BY SHARON MARTIN

The full-page ad read: “I agree with our founding fathers; the Second Amendment is a fundamental right of the American Citizen.”

Well, yes. So are the First Amendment, Third Amendment, Fourth Amendment … You get my drift.

Don’t be a one-issue voter. But if you do believe that the Second Amendment is more important than, say, freedom of the press or freedom to practice one’s chosen religion, here are a few facts to set your mind at ease:

It would be all but impossible for any president to “get rid of” the Second Amendment. Even if two-thirds of the members of both houses got it together enough to amend the law, it would take three-quarters of the states to go along with them.

So, if someone is telling you one presidential candidate or another is going to take your guns, they’re either lying to you or they don’t understand the Constitution.

Gun laws vary by state. Some cities have also passed gun ordinances. None of these have taken your Second Amendment right to own a firearm. Your felony conviction, however, might do the trick.

No president can cause the price of ammunition to go up. That is a function of supply and demand. The market can be manipulated, however.

Let’s say someone with a large enough platform – the NRA, for example – tells you to stock up on ammo because of one candidate or another. Now, say you and the 4,999,999 other members of the organization believe the lie and start buying up ammo. This, not some government conspiracy, is what makes the supply go down and the price go up.

Allowing citizens to arm themselves isn’t the best way to keep them safe. When economic conditions are such that people are desperate, armed robberies spike. The political climate matters, too.

According to historical records, economic conditions are best when both parties are near the center. Extremism makes us less prosperous and less safe.

So does the War on Drugs. So does a lack of funding for treatment centers and mental health facilities. So do inequality and a lack of opportunity. On the other hand, background checks that keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and domestic abusers might save lives.

Common sense gun laws are not to be feared. Candidates who believe that the Second Amendment is the only one that matters are.

– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer