Gun rights: No issue separates Trump, Clinton more than the Second Amendment

Of all the issues separating Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, gun rights and the Second Amendment tops them all.

Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, is a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association. Clinton, the Democratic nominee, has pushed for limiting the sales and possession of guns.

Many Republicans believe if elected she would come out even harder against the ownership of firearms.

The next president will have a lot of influence over how the nation's gun laws are applied through an appointment to the Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

One of the most contentious aspects of the issue is the ownership of so-called assault weapons, which were used in several mass killings over the past few years. A ban on them expired in 2004.

Trump opposes the push to reinstate the restrictive law, saying Americans should have the right to own the weapon of their choice.

Clinton has supported reinstating the ban, saying such weapons should not be available to just anyone.

It is just one of the many differences in the two candidates' platforms, but one that distinctly separates them and provides opponents with a strong argument against their election.

Published in Editorials on October 26, 2016 9:40 AM