AP Photo/Brennan Linsley

While Democrats continue to push anti-gun measures in several states and the U.S. House of Representatives, it’s important to remember that they’re not exactly in a position to dictate to the rest of the country. As things stand right now, a number of states are standing firm in their defense of the Second Amendment.

A prime example is Louisiana. In addition to a measure that will try to fight back against banks that threaten the Second Amendment, the state is also advancing gun rights within their borders [emphasis mine]:

Today, the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee passed pro-gun measures, House Bill 281 and House Bill 235.  These important bills now head to the House floor for further consideration. Please contact your state Representative and strongly urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 281 and House Bill 235 when they come up for a vote.

House Bill 281, sponsored by Rep. Blake Miguez, removes vague language in Louisiana’s existing preemption statute to prevent a patchwork of laws throughout the state that could potentially and unknowingly ensnare law-abiding gun owners, turning them into a criminal unintentionally.

House Bill 235, sponsored by Rep. Beryl Amedee, adds a place of worship to justifiable use of force or violence in self-defense. This would apply Louisiana’s current self-defense protections to law abiding citizens that exercise their right to self-defense in a place of worship.

It’s sad to think that either of these bills would be needed, but they are.

With regard to HB 281, it’s important to make preemption as clear and explicit as possible. Take a look at what Pittsburgh is doing right now, where law-abiding citizens face punishment because of a criminal local government. The last thing anyone needs is more of that, but what could happen is a local government believes it’s complying with the law and still passes local gun control of some type.

That’s not good for anyone, so making it more clear is important.

HB 235 is especially timely considering recent events. Sutherland Springs, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in California, the mosque shootings in New Zealand, and the Easter bombing in Sri Lanka all point to places of worship as being a preferred target for those looking to kill innocent people.

By making it so law-abiding citizens can carry a firearm to their places of worship, it gives them the means to defend their lives and the lives of their fellow parishioners.

Putting guns in the hands of good guys will do nothing but increase the public’s safety. The evil that exists among us will ignore whatever laws anti-gunners want to throw up to supposedly stop them. They’ll commit their atrocities with whatever tools are available to them. By removing prohibitions on the law-abiding gun owners, lawmakers can give the good guys a fighting chance.

History shows us that a fighting chance is all the typical gun owner needs in the first place.