The Free Press editorialized Wednesday -- "Your taxes at work for the NRA (and Cox)" -- against my filing of a legal brief with the U.S. Supreme Court that supports the National Rifle Association's challenge of a Chicago ordinance banning the possession of most handguns.

My support for this challenge to the Chicago gun ban is rooted in Michigan's own Constitution, which states: "Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state."

My defense of this constitutional principle is longstanding. In 2007, I filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in opposition to the District of Columbia's drastic ban on guns, arguing that the Second Amendment's right "to keep and bear arms" is an individual right. The Supreme Court agreed with that position and overturned the D.C. ban in its Heller decision.

The Free Press failed to mention that 34 attorneys general signed on to the NRA's challenge of Chicago's strict gun ban, including both Democrats and Republicans. This isn't about politics; it's about standing up for principle.

It may come as news to the Free Press, but this office files amicus briefs all the time to protect the rights of the state and its citizens. For example, this office has filed amicus briefs in support of the Big Three auto industry and tougher standards to protect the Great Lakes.

In my own experience of more than 13 years as a homicide prosecutor and head of the homicide unit of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, I never saw anyone charged with murder who had a license to legally carry a concealed weapon. Most people who want to possess guns are law-abiding and present no threat to others. Rather than the availability of weapons, my experience is that gun violence is driven by culture, police presence, or the lack of same, and failures in the supervision of parolees and probationers.

Since becoming attorney general, I have worked to ensure that the rights of Michigan citizens to defend themselves are protected. For example, I have expanded the number of states that recognize Michigan CCW permits from eight states to 35 states. And I'll continue to take action when constitutional priciples are threatened.

I make no apologies for my support of the Constitution and the Second Amendment.

Mike Cox

Michigan Attorney General, Lansing