A pledge to uphold the Second Amendment right to bear arms has been part of the Libertarian Party platform since 1972, and a recent set of gun rights apparel and accessories added to LPstore.org reflects this longstanding commitment. The Libertarian Party’s new “Guns Save Lives” line was featured in the Washington Times on May 20:

The Democratic Party has long been known for its extensive lines of campaign merchandise, the Republican Party to a much lesser extent. Not to be outdone, the Libertarian Party has just introduced T-shirts and lapel buttons emblazoned with the motto “Guns save lives.”

The limited edition items are no-frills and straightforward.

“New gear! Guns save lives. Do you agree?” the Libertarians ask in a public outreach.

“The right to self defense is one of our most fundamental rights,” the party noted in an overview of its primary issues. “Few people will argue against that. However, some believe that people should not be allowed to arm themselves. Libertarians strongly disagree.

“Gun rights are important for everyone, but especially those that are physically weak,” the party said. “Banning guns would not curb violence or death. It will just change the nature of violence and deaths. It would result in violent criminals having more power to perpetrate violence against innocent people. Violent criminals will be emboldened if they know that average Americans are unable to defend themselves.

“Libertarians support people’s rights to defend themselves and to arm themselves,” they said. “We see it as immoral for government to try to prevent someone from doing so.”