by Josh Guckert

Since his selection as the vice presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, William Weld has received an abundance of criticism from libertarians. The primary issue evoking anger has been his stance on the right to bear arms. However, in Philadelphia on Thursday, Weld took a fundamentally libertarian approach in explaining the history behind the Second Amendment and his desire to preserve the right to bear arms.

As reported by Kyle Sammin of The Federalist, Weld was faced with a question from a Temple college-age individual. The questioner asked whether the right to bear arms could be reconciled with the right to life in the modern era. The former Massachusetts governor’s response was the kind which makes libertarians proud.

He first explained that these two rights are not at all contradictory. Weld continued on to state that the Second Amendment was created for the reason of preventing against the excesses of a tyrannical government. He continued on to state that the track record of liberty in nations deprived of the right to bear arms is not a good one. Per usual, he went on to describe his past as a federal prosecutor, and explained that there is still a need to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists and those with mental illnesses.