Tag: Second Amendment

Ahead of Second Amendment Lobby Day and Rally in Virginia Monday, Warnings of a ‘Set-Up’ Against Supporters Spread

Laura Baigert

RICHMOND, Virginia – Supporters of the 2nd Amendment have received warnings about being set up at the annual rally at the Commonwealth of Virginia capitol, which has become ground-zero for the constitutionally protected right of Americans to keep and bear arms.

For nearly two decades, Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) has organized an annual trek to the General Assembly on Martin Luther King Day to peacefully assemble and lobby their legislators on the 2nd Amendment.

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The Supreme Court Heard Its First Gun Rights Case in Years, but It Might Be a Misfire

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by Kevin Daley   The Supreme Court heard arguments in a gun rights case for the first time in nearly 10 years Monday, involving a challenge to since-repealed New York City rules that greatly restricted the transportation of firearms. Though the case is closely watched as a possible bellwether for future disputes over the Second Amendment, several members of the court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, seemed ready to dismiss the case for procedural reasons, without a decision on the contested New York regulations. New York City’s gun transportation rules Under a since-repealed ordinance, New York residents had to obtain a “premises license” from city authorities to lawfully possess a firearm. That license restricted possession to the address listed on the license itself. The transportation guidelines that license holders had to follow were before the high court Monday. Those rules provided that gun owners could carry their firearms to one of seven shooting ranges in the city. To do so, however, they had to keep their weapons in a locked container, with ammunition carried separately. They could not carry their guns past city lines. If they wished to transport weapons to any location besides an approved range, they had to…

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Commentary: Independent Gun Dealers Are Cornerstones of Liberty

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The news that Walmart – the world’s largest retailer – has decided to virtue signal by ceasing the sale of handgun and modern sporting rifle ammunition and barring firearms permit holders from carrying in their stores, reinforces what we have been saying about corporate totalitarianism: The greatest threat to liberty may not be an overweening government, but soulless corporations intent on enforcing conformity to their will.

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Jeff Hartline of the TFA Says ‘A Policy Should Not be Crafted on the Basis of the Morning Headlines’

Julie Carr

In a specific discussion Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed in-studio guest Development Director of the Tennessee Firearms Association Jeff Hartline to the show to speak on the Second Amendment and Walmart’s decision to stop selling certain rifles and ammunition in their retail outlets.

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Ohio Considering Plan to Eliminate Concealed Weapons Licenses

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by Todd DeFeo   State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow Ohioans to carry firearms without the need to obtain a concealed weapons license. House Bill 178 would extend to Ohio residents who are at least 21 years old and federal law does not prohibit them from having a firearm. It does not apply to any so-called “restricted deadly weapon,” which includes various military-style arms. The House Federalism Committee voted 7-4 in favor of the bill following a debate that was “very contentious” at times, state Rep. John Becker, the committee’s chairman, acknowledged before the vote. However, he noted, there was some consensus from the two sides. “One of which is the second amendment. … I didn’t hear anybody come in here and say nobody has the right to carry a gun,” Becker, R-Union Township, said. “The other point that I think everybody is in agreement on is gun safety. “Everybody wants to be safe. Nobody wants bad guys to have guns. That’s something we all agree on,” he added. “Obviously we have some very stark disagreements on how to achieve public safety.” The bill pits two vocal opponents against one another. While gun proponents applauded the plan,…

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Trump’s ATF Pick Chuck Canterbury: ‘I Take a Back Seat to No One in My Reverence for the 2nd Amendment’

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by Whitney Tipton   President Donald Trump announced Friday plans to nominate Fraternal Order of Police President Chuck Canterbury to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Canterbury has been Fraternity Order of Police (FOP) president for 16 years, having previously spent 26 years in the Horry County, South Carolina, Police Department’s patrol, criminal and training divisions, according to the White House statement. “Chuck is one of the most honorable people I’ve ever worked with and if he is selected, I can’t think of a finer person to take the position,” said Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association. Thompson made the remarks to POLITICO in Nov. 2018, when Canterbury’s name was first floated for the position. Fraternal Order of Police President, Chuck Canterbury, demands off-duty cops be allowed carry guns at NFL gameshttps://t.co/pwOHP7ZaNu — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) December 2, 2015 Trump worked closely with Canterbury on sentencing reform legislation passed Nov. 2018. The measure, which granted leniency on minimum sentencing rules for some drug offenses and expanded rehabilitation programs, enjoyed rare bipartisan support and was backed by the ACLU, according to Politico. Canterbury has been vocal in his Second Amendment support, testifying July 2009 before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support…

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Milwaukee Transit Union Proposes to Arm Bus Drivers with Concealed-Carry Permits

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by Whitney Tipton   Milwaukee transit union leaders are asking that bus drivers and mechanics be able to carry guns if they have concealed carry permits, citing security concerns and recent attacks by passengers. Union representatives representing the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 made the request Thursday that drivers and mechanics be allowed to arm themselves if they hold a concealed weapon (CCW) permit, a change to the current rules, according to CBS affiliate WDJT. “We’re one of the highest crime places in the United States,” said union president James Macon, “It’s way overdue.” If approved in contract negotiations, a union proposal would allow some Milwaukee bus drivers to be armed.https://t.co/2qpjZAilCj — NBC 26 News (@NBC26) May 23, 2019   Drivers were attacked 15 times last year, according to a statement from the ATU obtained by CBS58. A driver suffered a laceration May 15 when passenger Betty Roberts, 24, stabbed him with a knife after being told she must pay the fare of $2.25, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The woman was charged with battery to a public transit operator and use of a dangerous weapon. The union has been in negotiations with the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) for over one year, and have yet to agree…

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The Second Amendment Saved These Gun Owners’ Lives in April

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by Amy Swearer   The right to keep and bear arms is based on the natural, immutable right to defend oneself and one’s liberties from crime and tyranny. Unfortunately, too many well-intentioned people today advocate severely restricting the ability of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and others with the most effective firearms. Their desire for strict gun control laws is based largely on misperceptions. They believe that Americans rarely use firearms to protect their rights and liberties, and they think commonly proposed gun control laws will meaningfully address gun-related violence. But the reality is quite different. Measures like universal background checks, depriving young adults of their Second Amendment rights, and banning commonly owned semi-automatic firearms or magazines impose huge burdens on law-abiding gun owners, and they fail to address the underlying realities of suicidal and criminal behavior. Moreover, it is undeniable that Americans use guns in self-defense on far more occasions than criminals use them to commit crimes. Yet those defensive gun uses rarely receive the amount of attention given to criminal gun uses. Every month so far this year, we’ve highlighted just a few of the tens of thousands of Americans who exercised their right to keep and bear…

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DeWine Claims He’s Asked His Team to Work on ‘Red Flag’ Law

Anthony Gockowski

  Gov. Mike DeWine told the media Monday morning that he has asked his team to draft a red-flag bill to send to the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Former Gov. John Kasich repeatedly lobbied for red-flag legislation in the state, and refused to sign a controversial “Stand Your Ground” bill at the end of last session because it didn’t include such a provision. After another fatal shooting over the weekend, DeWine seems to be following in Kasich’s footsteps. “I am deeply concerned about what we are seeing in this country in regards to attacks on houses of worship,” DeWine said. “This is something that has to be deplored, I deplore – it’s sickening. People who go to worship certainly have the right to believe they are going to be safe.” According to The Columbus Dispatch, the comments were unprompted by reporters’ questions, but opened the floor up to discussion of a potential red-flag bill. “I have asked my team to work on that—trying to get a red flag law that can pass. That’s my goal,” DeWine said. The last time he spoke about the topic was in January before being officially sworn into office. “Well, I’ve talked about this during the…

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Commission Declares Polk County to Be Gun Sanctuary to Protect Second Amendment Rights

Jason M. Reynolds

Polk County has declared itself to be a sanctuary – not for illegal immigrants, but for law-abiding gun owners. At Thursday evening’s Polk County Commission meeting, the County Commission voted 8-1 to adopt a resolution declaring Polk a gun sanctuary to protect citizens’ Second Amendment rights, according to a story by the Cleveland Daily Banner. The county is the first in the state to do so. The resolution is based on one passed by in neighboring Cherokee County, North Carolina in March. More than 200 counties in nine states have vowed not to enforce new state measures that restrict gun access, and 132  have voted to become gun sanctuaries despite questions of the measure’s constitutionality. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/REYNOLDS_Polk-County-Gun.pdf” title=”REYNOLDS_Polk County Gun”]   Polk County Sheriff Steve Ross, who supported the resolution, spoke to Chattanooga’s NewsChannel 9. “The vast majority of America feels that we have a second amendment right to bear arms, and we have a right to protect our family and our homes,” Ross said. “We don’t feel the government has a right to come in and take guns from law abiding people that have done nothing wrong.” The resolution does not protect law-breaking citizens with guns, but instead protects…

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Colorado Sheriff James Van Beek Says He Won’t Enforce ‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Law

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by Nick Givas   Eagle County Sheriff James Van Beek said he will refuse to enforce Colorado’s new “red flag” gun control law, during a Monday interview on “Fox & Friends.” The statue says firearms may be taken away from citizens who are deemed dangerous, but who may not have broken any laws. “I just became very, very concerned because of the whole way they went about it. It was supposed to be for mental health. It was supposed to be for taking care of people … and at least in my opinion, they went about the process totally backwards,” Van Beek said. “They went after the people’s rights. They went after [it] in a manner that I didn’t think gave them due process because they said, ‘well we need to do these things. We need to take these things away from them. We need to take these tools away from them.’ But they never provided any kind of assistance. So there was no outlet. So to me there wasn’t any kind of due process.” Van Beek said family members or friends who are concerned about someone’s mental health can now go to court and have their guns taken away. “Either a household member or a…

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Commentary: America’s Gun Culture Cultivates Civic Virtue

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by Aaron Tao   Many people are often surprised to learn that I am a gun owner and firm defender of the Second Amendment. After all, I, a first-generation Chinese-American immigrant, do not fit the stereotype of the typical American gun owner. Of all of America’s cherished freedoms, the natural and unalienable right of self-defense, recognized and protected (not granted) by the Second Amendment, took me the longest to fully embrace. But as an open-minded rationalist, the lessons of history and statistical research proved overwhelming (not to mention the sheer fun of learning the basic operations and mechanics of firearms) and eventually helped me understand why tens of millions of my fellow Americans treasure their right to keep and bear arms. Cultivating Civic Virtue From the colonists winning independence from Great Britain to African-Americans vindicating their civil rights, the role of the gun is inseparable from American identity. The gun is the ultimate multipurpose tool that empowers its user with the means to put food on the table, as well as preserve one’s life, whether against common street criminals or government tyranny. The philosophical underpinnings and lived experiences that shaped American gun culture all matter (and reinforce each other), but I want to focus on one aspect in particular: the cultivation of civic virtue. Owning and shooting a gun…

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Ohio Republicans Rally Behind Constitutional Carry Bill

Anthony Gockowski

Ohio House Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday to bring constitutional carry to the state, which allows gun owners to carry concealed weapons without obtaining a permit. The bill, House Bill 174, was introduced by Reps. Ron Hood (R-Ashville) and Tom Brinkman (R-Mt. Lookout) and quickly gained the support of 27 other Republicans. Current Ohio law allows Ohioans to carry concealed weapons only after they obtain a permit from a county sheriff’s office, pass a criminal background check, and complete eight hours of training. House Bill 174 would change all of that. It states that anyone 21 or older “and not prohibited by federal law from firearm possession to carry a concealed deadly weapon” would be able to do so “without needing a license.” In its current form, the bill would take things one step further by allowing Ohioans to conceal and carry legal rifles and shotguns. Ohio Gun Owners Director Chris Dorr spoke with Hood and Brinkman shortly after their bill was introduced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=Zu5ewRRJSWw “What’s so exciting is we now have an opportunity to actually pass a bill now with West Virginia and Kentucky going constitutional carry. We’ve got over a dozen states going constitutional carry,” Hood said. “Legislators and…

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New York Man Gets State Stun Gun Ban Overturned Based on His Second Amendment Rights

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by Evie Fordham   Banning the personal ownership of stun guns in New York state is unconstitutional because it violates individuals’ Second Amendment right to bear arms, a federal judge ruled Friday. “New York’s sweeping prohibition on the possession and use of tasers and stun guns by all citizens for all purposes, even for self-defense in one’s own home, must be declared unconstitutional,” U.S. District Judge David Hurd wrote in his decision according to The Associated Press. Hurd also wrote that people trading firearms for stun guns could result in less weapons deaths. Matthew Avitabile of Schoharie County, New York, had brought the suit against the state police superintendent, since that agency enforces the state’s weapons laws. Avitabile wanted to buy a stun gun to defend himself in his home in rural upstate New York, reported The AP. Avitabile is also the mayor of Middleburgh, New York, and said that although his town is as safe “as Mayberry,” he wants New Yorkers to be able to protect themselves, reported The New York Post. Forty-seven states allow tasers and stun guns with varying levels of regulation, according to The New York Post. Now the stricter states are starting to reverse course. For instance,…

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Columbus Ohio Files Suit Against Ohio Over Gun Law

Andrew Shirley

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced Tuesday the City of Columbus would sue the state of Ohio over new gun law passed late last year. As previously reported, House Bill 228 (HB 228) established: Through an override of Ohio Governor John Kasich’s veto, the Ohio congress passed HB 228, expanding a citizen’s right to self-defense. The bill was originally intended to be a ‘stand your ground’ law but shifted following the significant public controversy. As passed,  the law shifts the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the prosecution. Before passage, Ohio was the only state in America in which a defender had to prove that they were acting in self-defense. Columbus is suing the state on the grounds that the change made in the bill to “Ohio Revised Code Section 9.68, the state’s so-called ‘Right to bear arms – challenge to the law,’” strips the municipality of their sovereign rights to pass local gun ordinances that regulate gun laws within their jurisdiction. In addition, they change that the new law disproportionately favors the gun lobby, diminishing the municipality’s power even further. In a Press Release, Cleveland Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, in support of Attorney Klein, stated: We recognize that gun violence is a…

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Red Flag Bill and Universal Background Checks One Step Closer to Becoming Law in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

DFL lawmakers are closer than ever before to passing multiple gun-control bills in Minnesota as a Republican-controlled Senate stands in the way. A universal background checks bill and a “red flag” law both advanced out of committee this week. The former was approved by the House Public Safety Committee late Wednesday night in a 9-7 vote, while the latter was approved the following morning in a 10-7 vote. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who made gun control a top priority heading into the 2019 session, said that “it’s just a different moment in our history,” and she’s “hoping that the Minnesota Senate is ready to acknowledge that and take action.” The bills in question are House File 8 and House File 9, among the first bills introduced this session by DFL legislators. HF 8 would mandate “criminal background checks” for all firearms transfers, requiring a “permit to purchase” for all purchases and transfers from anyone. It would also raise the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21. HF 9 allows law enforcement and family members to petition a court to “prohibit people from possessing firearms if they pose a significant danger to themselves or others.” That bill lays out a number…

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Ohio School District Clears the Way for Armed Teachers After Defeating Lawsuit

Anthony Gockowski

Madison Local School District of Ohio successfully defeated a lawsuit filed against it that sought to prevent a new policy of arming teachers and staff. The lawsuit was filed by five parents who argued that the policy was illegal because it didn’t guarantee that employees would be sufficiently trained. Under Ohio law, the decision of whether or not to arm teachers and staff is left up to local school boards so long as all armed staff are properly trained. But what exactly constitutes “proper training” was the central debate of the case, and was left vague by state legislators who wrote the law. The parents argued that any armed staff need to complete 700 hours of training, which is what’s required of police officers and security guards. In particular, they pointed to a section of Ohio code, which states: “No public or private educational institution shall employ a person as a special police officer, security guard, or other position in which such person goes armed while on duty, who has not received a certificate of having satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace officer training program.” Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles Pater, however, found that this statute applies only…

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Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Rallies at the Capitol Amid Renewed Gun Control Efforts

Anthony Gockowski

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus hosted a rally at the State Capitol Saturday to “defend the Second Amendment” and take a stand against gun-control legislation making its way through the House. “Michael Bloomberg’s out-of-state gun control agenda is already out in full force during the 2019 legislative session after spending more than $1 million electing an anti-gun majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives,” the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a press release. “We need to keep up the pressure all throughout session to stop gun control in its tracks.” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) spoke to the crowd gathered in the Capitol rotunda and pledged to fight gun-control legislation in the Senate. “I can tell you with confidence that even though the governor and the Democratic House wants universal background checks, it ain’t gonna happen. And I can tell you that the crazy red flag laws that they have that will pass out of the House and the governor would sign, the Senate Republicans and a handful of Democrats in the Senate will stop it,” he said. “On my watch, the Minnesota Senate will protect the 2nd Amendment. We will not allow red flag or universal background…

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Bill Typo, If Unchanged, Would Make Felons Out of Half A Million Ohioan Gun Owners

Andrew Shirley

Ohio Gun Owners, a citizens’ Second Amendment advocacy organization, discovered Thursday that House Bill 228 (HB 228) would make many widely-used firearms illegal throughout Ohio. The bill’s current language defines illegal “dangerous ordnance” as: (7) Any firearm with an overall length of at least twenty- six inches that is approved for sale by the federal bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives under the “Gun Control Act of 1968,” 82 Stat. 1213, 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3), but that is found by the bureau not to be regulated under the “National Firearms Act,” 68A Stat. 725 (1934), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a). This section of the bill, however, should have been included in a section that defines what weapons do not count as “dangerous ordnance.” This makes it highly probable that those who drafted the legislation simply placed this passage in the wrong section. If unchanged, the bill would mistakenly ban hundreds of common weapons, including AR-15’s and shotguns with pistol grips because of what appears to be a clerical error. It would also make felons out of hundreds of thousands of legal gun owners in Ohio. The bill’s primary sponsors are Terry Johnson (R-90) Sarah LaTourette (R-76). Neither legislator has issued a statement on the bill. As…

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Second Amendment Advocacy Organization Wins Case Over Bump Stock Ban

Andrew Shirley

Friday, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Robert Rhuehlman granted an injunction against an ordnance by the city of Cincinnati that would have made “trigger activators,” which are more commonly know as bump stocks, illegal in city limits. A bump stock is any device that uses “bump fire,” to increase the rate-of-fire of a semiautomatic weapon, and some revolvers. The device uses the natural recoil of the gun to permit the weapon to fire at a much higher rate. The ATF, led by appointees of the Obama Administration ruled in 2010 that these devices were legal and could be sold without regulation. Despite widespread availability and at relatively modest prices, they were not commonly adopted. This changed dramatically in 2017. On October 1st, 2017, a gunman opened fire in Las Vegas, Nevada, killing 58 people, wounding more than 400 with gunfire, and injuring 851. Upon investigation, it was found that he was utilizing bump stocks on several of his weapons. This propelled the otherwise innocuous firearm modification into the national spotlight. Overnight, demand for bump stocks spiked. Many progressive groups began calling for immediate bans. To many second amendment advocates, this appeared to be an overreaction by the federal government that infringed upon the second amendment.…

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Supreme Court Takes Up First Gun Rights Case in a Decade

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by Kevin Daley   The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear its first gun rights case in almost a decade. The justices will decide whether a New York City ordinance which strictly regulates the possession and transportation of handguns outside the home is constitutional. Tuesday’s grant marks the first time that the Supreme Court has engaged with the Second Amendment since it issued a pair of landmark decisions in 2008 and 2010 which affirmed the constitutional right to keep guns in the home for self-defense. Since those two decisions, however, the federal courts have upheld a range of gun control measures against constitutional challenges, to the consternation of Second Amendment activists. The high court’s continued silence on gun rights in view of those rulings baffled many observers and periodically drew fierce dissents from the conservative justices. “For those of us who work in marbled halls, guarded constantly by a vigilant and dedicated police force, the guarantees of the Second Amendment might seem antiquated and superfluous,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a June 2017 opinion. “But the framers made a clear choice: They reserved to all Americans the right to bear arms for self-defense. I do not think we should stand…

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Minnesota’s Republican-Controlled Senate Introduces 91 Bills, Seeks to Punish Sanctuary Cities

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota’s Republican-controlled Senate hit the ground running Thursday by introducing 91 pieces of legislation. Many of the items correspond with the top five priorities Republicans outlined at a Tuesday press conference, though there were several noteworthy outliers. Senate File (SF) 80, for instance, would impose “aid reductions” on sanctuary cities in Minnesota. The bill defines a sanctuary city as any city that prohibits or restricts local public safety officials from enforcing federal immigration law, or any city “designated as a sanctuary jurisdiction” by the Department of Homeland Security. “Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a city may not receive aid payment under sections 477A.011 to 477A.03 if it is determined to be a sanctuary city,” the bill states. Cities such as Minneapolis and Rochester have declared themselves sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants. Republicans also introduced what is often referred to as a “stand your ground” bill, which allows for the use of deadly force in life-situations and is generally pushed by pro-Second Amendment activists. “An individual taking defensive action pursuant to subdivision 2 may use all force and means, including deadly force, that the individual in good faith believes is required to succeed in defense,” SF 72 states, noting…

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Commentary: What The Fake History Of Guns Can Teach Us

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by Chris Calton   In 2000, Emory University history professor Michael Bellesiles published the book Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture. The central argument of the book was that the culture of American gun ownership does not date back to the colonial era and, instead, emerged in the middle of the nineteenth century when technological advances made firearms more affordable. Among the academic left, the book was wildly popular. Scholars gave glowing reviews of the book, and Columbia University awarded Billesiles one of the most coveted prizes in the history profession: The Bancroft. Enhancing his newfound academic fame were the enemies he made, namely the National Rifle Association. Charlton Heston, to the glee of anti-gun academics, vocally criticized the book. Bellesile reveled in the attention, telling Heston that he should earn his PhD before criticizing anybody who has one. Leftist scholars were thrilled to have an academic book that appeared to thoroughly demolish the notion, so cherished by American gun owners, that the country was founded on a culture of widespread gun ownership. They even admitted as much, with the publisher saying that it was “ecstatic” about publishing it “because the book knocked the gun lobby.”[1] But even amidst…

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California’s Background Check Law Had No Impact on Gun Deaths, Johns Hopkins Study Finds

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by John Miltimore   A new academic study has found that, once again, gun laws are not having their desired effect. A joint study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of California at Davis Violence Prevention Research Program found that California’s much-touted mandated background checks had no impact on gun deaths, and researchers are puzzled as to why. California Gun Laws Are a Failure In 1991, California simultaneously imposed comprehensive background checks for firearm sales and prohibited gun sales (and gun possession) to people convicted of misdemeanor violent crimes. The legislation mandated that all gun sales, including private transactions, would have to go through a California-licensed Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer. Shotguns and rifles, like handguns, became subject to a 15-day waiting period to make certain all gun purchasers had undergone a thorough background check. It was the most expansive state gun control legislation in America, affecting an estimated one million gun buyers in the first year alone. Though costly and cumbersome, politicians and law enforcement agreed the law was worth it. The legislation would “keep more guns out of the hands of the people who shouldn’t have them,” said then-Republican…

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Bredesen Supporter Michael Bloomberg Called for Targeted Denial of Minorities’ Second Amendment Rights

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Last week Tennessee Democratic Party Senate Candidate Phil Bredesen attended a fundraiser in New York City at the home of former New York City Mayor and potential 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.  Despite his claims that he supports the Second Amendment, Bredesen has received a D rating from the NRA (which endorsed Republican Marsha Blackburn in the race) and has now tied himself to Bloomberg and his anti-gun agenda. Bloomberg recently expressed a desire to deny minority citizens their Constitutional rights when he called for banning gun ownership for minorities at a 2015 meeting at the Aspen Institute.  Bloomberg noted that 95% of murders fall into a specific category: male, minority and between the ages of 15 and 25. Cities need to get guns out of this group’s hands and keep them alive, he told the Aspen Institute. “These kids think they’re going to get killed anyway because all their friends are getting killed,” Bloomberg said. “They just don’t have any long-term focus or anything. It’s a joke to have a gun. It’s a joke to pull a trigger.” After recognizing the racially charged nature of his own comments, Bloomberg tried to block audio or video of his speech to…

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Tennessee Democrats’ Favorite Spokesman Mark Brown Calls Gun Owners ‘Biggest Terrorist Organization’

Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Mark Brown is under fire once again, this time for calling American gun owners the “biggest terrorist organization on the planet.” Fox News reported on Brown’s 2015 Facebook post making that statement. A video of the report is available here. The Fox News report was based on a story by The Washington Free Beacon, which said, “A top spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party’s effort to get Phil Bredesen elected U.S. senator has said he views ‘white male’ gun owners as ‘the biggest terrorist organization on the planet.’” Brown is communications director for Tennessee Victory 2018, a project of the state Democratic party that’s been working exclusively on electing Bredesen. The group is hosting Bredesen for a Johnson City meet-and-greet on Thursday afternoon. Bredesen, for whom Brown once worked and is now actively campaigning on behalf of, has yet to denounce Brown’s hateful rhetoric. Bredesen has tried to claim he supports the Second Amendment, but has been given a “D” rating from the National Rifle Association. “The fact that Brown remains employed by Tennessee Democrats despite his hateful comments toward supporters of President Trump and the Second Amendment tells you everything you need to know,” said Tennessee Republican Party…

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Bredesen, Who Says He Is ‘Not With the Dems’ On Gun Control, Was with Gun Control Advocate Michael Bloomberg at Posh New York Fundraiser

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen, the Democrats’ U.S. Senate candidate in Tennessee, who claimed recently he was “not with the Dems” on gun control, on Tuesday was in fact with the Dems in New York, including gun-control advocate billionaire Michael Bloomberg. Video of the two men entering the venue separately is available here. The Leader (of Covington, Tennessee) on Tuesday said, “Bredesen called himself ‘conservative’ with second amendment issues and said he is a life-long gun owner. …’I’m not with the Dems on that stuff,” The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday. The Tennessee Republican Party said in a press release, “Actually, he is with them, raising money in New York with people who don’t respect law abiding gun owners’ rights. Make no mistake: Phil is bought and paid for by Chuck Schumer, Michael Bloomberg, and national Democrats.” The Star first reported news of the fundraiser on Oct. 4. The event was billed to financiers as an opportunity to “join Mike Bloomberg for an evening in support of Governor Phil Bredesen.” It is likely that Bloomberg is supporting Bredesen because he has a “D” rating from the National Rifle Association. The NRA has been calling for Bredesen to fix an ad in which he claims…

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Bredesen Claims ‘Not With Dems’ on Gun Control Before Bloomberg Fundraiser

Jason M. Reynolds

On issues Tennesseans care about, Phil Bredesen likes to have it both ways, The Tennessee Republican Party said. The organization pointed to the National Rifle Association’s criticism of the U.S. Senate candidate for claiming he has an “A” rating, when that endorsement comes from 2002. His current score is a “D,” as The Tennessee Star has reported. Gun-control advocate Mike Bloomberg hosted a Manhattan fundraiser for Bredesen Tuesday. Bloomberg said in 2014, “And if you want to have a gun in your house, I think you’re pretty stupid – particularly if you have kids – but I guess you have a right to do that. Someday, there is going to be a suit against parents who smoke in their houses or have guns in their houses by a kid. It’s not that far-fetched,” The Tennessee Star reported. The Leader (of Covington) said Tuesday that “Bredesen called himself ‘conservative’ with second amendment issues and said he is a life-long gun owner. …’I’m not with the Dems on that stuff.” Bredesen did not say that the Manhattan fundraiser comes as Bloomberg announced he would contribute $20 million to the Senate Majority PAC, which aims to help Democrats capture a majority. That would put…

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Bredesen, Bloomberg ‘Two Peas in a Pod,’ GOP Says

Jason M. Reynolds

New York native Phil Bredesen is at it again. Just two weeks ago the National Rifle Association chastised him for claiming an endorsement that was over a decade-and-a-half old. Now he is buddying up to perhaps the nation’s richest anti-gun advocate, Mike Bloomberg. The former Tennessee governor has a “D,” not an “A” rating from the NRA-ILA, like he claimed in an ad, The Tennessee Star previously reported. He received the “A” rating in 2002 as governor, but is currently down to a “D.” NRA-ILA Political Victory Fund executive director Chris W. Cox  is using Twitter to call Bredesen out for his use of the old “A” rating, Breitbart reports. @PhilBredesen It’s not 2002, you’re not governor and you’re not A-rated by the NRA. Its 2018, you have earned a D rating for turning your back on self-defense and supporting the Hillary/Schumer/Bloomberg gun control agenda. @VoteMarsha is a 2A champion. You’re not. #stoplying pic.twitter.com/Wi0ORRmQTv — Chris Cox (@ChrisCoxCap6) September 20, 2018 Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is his opponent. Now, former New York Mayor and gun control advocate Bloomberg will host a…

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Billionaire Gun Control Advocate Bloomberg to Host High Dollar Manhattan Fundraiser for Bredesen

Jason M. Reynolds

Former New York Mayor and gun control advocate Mike Bloomberg will host a fundraiser at his Manhattan home next Tuesday for Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen, CNBC reported. The involvement by billionaire Bloomberg is likely to increase scrutiny on one of the tightest races in the midterm elections, as Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, is trying to flip the seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is retiring. The event is being billed to financiers as an opportunity to “join Mike Bloomberg for an evening in support of Governor Phil Bredesen,” according to the invitation. The Tennessee Republican Party said, “When President Trump said Phil Bredesen wouldn’t protect the Second Amendment during his speech in Johnson City, he was more right than he could have known. Today we found out that anti-Second Amendment zealot Mike Bloomberg is holding a fundraiser for Bredesen in New York.” Bloomberg said in 2014, “And if you want to have a gun in your house, I think you’re pretty stupid – particularly if you have kids – but I guess you have a right to do that. Someday, there is going to be a suit against parents who smoke in their houses or…

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NRA Tells Bredesen to Take His ‘Misleading’ Gun Rights Ad Off the Air

Jason M. Reynolds

The National Rifle Association is demanding Phil Bredesen retract a misleading ad from his U.S. Senate campaign in which he uses an old rating to make it appear the organization supports him. The Washington Free Beacon on Friday reported on the gun rights organization’s demand. Watch Bredesen’s ad: The Democratic former governor of Tennessee had received an “A” rating from the NRA – in 2002. His current grade is far different. “Phil Bredesen is a ‘D’ rated candidate, and he will not protect our constitutional rights in Washington, D.C.,” Chris W. Cox, chairman of the NRA’s Political Victory Fund, said in a statement. “Tennesseans should not be fooled by his false and misleading campaign ads.” “It’s not 2002, you’re not governor and you’re not A-rated by the NRA,” Cox tweeted at Bredesen in response to the ad. “It’s 2018, you have earned a D rating for turning your back on self-defense and supporting the Hillary/Schumer/Bloomberg gun control agenda. @VoteMarsha is a 2A champion. You’re not.” @PhilBredesen It’s not 2002, you’re not governor and you’re not A-rated by the NRA. Its 2018, you have earned a D rating for turning your back on self-defense and supporting the Hillary/Schumer/Bloomberg gun control agenda. @VoteMarsha…

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Mike Lee Commentary: Why I Objected to a Bill That Would Ban 3D Gun Designs

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Mike Lee

by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)   Last Tuesday, President Donald Trump tweeted, “I am looking into 3-D Plastic Guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn’t seem to make much sense!” The White House has not offered any clarification on what exactly Trump’s tweet meant, but if he is worried about plastic guns being sold to the public, he shouldn’t be. The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 already makes the sale, and even the mere possession, of plastic guns illegal. Following Trump’s tweet, however, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., went to the Senate floor and tried to pass a bill by unanimous consent (meaning there would be no roll call vote, the bill would just pass the Senate immediately without any debate) that would have banned the mere publication of any designs for a plastic gun that could be produced by a 3D printer. I objected. Anytime legislation begins with words “It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally publish … ” I will force the Senate to take a long look at that legislation. The federal government already believes it has the power to ban the publication of 3D plastic gun designs under the Arms Export…

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More People Use a Gun in Self-Defense Each Year Than Die in Car Accidents

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Mark W. Smith, David Hogg

by Mark W. Smith This is an excerpt from “#Duped: How the Anti-gun Lobby Exploits the Parkland School Shooting-and How Gun Owners Can Fight Back”. How is it that so many kids raised on “Harry Potter”, “The Hunger Games”, “Star Wars”, and all the Marvel action figure movies manage to miss a critical point of the stories? The lesson being: If you want to prevail over evil villains, you must have the proper tools to fight back. Millions of people protect themselves and their families with guns every day in the United States. They choose guns as a means of self-defense for the same reason the Secret Service uses them to protect the president: guns stop bad people from doing bad things to good people. It’s absurd to speak about the right of self-defense in theory but then deny people the tools they need to exercise that right. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Without a gun, most Americans are defenseless at the hands of a violent criminal. How many of us have training in hand-to-hand fighting, the physical strength, and the mental resilience…

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Correcting the Media Misinformation About Arming Teachers

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armed teachers

by James D. Agresti   Misinformation can be deadly, especially when it comes to issues like school shootings. This is because it can build support for policies that increase fatalities and generate opposition to reforms that can save lives. Despite these high stakes, a wide array of media outlets have spread fictions about violence, firearms, and armed security in the wake of the armed rampage that killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Value of Deterrence Shortly after the Parkland massacre, President Trump said: “A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people.” “Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches” would be a “great deterrent” to school shootings. “If a potential ‘sicko shooter’ knows that a school has a large number of very talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school.” After reporting the last of these statements, the Washington Post countered, “Some criminologists have questioned that reasoning, pointing out that some people who plan to commit mass shootings are prepared to die in the process.” Likewise, the New York Timeseditorial board wrote that “many deranged mass murderers expect to die themselves during their killing sprees. It’s almost laughable to believe that the president’s…

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On the 10th Anniversary of the Heller Decision, Many States Refuse to Recognize the Second Amendment

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By Natalia Castro   Ten years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that every American has a basic right to defend themselves. D.C. v. Heller affirmed the constitutional right granted in the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms not just for the purpose of creating a militia but also for basic protection for every individual. The case was viewed as monumental for the defense of the Second Amendment, but states have chosen to continually ignore the ruling and make gun ownership a nearly impossible task. As we celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Court’s ruling, we must accept how far we have come and how far we still must go. Before Heller, Washington, D.C. essentially banned handguns by making it a crime to carry an unregistered firearm and prohibiting the registration of handguns. D.C. also required residents to keep lawfully owned firearms unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock at all times. Heller, a D.C. special policeman who applied to register a handgun and was denied, filed a suit and the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. The late Justice Antonin Scalia delivered the opinion of the Court in which he explained, “The handgun ban amounts to a prohibition of an…

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