but I can read, and the Second Amendment is clear. That said, the stigma and bad reputation of guns is not going to change without some significant breakthrough. I believe smart guns may be a breakthrough solution to help owners become better marksmen, help law enforcement solve crimes, and provide safety measures to track stolen weapons and ensure only gun owners can fire the weapon. The bottom line, reducing the scope and mission of the federal government in criminal matters should be a priority. The Constitution provides for federal enforcement of piracy, counterfeiting, treason, slavery, and crimes against the nation. Of course, a strong argument can be made for federal enforcement of immigration and other matters involving national security. But that is it! Local crimes should remain within the jurisdiction of the municipalities and states.

The sole purpose of government is to protect the few rights I outlined on the home page. Unfortunately, there are over 5,000 federal statutes and 400,000 federal regulations with penalties assigned to them. Everyone in the United States is probably guilty of violating some federal law. This is an excessive government because it is overreaching its limits and violating the rights of citizens. The only way to restore liberty, the Republic, and the Constitution is to shrink the federal government.