by Molly Prince Constitutional lawyer and New York Times best-selling author Mark Smith combats David Hogg’s rhetoric in his latest book, “#Duped,” which serves as a response to the newly-minted gun-control activist and Parkland graduate’s recently released book, “#NeverAgain.” Smith exposes the left’s celebration and exploitation of students in order to advance so-called common sense gun control. “#Duped: How The Anti-Gun Lobby Exploits The Parkland School Shooting — And How Gun Owners Can Fight Back” deconstructs the progressive narrative and illustrates how advocates use children to promulgate an agenda that is so unpalatable they have failed to otherwise enact. Smith writes: From a political standpoint, children are ideal carriers of messages because they are unassailable, particularly if they have a direct connection to a tragedy. For the gun control movement, children represent a win-win-win. They are sympathetic, they are beyond reproach, and they cannot be challenged by anyone. These factors make children ripe for exploitation and explain why we see so many of them in the media today promoting gun control.” “#Duped” exposes not just why the anti-gun movement uses children, but also how. Using correspondence within the Obama administration, Smith highlights the parallels between the left’s response to both the…
Read the full storyTag: Second Amendment
Tennessee Firearms Association Says Gubernatorial Candidates Need to Hear from More Teachers About School Safety
John Harris, Executive Director of the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA), says Tennessee’s candidates for Governor need to listen to more teachers before they speak for teachers. Harris was referring to whether teachers who have a carry permit should be allowed to carry on campus in order to protect themselves, their students and their colleagues in the event of a school shooting situation. Currently, less than half of Tennessee’s 1800 schools have an armed School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus leaving most Tennessee school children vulnerable. During Tuesday night’s gubernatorial forum in Nashville, three of the five major candidates participating indicated that they opposed allowing trained and permitted teachers to carry their weapons on school grounds as an additional line of protection in the event of a shooting incident on campus. Democrats Craig Fitzhugh and Karl Dean, and Republican Beth Harwell all indicated that they did not support allowing teachers to be armed. Governor Bill Haslam, Vanderbilt professors, and the Tennessee teachers’ union (Tennessee Education Association) strongly opposed legislation sponsored by David Byrd (R-Waynesboro) that would have permitted teachers to carry guns on campus. Republicans Bill Lee and Randy Boyd both said they supported allowing teachers who wished to do so, and were…
Read the full storySharp Partisan Divide over Arming Teachers to Provide Protection for Davidson County Schools
In the wake of the terrible school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many have suggested that allowing teachers who have been trained in the use of firearms, and who choose to be armed, be added as a level of protection at schools throughout the U.S. Some Tennessee schools have armed Student Resource Officers (SROs) but many others rely upon unarmed security officers or have no security on site at all. A recent Tennessee Star poll by Triton Research, which conducted an automated poll of 607 likely voters in Davidson County over a two day period April 12-13, 2018, asked respondents: Do you support or oppose allowing teachers who have a permit to carry a gun being allowed to have their gun with them at school if they wish, after they have had some additional training and certification? Davidson County self-identified “likely voters” opposed arming teachers by a 54.6% to 38.8% margin, with 6.6% undecided. However, there was a clear distinction between the views of Republican and Democrat voters on the issue. Republicans SUPPORTED allowing trained and certified teachers to be armed on school campuses by 74% to 19%. 7% were undecided. Democrats OPPOSED the idea…
Read the full storyParkland Student Plans Conservative Livestream on Columbine Anniversary
by Ginny Montalbano Conservative Parkland student Kyle Kashuv is organizing a pro-Second Amendment Facebook Live show on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. I am working on having 4 prominent speakers, one every 15 minutes, go live on Facebook at 10:00 AM-11:00 AM on Friday, to discuss ways to save lives without infringing on 2A and the importance of mental health and not bullying. Stay tuned! #WalkUpNotOut #WalkUp https://t.co/gVuBikLgrU — Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) April 15, 2018 Kashuv, 16, tweeted that the goal is to “discuss ways to save lives without infringing on [the Second Amendment] and the importance of mental health and not bullying.” Confirmed speakers for the livestream so far include Sebastian Gorka, former deputy assistant to President Donald Trump; Charlie Kirk, founder and executive director of Turning Point USA; Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director; and Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union. Apparently, according to people at my school, Fridays school walkouts were approved by the school board – the same school board that blocked @charliekirk11 from coming and said they're not letting MSD get political on campus. 🤔 — Kyle Kashuv (@KyleKashuv) April 16, 2018 Originally, Kashuv planned to bring Kirk…
Read the full storyPro-Gun Dating Site Matches Up Second Amendment Lovers
As the American poet Emily Dickinson once said, “The heart wants what it wants.” Sometimes that means love that includes the responsible use of firearms — which is why Laura Clark, who is based in Texas, launched ProGunDating.com. It’s a new dating site for Americans who are seeking not only romance but others who share a love of the Second Amendment.
Read the full storyBank of America Cuts Off Gun Companies That Make ‘Military-Style’ Weapons
Bank of America officially took sides in America’s gun debate Tuesday, announcing it would no longer make loans to companies that make “military-style” weapons. The second-biggest U.S. bank announced Tuesday that it would drop current loan-customers Vista Outdoors, Remington and Sturm Ruger, and blackball any other manufacturer of assault weapons.
Read the full storyBig Battle Brewing Over Chicago Suburb’s Ban on Assault Weapons
As a response to recent mass shootings, government officials in a Chicago suburb earlier this week criminalized the possession, sale, and manufacturing of “assault weapons” and “large-capacity” magazines, as and other media outlets reported — and the ban includes the most popular rifle in America, the AR-15, and the most common capacity magazines for it.
Read the full storyStudent Says He Was ‘Demoted’ for Expressing Pro-Second Amendment Views
Quade Lancaster, a military veteran and student at a Texas community college, told Campus Reform that he was demoted from president to vice president of the school’s Student Government Association (SGA) as a result of expressing pro-Second Amendment sentiments during a private conversation. It’s a curious case.
Read the full storyFlorida Students Walk Out in Support of 2nd Amendment: ‘My Rights Don’t End Where Your Feelings Begin’
Dozens of students at a Central Florida high school who feel misrepresented by the anti-gun student activists in Parkland walked out of classes Friday in support of the Second Amendment. About 75 students, according to a head count by administrators at Rockledge High School in Brevard County, walked out of classes for about 20 minutes carrying the American flag and pro-Second Amendment signs, Florida Today reported.
Read the full storyJudge Rules Lawsuit Filed Against Massachusetts Attorney General Can Move Forward
Amid an 18-month-long court fight, a federal judge recently ruled that a lawsuit accusing Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey of improperly tightening the state’s strict assault-style weapons ban on her own can move forward.
Read the full storyMedia Darling David Hogg Ducks Debate With Gun Rights Backer Kyle Kashuv
by Ginny Montalbano Kyle Kashuv, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, emerged as the most prominent pro-Second Amendment voice among students there after the shooting at the school that left 17 dead. Kashuv, 16, who has been embraced by many conservatives, hopes to debate David Hogg, 17, a Stoneman Douglas senior. Hogg is one of the most visible liberal voices among the Parkland students in the media spotlight. The son of an FBI agent, he has been lionized by the left as he advocates more gun control. By contrast, Kashuv does not get nearly as much media exposure as Hogg or other liberal-leaning Parkland students. His appearances typically are limited to Fox News Channel among the larger media outlets. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> Charlie Kirk, founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, argues that Kashuv is a worthy opponent for Hogg and other young liberals. In an email to The Daily Signal, Kirk said: Kyle is absolutely brilliant and deserves a chance to debate David Hogg in an open forum. David has insulted us gun owners enough,…
Read the full storyCraig Shirley Commentary: Comforting Lies, Unwritten Rules, and the Ruination of Laura Ingraham
by Craig Shirley Laura Ingraham might just be the most principled and assertive woman I have ever met. When she believes in her heart that the cause is just, she doesn’t back down come hell or highwater. In a field dominated by two-faced charlatans who rattle sabers at each other on television by day and drink cocktails together by night, Laura is the real deal. That passionate and opinionated voice on the radio isn’t some façade or “personality:” That’s Laura Ingraham. With all that verve and brashness, it’s easy to dismiss the individual, but her humbleness as a Catholic, her kindness as a mother of three adopted children, and her resilience as a breast cancer survivor affirms the words of St. Francis De Sales; “Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength.” If we lived in a world where the culture didn’t punish women for being conservative, Laura’s career would have earned critical acclaim long ago. While at Dartmouth College, she became the first woman to serve as Editor-in-Chief of The Dartmouth Review. She then earned her law degree from UVA, wrote speeches for the Reagan Administration, clerked for the Supreme Court, and has become one…
Read the full storyBob Corlew Commentary: Our Second Amendment Rights are Timeless
by Bob Corlew I wish to write in response to former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’ recent Op-ed in The New York Times calling on the repeal of the Second Amendment. In an effort to uphold the law, as a citizen myself, but as a student of the law and former law professor and state court judge, I find it troubling that a core part of Justice Stevens’ argument, and the argument of many gun control advocates that the Second Amendment should be repealed is that private gun ownership and the Second Amendment protecting it is antiquated. The role of a Judge in America still today is that of interpreting the law that has been written. Too many judges today seek to cross the bridge from the role of interpretation of the law to that of becoming an activist in making or enforcing the law, which roles, of course, constitutionally are assigned to legislative and executive branches respectively. I understand that Mr. Stevens is now a private citizen, as I am, and in that role, he is free as a citizen to exercise his First Amendment right to speak on the issues of the Second Amendment, but I…
Read the full storyJeff Hartline Commentary: Security for Me But None for Thee
by Jeff Hartline Most Americans bristle when the U.S. Congress passes laws for us, but exempt themselves from those same laws. Case in point: In 2009, under the leadership of Barack Obama, Democrats passed Obamacare, saddling Americans with massive increases in health insurance premiums or just loss of their coverage. In a move that defied description, Congress exempted itself from the ACA requirements they foisted on everyone else. If that makes you mad, you’ve got bigger problems closer to home. Between 1993 and 2010, Tennesseans began regaining their long-lost-to-Jim Crow-era 2nd Amendment rights. With the influx of a Republican supermajority in recent years, the hope was that these rights would be fully restored under the leadership of supposed 2nd Amendment “supporters.” But those supporters never counted on Beth Harwell. Since she was elected Speaker of the Tennessee House, she has methodically opposed 2nd Amendment legislation, set up committees that would block 2nd Amendment legislation, work with lobbyists and activist groups to intimidate 2nd Amendment supporters, intimidate and punish lawmakers pushing for 2nd Amendment legislation and protected those who stood with her in these schemes. And now, the coup de grace – the demand that State Representative David Byrd (R…
Read the full storyCommentary: Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Is Dead Wrong About His Call to Repeal the Second Amendment, But at Least He’s Honest
By Robert Romano Finally, an honest liberal stands up and tells us all what he really thinks. Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in the New York Times has called for the Second Amendment to be repealed, presumably so that Congress and the states can start banning guns. Therein, Stevens acknowledged that under current Supreme Court precedent, although he disagreed with the D.C. v. Heller decision in 2008, owning firearms is still an individual right secured by the Constitution. Here, Stevens, who is dead wrong in calling for the Second Amendment’s repeal, is underscoring the real challenge facing activists pushing for decisive action in the wake of the Parkland massacre pushing for more gun “control” measures. Stevens too advocates for more aggressive gun control laws, which he defines in calling for lawmakers “to enact legislation prohibiting civilian ownership of semiautomatic weapons.” So, there is a big ol’ ban in there. Of which, there are more than 300 million guns nationwide owned by about 80 million people. About 85 million of those are estimated to be semi-automatic guns, which would be banned under Stevens’ plan. In meantime, there are about 132,000 schools public and private nationwide. Which do we suppose will be easier to secure: The 80…
Read the full storyCommentary: Corporatists Like Google, Reddit, and Citibank Use Their Commercial Might to Cancel The Bill of Rights
by George Rasley, CHQ Editor This past week major corporations made several announcements that should be profoundly troubling to liberty-loving Americans. The first was that Google’s YouTube would takedown and begin censoring gun-related content. They were not talking about content advocating violence or illegal acts, such as the Antifa and jihadi content that has often been reported on the platform. Instead, the search giant announced it was censoring perfectly legal demonstration and entertainment content they decided they didn’t like – even if it was legal. According to anti-gun news outlet Bloomberg, which first reported the news: YouTube will ban videos that promote or link to websites selling firearms and accessories, including bump stocks, which allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire faster. Additionally, YouTube said it will prohibit videos with instructions on how to assemble firearms. The video site, owned by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, has faced intense criticism for hosting videos about guns, bombs and other deadly weapons. For many gun-rights supporters, YouTube has been a haven. A current search on the site for “how to build a gun” yields 25 million results, though that includes items such as toys. At least one producer of gun videos saw its page…
Read the full storyVeteran Owned & Operated Coffee Company ‘Fueling Freedom-Loving Americans’ While Starbucks Focuses on Hiring Refugees
When globalist Starbucks announced its pledge to hire 10,000 refugees in response to President Trump’s executive order instituting a temporary travel ban, former Special Ops veteran Evan Hafer, now CEO and founder of Salt Lake City, Utah-based Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) had a better idea. Hafer said his veteran owned and operated company is working to employ 10,000 veteran service members and others who have served their country. Hafer, who had been roasting coffee for ten years between multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and taste-testing his roasts on the gun range while teaching tactical skills, launched his “premium conservative coffee company” in 2014. During interviews Hafer’s passion for roasting coffee, serving his country and supporting those who have served, is evident. He says simply, BRCC is different from other coffee sellers because it was “built from the ground up for people serving their country.” And instead of Starbuck’s globalist approach to business Hafer says it’s important to shift the focus closer to home. In that context, he makes a compelling case for the potential veteran worker pool of 2.5 million unemployed or underemployed post 9-11 vets and a veteran unemployment rate of 6.3% as compared to a 5% non-vet unemployment rate. Hafer…
Read the full storyUT Martin Student Government Association President Jordan Long Signs Off on Controversial Concealed Carry Resolution
The University of Tennessee at Martin Student Government Association president, Jordan Long, signed the controversial concealed carry resolution passed by the Student Senate last Thursday. Reaction by some in the student body was swift, as many staged a sit-in at the Student Government Association (SGA) offices on campus, WBBJ-TV reported: Although it received a majority of “yes” votes from SGA senators, students who voted in the referendum on Tuesday did not show the same support. More than 1,400 students voiced their opinion in the referendum. In the referendum vote, 89 percent agreed that students feel safe on campus, 54 percent disagreed students with a Tennessee concealed carry permit should be allowed to carry a concealed firearm on campus, and 58 percent disagreed they would feel safer if students were allowed to carry a concealed firearm on campus. On Dec. 7, the resolution was passed 17-10. Now, the resolution will go to UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver for approval. SGA president Jordan Long told WBBJ-TV, “The hundreds of emails that I have gotten, I’ve almost responded to all of them – some for, some against – in a respectful manner, even when the ones that I’ve gotten aren’t at all. It is a constitutional right of…
Read the full storyHow Churches Are Preparing for Active-Shooter Situations
Did they know how many rounds a gunman fired into First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas? Did they know how many little boys and girls he killed? Did they know there was a second violent church attack that same day in Fresno, California? Barry Young’s voice rose as he led an “intruder awareness and response…
Read the full storyPermit Holders Allowed to Carry Firearms in New Tennessee Legislative Building
Carry permit holders will be allowed to bring their firearms into the new home of the Tennessee state legislature, according to a joint statement issued this week by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville). Lawmakers have started relocating to the renovated Cordell Hull Building from the War Memorial Building and Legislative Plaza. The Cordell Hull Building will open to the public Nov. 15. “Tennessee carry permit holders are among the most law-abiding demographics in our state,” the statement said. The new policy requires permit holders to present their permit at security and undergo a thorough screening that will determine the permit’s validity. Once that is verified, a permit holder will get the green light to carry on the premises. To receive a permit, people must be fingerprinted, submit to a background check and get firearms training.
Read the full storyPossible Democratic 2020 Contender Fundraises Off Vegas Slaughter
Sen Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), one of the leading gun control advocates in Congress and a potential 2020 presidential candidate, wasted no time trying to leverage financial support from this week’s mass shooting in Las Vegas. Murphy’s re-election campaign blasted out an email to supporters asking for contributions to three gun control groups, according to the Connecticut…
Read the full storyGun Control Won’t End Mass Murder
As the nation continues to reel from the nation’s worst mass shooting in modern history, politicians and other opportunists find the massacre too inviting not to exploit. The knee-jerk cravenness of liberals to scrape up their calls for gun-control while demonizing the National Rifle Association (NRA) immediately sucks all the air out of the room, eliminating…
Read the full storyWhite House: President Trump Will Not Start Gun-Control Debate after Las Vegas Massacre
President Trump is not reopening a political debate on gun control in the immediate aftermath of the shooting massacre in Las Vegas, the White House said Monday. “There is a time and place for a political debate but now is the time to unite as a country,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. “This is…
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