Jaxon Mauss 9  is a freshman at Lewis Palmer High School. One of the main things he enjoys is discussing politics, and is considering running for some form of leadership. 

“If I were to go into politics, I’d just stop at the House of Representatives,” Mauss said. “I would probably end up enlisting in any branch of the military for four years to get the GI bill. Then apply to law school, get a law degree, spend several years working as an attorney, until I get to the age requirements to run for office.”

The ATF, which is a government organization, manages the use of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, ensuring that they are used legally. Mauss argues that the government and the AFT have too much power, and should take a step back. 

“They regulate the sales of all those and make sure that people don’t have any illegal firearms, or pipe bombs and things. It’s very existence is just permitting the government to infringe upon the people’s rights,” Mauss said.

Mauss believes that the phrase, “we are doing it for your safety” is a way to make it seem like the government is trying to help, while in actuality they are doing the opposite.  

“That’s where they say they’re coming from, is for your safety, but the problem with that is when they start passing things for the person’s safety it becomes all too much easier for them to keep taking more and more away.” 

The second amendment prevents the government from stepping in and taking your weapons. Mauss believes that the people’s rights to bear arms should not, under any circumstances, be violated, and that to give up your guns is to give up your rights. 

“The second amendment says ‘shall not infringe,’ shall not infringe is what should happen,” Mauss said. “If you look back at the American Revolution, the British and them trying to come in and take away the Americans guns, so they could have a very easy path to the authoritarianism of that. You are just allowing the government to step all over your rights.”

Last month, Ronald DeSantis, governor of Florida, proposed a law that would fine social media platforms for censorship so that opinions can be shared freely. Mauss disagrees with this new proposal. 

“They argue that it’s against the First Amendment, but the first amendment is the protection from the government,” Mauss said. “If you are agreeing to the corporation’s terms of service they can do whatever they want.”