Tag: Second Amendment

Gun Rights Are Civil Rights

 

Gun control tended to be used to disarm blacks when they were first introduced. Has the justification changed that much since then? Do the leaders of the democratic party actually have a much higher view of blacks than when Wilson was watching Birth of a Nation in the White House theater, or LBJ was cynically using the Civil Rights Act for votes?

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with CATO Institute research fellow Trevor Burrus about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision New York State Rifle and Pistol Associate v. Bruen and its implications for an individual’s right to carry a fire arm in states such as Massachusetts.

Guest:

Rob Long is in for Jim. Join Rob & Greg as they cheer a Republican victory in a very unlikely place. They are also excited to see the skyrocketing number of African-Americans purchasing firearms. They then go on to criticize the Biden administration for punishing border patrol agents for a “whipping” allegation that never actually happened.

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The ink was still wet on a reported “deal” involving fixes to current federal and state gun laws before the far-left media organ Axios repeated Democratic spin: The bipartisan gun safety deal announced today falls well short of what President Biden has called for but still marks the first time in decades Republicans have shown […]

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Charles C.W. Cooke is a prolific writer on the subject of guns and the 2nd Amendment. On June 2, 2022,  with the several mass shootings happening is a span of a few weeks, Cooke sat down with Ricochet’s Scott Immergut to review the history and breadth of gun rights in America. Recorded June 2, 2022 […]

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Second Amendment Quotes: Pro-Gun Quotes on Individual Freedom and the Right to Bear Arms

 

“Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms. […] the right of the citizens to bear arms is just one guarantee against arbitrary government and one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.”
– Rep. Hubert H. Humphrey

“The possession of arms by the people is the ultimate warrant that government governs only with the consent of the governed.”
– Jeffrey R. Snyder, “A Nation of Cowards”

“A man with a gun is a citizen. A man without a gun is a subject.”
– Rep. Allen West (R-FL)

I’ll be teaching an online course: The History of the Second Amendment

 

Hullo, everyone. I’m just popping in to let you all know about an online course I’m teaching early next year called The History of the Second Amendment. It’s with a new startup called Chapter, which noticed that pretty much every course they were offering was either progressive or progressive-adjacent, decided that it didn’t want to become an echo chamber, and so asked me to teach one, too. I suggested the history of the right to keep and bear arms as a topic, they agreed, and here were are.

Chapter describes its system as “like a book club, but way more fun.” Each week, I’ll provide a reading list (which could be articles, reviews, videos, podcasts, or primary source documents), along with insights and tips on each one. There will be a community forum in which you can discuss each topic, as well as a rolling Q&A in which I will answer questions — both on their website and, if the topic warrants it, by video. Because people are busy, everything will be “asynchronous” — that is, you can take part whenever you’re free, rather than at times that are set by me. The course will last four weeks, it will cost $40 (actually: $35 for Ricochet members), and it will run the gamut.

Week One will be on pre-Revolutionary America. We’ll explore how the right to keep and bear arms came over with the colonists from Britain, before making its way into the heart of American law.

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Click here to listen to the podcast! On this episode of The Resistance Library Podcast, Sam and Dave discuss Second Amendment Sanctuaries. Nullification is as American as apple pie. It dates back to 1798, when the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia supported resolutions that asserted the states’ right to stand against federal infringements on their […]

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Was Rittenhouse as Big as the OJ Trial?

 

There’s a grain of truth in this tweet from Dinesh D’Souza. In some ways, this was the O.J. trial for those of us who believe in the Second Amendment and the right of self-defense. We followed it with the same passion and the same interest, but our interest wasn’t due to the celebrity nature of the defendant.

Kyle Rittenhouse may have been the defendant, but what was really up for grabs inside that courtroom was our ability to protect what matters most to us. Kyle defended his life against three felons who used a variety of methods of lethal force. If Kyle were to be found guilty of murder in any of those incidents, it would have established a precedent that the politics surrounding a criminal case can override the merits of the case itself. That he was declared innocent of his crimes by a jury of his peers gives us hope that we might get through this craziness with our Constitution and our sanity intact.

A Lived Experience: AR-15 Wokesanity

 

The geniuses at The Babylon Bee could not have done a better job. As a reporter ventured to Vermont’s first ever indoor gun range…wait a minute. Hold the phone! How does the ‘Freedom and Unity’ state, a constitutional carry state that allows permitless concealed carry (PC) and open carry (OC), never have an indoor gun range until June 2021? I’m floored by that revelation, but I digress. A topic for another day.

I’ll give the reporter an ounce of credibility for even showing up for this experience but the piece is laced with liberal nuance, revealing an undercurrent of bias from the get-go. Cue eye-roll – not shocked. This is no more obvious than his hyperbolic description of firing the “beast” that is the AR-15.

Why We Have a First Amendment

 

Perhaps Piers Morgan gets it now. He didn’t used to. Ever wondered why our founders and framers felt it necessary to have our First AmendmentA post from a favorite British writer, Brendan O’Neill, Editor of a terrific blog, Spiked, may help.

For those who don’t follow Great Britain’s rather interesting media culture, Piers Morgan – you will remember him succeeding the late Larry King’s then-highly popular show in 2010 for about three years – has become the Isle’s top-rated morning host of “Good Morning Britain.” Make that, “had.” He was pushed out yesterday after being, shall we say, less than impressed with Meghan Markle’s appearance in a highly-celebrated interview with Oprah.

I’ve resisted writing about the two-hour CBS interview, even though I eye-rolled my way through it. You can see my admittedly intemperate reaction that I posted on Facebook below, in response to a friend’s query. But the Piers Morgan angle is one Americans might want to pay some attention to. There are lessons and red flags here, as if we need them. Even one US Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito, suggests free speech and religious liberty are under attack in the US. After all, our free speech rights are being trampled for many of the same reasons. Especially, but not exclusively, on college campuses.

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I watched a movie on Amazon Prime recently, and some of it was very good. It was I’m Your Woman, written and directed by Jane Hart, starring the very fine actress Rachel Brosnahan. Please do not read further if you plan to watch it. The end was very fulfilling when the weak and dependent character Jean evolved to […]

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If you’ve ever filled out a Form 4473, you’re familiar with the Question 11e: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or other controlled substance?” In case you thought there was any ambiguity with regard to medical marijuana, you were wrong. Indeed, there is a warning in bold […]

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For Americans, the crux of gun control laws has been how to disarm dangerous individuals without disarming the public at large. Ever-present in this quest is the question of how the perception of danger should impact guaranteed freedoms protected within the Bill of Rights. Not only is such a balancing act difficult as-is, but there […]

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With the violent crime rate increasing disproportionately in urban communities, it’s no surprise that a recent phone survey of black voters found that 80 percent felt gun violence was an “extremely serious” problem. However, it seems this surge in violence actually has many in the black community changing their views on gun ownership. In 1993, 74 percent of African-Americans favored gun […]

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The Second Amendment guarantees American citizens the right to bear arms, but both federal and state governments determine how citizens may legally exercise that right. And while both federal and state gun control laws regularly change, laws at the state level change more frequently and often without the media coverage that surrounds changes at the federal level. […]

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It’s no secret that mainstream press coverage of gun ownership in the United States tends to be in favor of gun control. Journalists focus on how many people are killed by guns, how many children get their hands on improperly stored firearms, and how many deranged individuals go on shooting sprees. This anti-gun news bias is […]

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Gun Background Checks: How the State Came to Decide Who Can and Cannot Buy a Firearm

 

Prior to 1968, most adults in the United States could purchase a firearm without state interference. Guns were available in local retail stores, as well as mail-order catalogs, and as long as you hadn’t been convicted of a felony and you had the funds, there weren’t any questions asked.

Things are different now. Depending on where in America you are and what type of gun you want to buy, there’s a good chance you’ll need to pass a NICS-mandated background check to complete your purchase.

Although many people hold a strong opinion for and against gun background checks, they’ve proven to be an integral part of the state’s gun control apparatus – and they don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.

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Disclaimer: This guide is intended to be informational only surrounding the topic of ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms. It is not legal advice. Ever since the landmark ruling on 3D-printed firearms, outrage and moral panic have surrounded so-called “ghost guns.” Whether you’re a proponent of Second Amendment freedoms or just doing opponent research, it’s important […]

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