Earlier this month we told you about a collaborative effort between Townhall Media and Change Politics to get questions (ours and yours) to the 2016 Presidential candidates.

Townhall Media (comprised of Bearing Arms, Human Events, RedState, Townhall, Townhall Finance, and Twitchy) has partnered with Change.Org to create the Townhall Media “Conservatives Speak!” forum on Change Politics.

The forum is designed enable readers like you to ask candidates questions directly, and up-vote those questions which have already been submitted.

I guess it probably isn’t too surprising that as we’re announcing the launch of the forum that the top up-voted questions (so far) are those related to our Second Amendment rights.

Readers up-voted questions on a wide range of issues, and the campaigns of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio answered.

(Townhall has published Senator Cruz’s responses to the full list of questions, and Hot Air has all of the responses for Senator Rubio).

Among a number of Second Amendment-related questions, the question got the most votes and was asked of the campaigns.

Why do you think the Founding Fathers considered the Second Amendment the next most important right after the freedom of speech?

Senator Cruz responded with his answer the question in writing.

The Second Amendment, as Justice Story so rightly noted, is the palladium of all liberties. The Second Amendment rights aren’t just for protecting hunting rights, or safeguarding your right to target practice. It is a constitutional right to protect our children, families, homes, lives, and to serve as the ultimate check against governmental tyranny.

Senator Rubio answered in the following video.

The campaigns of Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and John Kasich opted to not participate in the project.