bearingarms--2020-08-20--Mississippi Councilman Wants To Shut Down Gun Shows To Fight Crime

I ’ m not sure if the local politicians in Jackson , Mississippi have a reading comprehension problem , or if they just don ’ t care that state law makes it clear that they don ’ t have the authority to regulate the sale or possession of firearms , but for the second time this year officials with the city are taking steps to infringe on the rights of residents .
This time around , several city council members are talking about imposing a one-year moratorium on gun shows in the city .
The latest effort began with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaron Banks , who complained that gun shows are helping to drive violent crime .
We understand that we can not arrest our way out of what is happening in our beloved city ; but we certainly can enforce the laws that are on the books and we certainly can work with every entity and branch of our judicial system to ensure that folk that continue to use violence as a means to an end , will face all of the necessary consequences afforded to them .
We must address gun shows and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place for those vendors that do not follow proper background checks and other protocol measures .
We must work to strengthen our police department .
We must find creative ways to address staffing issues , pay shortages and other things that hinder our men and women in blue from doing their jobs effectively .
We must increase visibility .
Banks followed up that editorial with a call to halt gun shows in the city for at least a year in order to “ investigate how and if gun vendors are conducting background checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shows.
” How the city would investigate gun shows if no gun shows are taking place is unclear , but the bigger problem for Banks and other anti-gun city officials is that Mississippi state law makes it crystal clear that they don ’ t have the authority to stop the shows from taking place .
In fact , as Y ’ all Politics points out , this isn ’ t the first time politicians in Mississippi ’ s capital city have tried to put an end to gun shows inside the city limits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the late Mayor Frank Melton attempted to prepare an executive order to outlaw gun shows within the city limits of Jackson .
It was found that the mayor or council municipality has the authority to regulate any kind of activity like gun shows with the issuance of an executive order within Mississippi code sections 45-9-51 and 45-9-53 .
In that particular situation , an opinion from then Attorney General Jim Hood stated : “ Therefore , it is the opinion of this office that the mayor may not lawfully ban gun shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or otherwise.
” Further back , in 1996 , Jackson took the State of Mississippi to court over the matter .
The Mississippi Supreme Court held firm that it is not within the city ’ s authority to enforce local zoning ordinances on state owned land , like the fairgrounds .
Jackson ’ s next gun show is scheduled for August 29th and 30th at the fairgrounds , which is under the control of the state Department of Agriculture .
Commissioner Andy Gipson says the show will go on as planned .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next week at the fairgrounds .
We are still having the gun show at the State Fairgrounds .
The ordinance does not apply on property controlled by the State Department of Agriculture such as the Fairgrounds .
Matter of fact , I don ’ t believe the City of Jackson can ban gun shows anywhere because of our state law .
I helped write those laws in the Legislature.
” It ’ s high time that Jackson ’ s local leaders quit playing games with the Second Amendment and Mississippi ’ s firearms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chukwe Lumumba tried to ban the open carrying of firearms inside the city limits , but a federal judge blocked the mayor from enforcing the policy and Lumumba withdrew his plan after the city council rejected the idea .
City leaders in Jackson need to be practical and pragmatic in their approach to driving down the escalating violence in their city by focusing on what can be done , not what they ’ d like to do if the Constitution and Mississippi state law were no consideration .
That starts with a focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with the U.S. Attorney to bring federal charges against those who are the nexus for too many shootings .
Jackson is dealing with a crime problem , not a legal gun owner problem , and it ’ s time that local officials take the problem seriously .

I’m not sure if the local politicians in Jackson, Mississippi have a reading comprehension problem, or if they just don’t care that state law makes it clear that they don’t have the authority to regulate the sale or possession of firearms, but for the second time this year officials with the city are taking steps to infringe on the rights of residents. This time around, several city council members are talking about imposing a one-year moratorium on gun shows in the city.
The latest effort began with a recent editorial by Jackson city council member Aaron Banks, who complained that gun shows are helping to drive violent crime.
We understand that we cannot arrest our way out of what is happening in our beloved city; but we certainly can enforce the laws that are on the books and we certainly can work with every entity and branch of our judicial system to ensure that folk that continue to use violence as a means to an end, will face all of the necessary consequences afforded to them. We must address gun shows and ensure that tougher penalties are put in place for those vendors that do not follow proper background checks and other protocol measures. We must work to strengthen our police department. We must find creative ways to address staffing issues, pay shortages and other things that hinder our men and women in blue from doing their jobs effectively. We must increase visibility.
Banks followed up that editorial with a call to halt gun shows in the city for at least a year in order to “investigate how and if gun vendors are conducting background checks on people who buy firearms from gun shows.” How the city would investigate gun shows if no gun shows are taking place is unclear, but the bigger problem for Banks and other anti-gun city officials is that Mississippi state law makes it crystal clear that they don’t have the authority to stop the shows from taking place.
In fact, as Y’all Politics points out, this isn’t the first time politicians in Mississippi’s capital city have tried to put an end to gun shows inside the city limits.
Most recently in April of 2006, the late Mayor Frank Melton attempted to prepare an executive order to outlaw gun shows within the city limits of Jackson. It was found that the mayor or council municipality has the authority to regulate any kind of activity like gun shows with the issuance of an executive order within Mississippi code sections 45-9-51 and 45-9-53. In that particular situation, an opinion from then Attorney General Jim Hood stated: “Therefore, it is the opinion of this office that the mayor may not lawfully ban gun shows by the issuance of an executive order or otherwise.” Further back, in 1996, Jackson took the State of Mississippi to court over the matter. The Mississippi Supreme Court held firm that it is not within the city’s authority to enforce local zoning ordinances on state owned land, like the fairgrounds.
Jackson’s next gun show is scheduled for August 29th and 30th at the fairgrounds, which is under the control of the state Department of Agriculture. Commissioner Andy Gipson says the show will go on as planned.
“There is a gun show scheduled for next week at the fairgrounds. We are still having the gun show at the State Fairgrounds. The ordinance does not apply on property controlled by the State Department of Agriculture such as the Fairgrounds. Matter of fact, I don’t believe the City of Jackson can ban gun shows anywhere because of our state law. I helped write those laws in the Legislature.”
It’s high time that Jackson’s local leaders quit playing games with the Second Amendment and Mississippi’s firearms preemption law. Earlier this year Mayor Chukwe Lumumba tried to ban the open carrying of firearms inside the city limits, but a federal judge blocked the mayor from enforcing the policy and Lumumba withdrew his plan after the city council rejected the idea.
City leaders in Jackson need to be practical and pragmatic in their approach to driving down the escalating violence in their city by focusing on what can be done, not what they’d like to do if the Constitution and Mississippi state law were no consideration. That starts with a focus on the most violent offenders, and working with the U.S. Attorney to bring federal charges against those who are the nexus for too many shootings. Jackson is dealing with a crime problem, not a legal gun owner problem, and it’s time that local officials take the problem seriously.


bearingarms--2020-08-20--Mississippi Governor Fires Back At Chicago Mayor's Claims

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot knows precisely what to do about the violence surge in her city .
It ’ s not increased funding for police , more proactive policing measures , cracking down on illegal gun sales , or anything of sort .
Oh no , that ’ s what most mayors would do , but Lightfoot has a better idea .
You see , she just blames every other state in the country for her city becoming even more of a dystopian nightmare .
Her most recent victim is the state of Mississippi .
This really shouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has never believed Chicago ’ s problems were because of Chicago .
Oh no , someone else has to be to blame .
Nevermind that most of the people she blames for Chicago ’ s violence are places that are hardly ever as violent as Chicago despite falling under the same gun laws Lightfoot argues are the issue .
Well , after blaming Mississippi , the governor of that state was less than pleased .
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said Wednesday that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s suggestion that gun laws in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s gun violence was a “ pathetic excuse.
” Reeves responded on Twitter to comments that Lightfoot made during an interview on Tuesday on MSNBC ’ s Morning Joe .
“ The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city , ” Reeves ’ Twitter post said .
“ It ’ s a pathetic excuse for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free.
” The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free .
https : //t.co/AwM3lvx1c0 Reeves appeared to side with Trump ’ s criticism of Lightfoot ’ s handling of the protesters in his Twitter post and referred to her comment about seized guns from out of state as a “ conspiracy theory ” in an interview with Y ’ all Politics that he later retweeted .
“ This ridiculous conspiracy theory from the Chicago mayor—that Mississippians are to blame for the violence in her own city—is bizarre and pathetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blog .
“ No serious person could think that murders are out of control and people are burning police cars in Chicago because of Mississippi ’ s commitment to the constitution.
” The thing to remember about Lightfoot , though , is her deep commitment to political narcissism .
Nothing is ever her fault or her city ’ s fault .
The fault has to lie somewhere else because there ’ s no way they could be responsible for what ’ s going on .
Of course , the voters eat it up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t responsible either .
They can shift the blame to Indiana and Mississippi and not have to take responsibility for their own city .
“ It ’ s not our fault , it ’ s all these other places .
They ’ re the ones responsible.
” Yet if that were true , if the access to guns were the only issue , then why aren ’ t these other states just as violent on a per capita basis as Chicago ?
They ’ re not .
Even their urban areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet the glory of political narcissism is that you simply don ’ t have to acknowledge your own faults .
It means you don ’ t have to dig deep and figure out what you ’ re doing wrong .
Reeves is right to question Lightfoot ’ s claims .
It ’ s only too bad that Lightfoot is unable to question her own claims .
If she did and did so honestly , maybe she could fix the mess that is Chicago for a change .
But that would require thoughtfulness @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot knows precisely what to do about the violence surge in her city. It’s not increased funding for police, more proactive policing measures, cracking down on illegal gun sales, or anything of sort.
Oh no, that’s what most mayors would do, but Lightfoot has a better idea.
You see, she just blames every other state in the country for her city becoming even more of a dystopian nightmare. Her most recent victim is the state of Mississippi.
This really shouldn’t surprise anyone, of course. Lightfoot has never believed Chicago’s problems were because of Chicago. Oh no, someone else has to be to blame. Nevermind that most of the people she blames for Chicago’s violence are places that are hardly ever as violent as Chicago despite falling under the same gun laws Lightfoot argues are the issue.
Well, after blaming Mississippi, the governor of that state was less than pleased.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said Wednesday that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s suggestion that gun laws in Mississippi are partially to blame for the city’s gun violence was a “pathetic excuse.” Reeves responded on Twitter to comments that Lightfoot made during an interview on Tuesday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city,” Reeves’ Twitter post said. “It’s a pathetic excuse for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free.” The Chicago mayor says Mississippians are to blame for the out-of-control violence plaguing her city. It’s a pathetic excuse for the failure of left-wing experiments in undermining police and letting criminals run free. https://t.co/AwM3lvx1c0 — Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) August 19, 2020 … Reeves appeared to side with Trump’s criticism of Lightfoot’s handling of the protesters in his Twitter post and referred to her comment about seized guns from out of state as a “conspiracy theory” in an interview with Y’all Politics that he later retweeted. “This ridiculous conspiracy theory from the Chicago mayor—that Mississippians are to blame for the violence in her own city—is bizarre and pathetic,” Reeves told the conservative political blog. “No serious person could think that murders are out of control and people are burning police cars in Chicago because of Mississippi’s commitment to the constitution.”
The thing to remember about Lightfoot, though, is her deep commitment to political narcissism. Nothing is ever her fault or her city’s fault. The fault has to lie somewhere else because there’s no way they could be responsible for what’s going on.
Of course, the voters eat it up because it means the measures they backed aren’t responsible either. They can shift the blame to Indiana and Mississippi and not have to take responsibility for their own city. “It’s not our fault, it’s all these other places. They’re the ones responsible.”
Yet if that were true, if the access to guns were the only issue, then why aren’t these other states just as violent on a per capita basis as Chicago? They’re not. Even their urban areas aren’t as violent as Chicago.
Yet the glory of political narcissism is that you simply don’t have to acknowledge your own faults. It means you don’t have to dig deep and figure out what you’re doing wrong.
Reeves is right to question Lightfoot’s claims. It’s only too bad that Lightfoot is unable to question her own claims. If she did and did so honestly, maybe she could fix the mess that is Chicago for a change.
But that would require thoughtfulness I doubt she is capable of.


bearingarms--2020-08-20--NJ Attorney General Loses One Court Fight Over 3D Printed Guns

A unanimous three judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals shot down a demand by New Jersey Attorney General Gurwir Grewal to dismiss a case brought by Defense Distributed in federal district court in the state of Texas , where the company is based .
The Second Amendment Foundation says the case is based on Defense Distributed ’ s dissemination of online files that allow others to print a working firearm ( or at least most of the parts necessary ) from a 3D printer .
Grewal and eight other attorneys general around the country filed suit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block DD ’ s distribution of the files , but shortly before the anti-gun AGs launched their legal fight , Defense Distributed and SAF filed a suit of their own , this time in Texas , alleging that Grewal and the other AGs are engaging in “ select enforcement actions ” designed to target the company and its founder .
Grewal attempted to dismiss the case for a “ lack of personal jurisdiction , ” but that argument didn ’ t fly with the Fifth Circuit panel .
In its ruling , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s conduct beyond sending the cease-and-desist letter confirms his intent to crush Defense Distributed ’ s operations and not simply limit the dissemination of digital files in New Jersey .
Grewal ’ s enforcement actions are selective .
He has not targeted the many similarly-situated persons who publish Defense Distributed ’ s files on the internet…Instead , he has focused solely on Defense Distributed .
Perhaps nowhere is this better illustrated than in Grewal ’ s efforts to enjoin the national distribution of Defense Distributed ’ s files by suing in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home state .
Grewal has also threatened Defense Distributed ’ s founder , Cody Wilson , by name , promising to ‘ come after ’ ‘ anyone who is contemplating making a printable gun ’ and ‘ the next ghost gun company.
’ Together , these actions confirm Grewal ’ s intent to force Defense Distributed to close shop.
” The decision by the Fifth Circuit panel doesn ’ t guarantee success for the Defense Distributed once their case against the attorneys general gets its day in court , of course , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fifth Circuit acknowledge that Grewal is engaged in an effort to destroy the company .
In some respects Grewal ’ s actions are similar to what New York Attorney General Letitia James is doing in her lawsuit against the NRA .
She ’ s not just seeking to remedy any financial wrongdoing on the part of NRA leaders , she ’ s trying to dissolve the organization entirely .
Just like James , Grewal isn ’ t interested in any legal outcome that would allow Defense Distributed to remain in existence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for survival will take place on Defense Distributed ’ s home turf , though the case brought by Grewal and the anti-gun attorneys general is still proceeding in federal court in Washington State as well .
The legal battles are likely to continue for quite some time , but it ’ s great to see that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is taking the threats by New Jersey ’ s top law enforcement officer seriously .

A unanimous three judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals shot down a demand by New Jersey Attorney General Gurwir Grewal to dismiss a case brought by Defense Distributed in federal district court in the state of Texas, where the company is based.
The Second Amendment Foundation says the case is based on Defense Distributed’s dissemination of online files that allow others to print a working firearm (or at least most of the parts necessary) from a 3D printer. Grewal and eight other attorneys general around the country filed suit in federal court in Washington State seeking to block DD’s distribution of the files, but shortly before the anti-gun AGs launched their legal fight, Defense Distributed and SAF filed a suit of their own, this time in Texas, alleging that Grewal and the other AGs are engaging in “select enforcement actions” designed to target the company and its founder.
Grewal attempted to dismiss the case for a “lack of personal jurisdiction,” but that argument didn’t fly with the Fifth Circuit panel.
In its ruling, the 5th Circuit noted, “Grewal’s conduct beyond sending the cease-and-desist letter confirms his intent to crush Defense Distributed’s operations and not simply limit the dissemination of digital files in New Jersey. Grewal’s enforcement actions are selective. He has not targeted the many similarly-situated persons who publish Defense Distributed’s files on the internet…Instead, he has focused solely on Defense Distributed. Perhaps nowhere is this better illustrated than in Grewal’s efforts to enjoin the national distribution of Defense Distributed’s files by suing in Washington, far from his or the plaintiffs’ home state. Grewal has also threatened Defense Distributed’s founder, Cody Wilson, by name, promising to ‘come after’ ‘anyone who is contemplating making a printable gun’ and ‘the next ghost gun company.’ Together, these actions confirm Grewal’s intent to force Defense Distributed to close shop.”
The decision by the Fifth Circuit panel doesn’t guarantee success for the Defense Distributed once their case against the attorneys general gets its day in court, of course, but it’s still good to see the Fifth Circuit acknowledge that Grewal is engaged in an effort to destroy the company. In some respects Grewal’s actions are similar to what New York Attorney General Letitia James is doing in her lawsuit against the NRA. She’s not just seeking to remedy any financial wrongdoing on the part of NRA leaders, she’s trying to dissolve the organization entirely. Just like James, Grewal isn’t interested in any legal outcome that would allow Defense Distributed to remain in existence.
For now, anyway, that fight for survival will take place on Defense Distributed’s home turf, though the case brought by Grewal and the anti-gun attorneys general is still proceeding in federal court in Washington State as well. The legal battles are likely to continue for quite some time, but it’s great to see that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is taking the threats by New Jersey’s top law enforcement officer seriously.


bearingarms--2020-08-20--Night Three Of Dem Convention Features "The Gun Grabbers"

For most of the Democratic National Convention , gun control has taken something of a backseat .
While we expected it to be fairly center stage and a big part of the convention , it hadn ’ t been .
Maybe a few off-hand comments here or there , but not the driving issue it was shaping up to be .
Did that mean that Democrats were starting to recognize that maybe gun control wasn ’ t the winning issue they thought it was ?
Of course not , and there were some comments made that really need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by gun violence have to walk by the street corner where their best friend , their brother , their mother , their nephew , where they themselves were shot , and life goes on and on , as if we all haven ’ t just watched a loved one dying get put in the grave , ” Emma Gonzalez , a survivor of a school shooting in Parkland , Fla. , told viewers of the Democratic National Convention .
Now 20 , Gonzalez was at the vanguard of a wave of youth activism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2018 Valentine ’ s Day shooting , in which 17 people were killed and 17 others injured .
“ The whole point of what I ’ m saying here is , until one of us , or all of us , stand up and say , ‘ I can ’ t do this anymore .
I can ’ t sit by and watch the news treat these shootings like acts of God , ’ gun violence isn ’ t just going to stop , ” she said .
Not “ until there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it.
” Is Emma Gonzalez really so delusional that she thinks gun violence will ever go away ?
For as long as there have been people , there have been some who were crap human beings and willing to kill others for whatever reason .
Guns don ’ t create that .
They don ’ t motivate that .
No , that motivation comes from within the broken souls who think it ’ s their right to hurt other people .
Yet those people will hurt others regardless of what ’ s available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , is allow the smaller and physically weaker people to oppose them .
With knives , clubs , rocks , and so on , strength plays a factor .
It plays a big one .
It ’ s not the only factor , mind you , but a big one .
For people like the elderly or many women , there ’ s only so much they can do to mitigate that factor , but firearms allow them to meet the threat on a more even field .
If guns went away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stop kidding yourself .
Giffords was shown slowly playing “ My Country , ‘ Tis of Thee ” on her French horn .
Then she described the aftermath of the shooting , her speech deliberate , still affected by the damage to her brain .
“ My recovery is a daily fight , but fighting makes me stronger .
Words once came easily .
Today I struggle to speak , but I have not lost my voice , ” she said .
“ America needs all of us to speak out , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words .
“ We are at a crossroads .
We can let the shootings continue , or we can act .
We can protect our families , our future .
We can vote .
We can be on the right side of history .
We must elect Joe Biden .
He was there for me , he ’ ll be there for you too.
” What happened to Gabby Giffords was a tragedy .
It honestly was .
However , it was also the act of a maniac .
It was carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave all the people in his life plenty of signals that they dismissed as nothing .
As a result , no one called the police and he wasn ’ t caught beforehand .
That ’ s different than many potential mass shooters over the last year or two who have been arrested before carrying out their crimes .
They planned the shootings , gathered materials to carry them out , did everything they could .
However , they also gave warnings that people listened to and didn ’ t dismiss out of hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot .
Not because of a lack of gun control .
Joining Giffords and Gonzalez in speaking about gun violence on Wednesday , DeAndra Dycus spoke for her son .
Dre was 13 when he was shot in the head while dancing at a birthday party in Indianapolis in 2004 .
Now he is a quadriplegic who is unable to speak ; he lives in a 24-hour care facility .
Because of the coronavirus outbreak , Dycus said , she has only seen him three times since March and can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lives forever , ” she said .
“ Today , my Dre does not talk .
He does not walk .
I know he knows me by the smile he shows when I walk in his room .
But I ’ m unsure if he knows a gunshot has changed his life.
” That ’ s awful .
As a father , I can ’ t even imagine what that has to be like .
However , there ’ s a lot missing from this story , such as who carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since this wasn ’ t a mass shooting as we tend to think of them , my guess is that it was related to gang activity or , at least , carried out by a gang member .
That ’ s the root of many of the shootings we ’ ve seen in our inner cities .
I ’ m not saying Dre was in a gang .
I honestly don ’ t know and have no reason to suspect he was , but not being in a gang doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That said , the problem there is the gang activity that tends to lead to these sorts of incidents .
For our inner cities , addressing that would do far more to deal with the violent crime problem than gun control .
Gangs can kill just fine with knives , pipes , chains , or any other kind of weapon you ’ d care to name .
Further , gangs are typically involved in the drug trade , which means they ’ d still have access to guns regardless of what new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an outright gun ban wouldn ’ t disarm them .
I get that many Democrats legitimately feel that gun control is a necessary thing to address violence , but too few have looked beyond the surface .
Gun control isn ’ t a magic bullet .
Banning guns won ’ t make the problem go away .
If it did , we wouldn ’ t have a study showing more kids die from drug overdoses than gun violence .
But they are coming for our guns , one way or another .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they learn once and for all that it ’ s a losing issue for them .
Wednesday night ’ s performance at the DNC proved it .
Best to get about teaching them a valuable lesson by handing them their posteriors come November .

For most of the Democratic National Convention, gun control has taken something of a backseat. While we expected it to be fairly center stage and a big part of the convention, it hadn’t been. Maybe a few off-hand comments here or there, but not the driving issue it was shaping up to be. Did that mean that Democrats were starting to recognize that maybe gun control wasn’t the winning issue they thought it was?
Of course not, and there were some comments made that really need to be addressed.
“People affected every day by gun violence have to walk by the street corner where their best friend, their brother, their mother, their nephew, where they themselves were shot, and life goes on and on, as if we all haven’t just watched a loved one dying get put in the grave,” Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., told viewers of the Democratic National Convention. Now 20, Gonzalez was at the vanguard of a wave of youth activism protesting gun violence in the aftermath of the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting, in which 17 people were killed and 17 others injured. “The whole point of what I’m saying here is, until one of us, or all of us, stand up and say, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t sit by and watch the news treat these shootings like acts of God,’ gun violence isn’t just going to stop,” she said. Not “until there’s a force fighting harder against it.”
Is Emma Gonzalez really so delusional that she thinks gun violence will ever go away? For as long as there have been people, there have been some who were crap human beings and willing to kill others for whatever reason. Guns don’t create that. They don’t motivate that. No, that motivation comes from within the broken souls who think it’s their right to hurt other people.
Yet those people will hurt others regardless of what’s available to them.
What guns do, though, is allow the smaller and physically weaker people to oppose them. With knives, clubs, rocks, and so on, strength plays a factor. It plays a big one. It’s not the only factor, mind you, but a big one. For people like the elderly or many women, there’s only so much they can do to mitigate that factor, but firearms allow them to meet the threat on a more even field.
If guns went away tomorrow, violence wouldn’t. Stop kidding yourself.
Giffords was shown slowly playing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” on her French horn. Then she described the aftermath of the shooting, her speech deliberate, still affected by the damage to her brain. “My recovery is a daily fight, but fighting makes me stronger. Words once came easily. Today I struggle to speak, but I have not lost my voice,” she said. “America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words. “We are at a crossroads. We can let the shootings continue, or we can act. We can protect our families, our future. We can vote. We can be on the right side of history. We must elect Joe Biden. He was there for me, he’ll be there for you too.”
What happened to Gabby Giffords was a tragedy. It honestly was.
However, it was also the act of a maniac. It was carried out by someone delusional and who likely gave all the people in his life plenty of signals that they dismissed as nothing. As a result, no one called the police and he wasn’t caught beforehand.
That’s different than many potential mass shooters over the last year or two who have been arrested before carrying out their crimes. They planned the shootings, gathered materials to carry them out, did everything they could. However, they also gave warnings that people listened to and didn’t dismiss out of hand.
That’s why Gabby Giffords was shot. Not because of a lack of gun control.
Joining Giffords and Gonzalez in speaking about gun violence on Wednesday, DeAndra Dycus spoke for her son. Dre was 13 when he was shot in the head while dancing at a birthday party in Indianapolis in 2004. Now he is a quadriplegic who is unable to speak; he lives in a 24-hour care facility. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Dycus said, she has only seen him three times since March and can’t hug him. “One shot changed our lives forever,” she said. “Today, my Dre does not talk. He does not walk. I know he knows me by the smile he shows when I walk in his room. But I’m unsure if he knows a gunshot has changed his life.”
That’s awful. As a father, I can’t even imagine what that has to be like.
However, there’s a lot missing from this story, such as who carried out the shooting and what their motivation is. Since this wasn’t a mass shooting as we tend to think of them, my guess is that it was related to gang activity or, at least, carried out by a gang member. That’s the root of many of the shootings we’ve seen in our inner cities.
I’m not saying Dre was in a gang. I honestly don’t know and have no reason to suspect he was, but not being in a gang doesn’t innoculate you against these kinds of attacks.
That said, the problem there is the gang activity that tends to lead to these sorts of incidents. For our inner cities, addressing that would do far more to deal with the violent crime problem than gun control. Gangs can kill just fine with knives, pipes, chains, or any other kind of weapon you’d care to name.
Further, gangs are typically involved in the drug trade, which means they’d still have access to guns regardless of what new laws you cared to craft. Even an outright gun ban wouldn’t disarm them.
I get that many Democrats legitimately feel that gun control is a necessary thing to address violence, but too few have looked beyond the surface. Gun control isn’t a magic bullet. Banning guns won’t make the problem go away. If it did, we wouldn’t have a study showing more kids die from drug overdoses than gun violence.
But they are coming for our guns, one way or another. They’re not going to stop until they learn once and for all that it’s a losing issue for them. Wednesday night’s performance at the DNC proved it. Best to get about teaching them a valuable lesson by handing them their posteriors come November.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Seattle Residents Voted For Gun Control. It's Not Working

Back in 2014 , Seattle residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of a universal background check mandate on all firearm transfers in the state .
Since then , they ’ ve enthusiastically embraced even more gun control proposals , from a special tax on firearms and ammunition to a sweeping anti-gun referendum that barred 18-20 year olds from purchasing semi-automatic rifles and imposing a ten-day waiting period for everyone else .
If you believe that gun control laws actually work to reduce violence , as many Seattle voters clearly do , you might be surprised to learn that shootings and homicides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In fact , according to Alan Gottlieb with the Second Amendment Foundation , violence in Seattle has dramatically increased over the last six years .
Gottlieb joins me on today ’ s Bearing Arms ’ Cam & Co to take a closer look at how the gun control failure in Seattle has not only left criminals emboldened , but has made it much more difficult for some city residents to legally acquire a firearm and ammunition .
As the Seattle Times pointed out this week , Mayor Jenny Durkan and other city officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in shootings and murders in the city .
Ordinarily you ’ d think that a Democrat mayor would be willing to at least acknowledge the spike in violence , even if it was only to call for more gun control laws , but the topic appears to be off-limits down at City Hall .
Times columnist Danny Westneat hints at one possible reason for the silence of the Left .
Some crimes that used to drive Seattle crazy — like car smash and grabs — have dropped off the map .
Car prowls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic hit in March , compared to last year , according to Seattle police reports .
But we ’ ve had a rash of killings .
I ’ m well aware this fact will be seized upon by demagogues , such as maybe the president , to blame liberals or protesters or whatever he thinks will goose his re-election chances .
But pretending that it isn ’ t happening is even worse than politically demagoguing it .
Last month , two Black teenagers who went to my kids ’ high school ended up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One , Jamezz Johnson , had just graduated from Garfield High School in June .
The other , Adriel Webb , dropped out of Garfield but then turned it around with the help of a local mentoring agency that paired him with Black college-age mentors .
He ended up getting his diploma in June from Seattle Urban Academy .
In a post on Facebook , the group , Mentoring Urban Students and Teens ( MUST ) , said : “ We are pretty sure Adriel only had one credit after his freshman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connect him with Seattle Urban Academy and Adriel had a dramatic turn around .
He worked very hard and ended up graduating on time .
The next stop for Adriel was studying engineering at Highline College.
” Both were killed in shootings in July that haven ’ t been solved .
Webb was shot at the Arco gas station right across the street from Garfield ; Johnson the next night .
Johnson was laid to rest in a ceremony in August by a group of football linemen who had blocked for him when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ carried to the end zone one last time , ” his father , James Johnson-Gruspe , who is the food coordinator at the Rainier Valley Food Bank , said in a Facebook post .
Washington State ’ s universal background check law didn ’ t do anything to prevent the deaths of Jamezz Johnson and Adriel Web .
Neither did the city ’ s sales tax on guns and ammunition .
Gottlieb told me on today ’ s show that the city ’ s homicide rate is up by more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universal background check measure six years ago .
“ This is not 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 % .
At that point it ’ s a definitive answer [ as to whether or not gun control works ] .
Our opponents tell us we need to look at the science ?
Well let ’ s look at the science and the statistics , and when we see that we see that gun control is a fallacy .
It doesn ’ t work at all , and quite frankly the gun prohibition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what they ’ ve created here.
” I suspect that apology will not be forthcoming , no matter how bad the violent crime rate gets in Seattle in the next few months .
Be sure to check out my entire conversation with Alan Gottlieb in the video window above , including a sneak peek at the upcoming Gun Rights Policy Conference , which for the first time will be held virtually thanks to the COVID-19 virus .
And stick around after the interview for even more news , including an armed citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and meth until police arrived , the lengthy criminal history of an illegal immigrant suspected in the murder of a New Mexico woman , and a New York sheriff ’ s deputy in the right place at the right time to lend a hand to a couple of elderly ladies in need .

Back in 2014, Seattle residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of a universal background check mandate on all firearm transfers in the state. Since then, they’ve enthusiastically embraced even more gun control proposals, from a special tax on firearms and ammunition to a sweeping anti-gun referendum that barred 18-20 year olds from purchasing semi-automatic rifles and imposing a ten-day waiting period for everyone else.
If you believe that gun control laws actually work to reduce violence, as many Seattle voters clearly do, you might be surprised to learn that shootings and homicides haven’t declined since 2014. In fact, according to Alan Gottlieb with the Second Amendment Foundation, violence in Seattle has dramatically increased over the last six years.
Gottlieb joins me on today’s Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co to take a closer look at how the gun control failure in Seattle has not only left criminals emboldened, but has made it much more difficult for some city residents to legally acquire a firearm and ammunition.
As the Seattle Times pointed out this week, Mayor Jenny Durkan and other city officials have been strangely silent about the increase in shootings and murders in the city. Ordinarily you’d think that a Democrat mayor would be willing to at least acknowledge the spike in violence, even if it was only to call for more gun control laws, but the topic appears to be off-limits down at City Hall. Times columnist Danny Westneat hints at one possible reason for the silence of the Left.
Some crimes that used to drive Seattle crazy — like car smash and grabs — have dropped off the map. Car prowls are down nearly 30 percent since the pandemic hit in March, compared to last year, according to Seattle police reports. But we’ve had a rash of killings. I’m well aware this fact will be seized upon by demagogues, such as maybe the president, to blame liberals or protesters or whatever he thinks will goose his re-election chances. But pretending that it isn’t happening is even worse than politically demagoguing it. Last month, two Black teenagers who went to my kids’ high school ended up part of this tragic list of 28. One, Jamezz Johnson, had just graduated from Garfield High School in June. The other, Adriel Webb, dropped out of Garfield but then turned it around with the help of a local mentoring agency that paired him with Black college-age mentors. He ended up getting his diploma in June from Seattle Urban Academy. In a post on Facebook, the group, Mentoring Urban Students and Teens (MUST), said: “We are pretty sure Adriel only had one credit after his freshman year. … (We) helped connect him with Seattle Urban Academy and Adriel had a dramatic turn around. He worked very hard and ended up graduating on time. The next stop for Adriel was studying engineering at Highline College.” Both were killed in shootings in July that haven’t been solved. Webb was shot at the Arco gas station right across the street from Garfield; Johnson the next night. Johnson was laid to rest in a ceremony in August by a group of football linemen who had blocked for him when he played, so that he could be “carried to the end zone one last time,” his father, James Johnson-Gruspe, who is the food coordinator at the Rainier Valley Food Bank, said in a Facebook post.
Washington State’s universal background check law didn’t do anything to prevent the deaths of Jamezz Johnson and Adriel Web. Neither did the city’s sales tax on guns and ammunition.
Gottlieb told me on today’s show that the city’s homicide rate is up by more than 50% since the passage of the universal background check measure six years ago.
“This is not 2 or 3 or 4 or 5%. At that point it’s a definitive answer [as to whether or not gun control works]. Our opponents tell us we need to look at the science? Well let’s look at the science and the statistics, and when we see that we see that gun control is a fallacy. It doesn’t work at all, and quite frankly the gun prohibition lobby should apologize to Washington gun owners for what they’ve created here.”
I suspect that apology will not be forthcoming, no matter how bad the violent crime rate gets in Seattle in the next few months.
Be sure to check out my entire conversation with Alan Gottlieb in the video window above, including a sneak peek at the upcoming Gun Rights Policy Conference, which for the first time will be held virtually thanks to the COVID-19 virus. And stick around after the interview for even more news, including an armed citizen who held a burglar high on spice and meth until police arrived, the lengthy criminal history of an illegal immigrant suspected in the murder of a New Mexico woman, and a New York sheriff’s deputy in the right place at the right time to lend a hand to a couple of elderly ladies in need.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Mayor Lightfoot's Glaring Double Standard On Personal Safety

The directive surfaced in a July email from then-Shakespeare District Cmdr .
Melvin Roman to officers under his command .
It did not distinguish between the peaceful protesters Lightfoot regularly says she supports and those who might intend to be destructive , but ordered that after a warning is given to demonstrators , “ It should be locked down.
” I ’ m not a huge fan of protesting outside of people ’ s homes , but as long as they ’ re engaged in a peaceful protest they have a First Amendment right to do so .
It seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the First Amendment as she does the Second : not much at all .
I know plenty of gun owners who feel the same way , but Lori Lightfoot ’ s treated them with contempt .
In fact , the only difference between Lightfoot and many Chicagoans is that she ’ s privileged enough to have around-the-clock police protection , while the peasants have to protect themselves .
Make no mistake , her personal Praetorian Guard is absolutely having an impact on the safety and security of the average Chicagoan .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be patrolling high-crime neighborhoods are instead parked outside of the mayor ’ s house to make sure she ’ s not disturbed by any protests .
“ We have seen very peaceful First Amendment protests for the most part but embedded in each of those protests have been very violent people .
And they ’ re embedded .
They put up umbrellas .
And they come for a fight , ” Brown said .
“ So we have to prepare for what we ’ ve seen.
” Of course police in Chicago should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen , but that still doesn ’ t mean that the mayor needs a phalanx of armed police surrounding her house 24/7 , especially if resources are being diverted from other areas to ensure that she gets her beauty rest .
The mayor ’ s double standard on personal safety is glaringly obvious .
Lori Lightfoot is special , so why shouldn ’ t she be able to turn her home into a fortress with dozens of police officers equipped with “ battlefield weapons of war ” and “ large capacity magazines ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other hand , wants an AR-15 and a couple of 20-round magazines to protect himself and his family from the disorder plaguing his neighborhood , he ’ s out of luck .
Mayor Lightfoot ’ s already demonstrated her inability to protect the city from violent criminals , and turning her home into a heavily fortified compound while preaching the need for gun control for everyone else is just another piece of evidence that Lightfoot ’ s concern about the safety and security of Chicagoans ends at her front door .

The directive surfaced in a July email from then-Shakespeare District Cmdr. Melvin Roman to officers under his command. It did not distinguish between the peaceful protesters Lightfoot regularly says she supports and those who might intend to be destructive, but ordered that after a warning is given to demonstrators, “It should be locked down.”
I’m not a huge fan of protesting outside of people’s homes, but as long as they’re engaged in a peaceful protest they have a First Amendment right to do so. It seems as if Lightfoot has as much respect for the First Amendment as she does the Second: not much at all.
“I’m not going to make any excuses for the fact that, given the threats I have personally received, given the threats to my home and my family, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re protected,” Lightfoot said. “I make no apologies whatsoever for that.”
I know plenty of gun owners who feel the same way, but Lori Lightfoot’s treated them with contempt. In fact, the only difference between Lightfoot and many Chicagoans is that she’s privileged enough to have around-the-clock police protection, while the peasants have to protect themselves. Make no mistake, her personal Praetorian Guard is absolutely having an impact on the safety and security of the average Chicagoan.
Aside from the expanded police presence to block protesters from reaching her home, Lightfoot already receives 24/7 protection from cops including officers stationed at the residence. The aggressive policing has sometimes siphoned away resources from the area’s police district, some sources with knowledge of the situation said, leading to quiet grumbling.
In other words, cops that would normally be patrolling high-crime neighborhoods are instead parked outside of the mayor’s house to make sure she’s not disturbed by any protests.
“We have seen very peaceful First Amendment protests for the most part but embedded in each of those protests have been very violent people. And they’re embedded. They put up umbrellas. And they come for a fight,” Brown said. “So we have to prepare for what we’ve seen.”
Of course police in Chicago should be prepared for what they’ve seen, but that still doesn’t mean that the mayor needs a phalanx of armed police surrounding her house 24/7, especially if resources are being diverted from other areas to ensure that she gets her beauty rest.
The mayor’s double standard on personal safety is glaringly obvious. Lori Lightfoot is special, so why shouldn’t she be able to turn her home into a fortress with dozens of police officers equipped with “battlefield weapons of war” and “large capacity magazines”? If Larry Lightfoot, on the other hand, wants an AR-15 and a couple of 20-round magazines to protect himself and his family from the disorder plaguing his neighborhood, he’s out of luck.
Mayor Lightfoot’s already demonstrated her inability to protect the city from violent criminals, and turning her home into a heavily fortified compound while preaching the need for gun control for everyone else is just another piece of evidence that Lightfoot’s concern about the safety and security of Chicagoans ends at her front door.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Facebook Shuts Down Utah Pro-Gun Page

Facebook Shuts Down Utah Pro-Gun Page

Social media likes to pretend that it doesn ’ t have a bias .
They like to argue that they ’ re neutral and are simply trying to make their sites a safe place for everyone .
Of course , know that to be absolute BS .
We ’ ve all seen examples of left-leaning behavior be ignored by companies like Facebook while they hammer less egregious acts by right-leaning users , just to name one example .
We ’ ve also seen pages that support things like the Second Amendment get shut down time and time again , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , we can add another victim to the lists .
The Facebook page belonging to an armed Utah group formed in response to protests against police brutality is among thousands shut down after the social media platform announced it would remove accounts discussing potential violence .
Facebook expanded its policy Wednesday on people and groups it deems dangerous , saying it will now take down or restrict accounts it sees as a public safety threat but that don ’ t meet the higher standard for a ban from the platform .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his group never advocated for violence .
“ Facebook seems to be confused about the difference between the constitutional right to bear arms and a propensity for and inclination toward violence , ” Robertson said in a statement .
Robertson founded the pro-police group as a response to a July protest in Provo where authorities say a demonstrator shot an SUV driver as the vehicle pushed through protesters who surrounded it in a crosswalk .
The driver was struck in the arm .
Since then , dozens of the militia ’ s members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off against those protesting police in Salt Lake City , Provo and Cottonwood Heights .
Robertson said Wednesday the group supports First Amendment rights but opposes violent or destructive behavior .
Utah Citizens ’ Alarm will continue coordinating on its website after Facebook took down its page and those of its administrators “ without warning and seemingly without any recourse , ” Robertson said .
“ This isn ’ t going to stop us .
Not even close , ” he added .
“ It ’ s going to just make us stronger.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those riots , the very thing that Utah Citizens Alarm was founded to counter , are coordinated on sites like Facebook .
Yet Facebook does little to nothing to address them .
Now , understand that Facebook is a private entity and they can do pretty much whatever they want with it .
However , they also enjoy certain protections because they ’ re considered a platform versus a publisher .
Yet this one-sided bias by Facebook is a problem .
They ’ re not acting like a platform .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ dangerous ” even if there ’ s no real reason to believe them to so…unless that believe is driven more by ideology than facts .
Look , I have no idea what Utah Citizens Alarm may or may not have posted on their page .
While I believe them when they said they didn ’ t post anything against the rule , I honestly don ’ t care if the did , either .
Time and time again , we ’ ve seen Facebook lower the boom on pro-Second Amendment pages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more vile things seem to get a pass .
Groups like Antifa and BLM–an organization that tried to justify looting in Chicago–get to chug right along .
A lot of people aren ’ t going to be fans of the hypocrisy .

Social media likes to pretend that it doesn’t have a bias. They like to argue that they’re neutral and are simply trying to make their sites a safe place for everyone.
Of course, know that to be absolute BS. We’ve all seen examples of left-leaning behavior be ignored by companies like Facebook while they hammer less egregious acts by right-leaning users, just to name one example.
We’ve also seen pages that support things like the Second Amendment get shut down time and time again, all while Antifa still has their pages. Well, we can add another victim to the lists.
The Facebook page belonging to an armed Utah group formed in response to protests against police brutality is among thousands shut down after the social media platform announced it would remove accounts discussing potential violence. Facebook expanded its policy Wednesday on people and groups it deems dangerous, saying it will now take down or restrict accounts it sees as a public safety threat but that don’t meet the higher standard for a ban from the platform. But Utah Citizens Alarm founder Casey Robertson says his group never advocated for violence. “Facebook seems to be confused about the difference between the constitutional right to bear arms and a propensity for and inclination toward violence,” Robertson said in a statement. Robertson founded the pro-police group as a response to a July protest in Provo where authorities say a demonstrator shot an SUV driver as the vehicle pushed through protesters who surrounded it in a crosswalk. The driver was struck in the arm. Since then, dozens of the militia’s members sporting tactical gear and rifles have faced off against those protesting police in Salt Lake City, Provo and Cottonwood Heights. Robertson said Wednesday the group supports First Amendment rights but opposes violent or destructive behavior. Utah Citizens’ Alarm will continue coordinating on its website after Facebook took down its page and those of its administrators “without warning and seemingly without any recourse,” Robertson said. “This isn’t going to stop us. Not even close,” he added. “It’s going to just make us stronger.”
It should be noted that many of those riots, the very thing that Utah Citizens Alarm was founded to counter, are coordinated on sites like Facebook. Yet Facebook does little to nothing to address them.
Now, understand that Facebook is a private entity and they can do pretty much whatever they want with it. However, they also enjoy certain protections because they’re considered a platform versus a publisher. Yet this one-sided bias by Facebook is a problem.
They’re not acting like a platform. They’re removing accounts that they believe to be “dangerous” even if there’s no real reason to believe them to so…unless that believe is driven more by ideology than facts.
Look, I have no idea what Utah Citizens Alarm may or may not have posted on their page. While I believe them when they said they didn’t post anything against the rule, I honestly don’t care if the did, either.
Time and time again, we’ve seen Facebook lower the boom on pro-Second Amendment pages and users while people who post even more vile things seem to get a pass. Groups like Antifa and BLM–an organization that tried to justify looting in Chicago–get to chug right along.
A lot of people aren’t going to be fans of the hypocrisy.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Even In Anti-Gun States Like New Jersey, Interest In 2A At Record Highs

This is bad news for the Biden/Harris campaign and gun control activists across the country .
It ’ s not just red states that are seeing a huge influx in the number of new gun owners these days .
Even anti-gun strongholds like New Jersey are seeing unprecedented interest from residents who ’ ve decided it ’ s time to exercise their Second Amendment rights .
Check out this amazing statistic uncovered by NJ.com : That ’ s incredible .
More New Jersey residents have applied for their government-issued permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years combined .
What ’ s driving the increase ?
We haven ’ t seen a ton of violent protests in New Jersey itself , though there have been plenty in neighboring New York City and Philadelphia .
Violent crime , on the other hand , is on the rise in some of the state ’ s biggest cities .
Statewide , a total of 104 people have been killed as of July 19 , according to state police data released last week .
Twenty-seven communities across New Jersey saw at least one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 476 people were injured .
The numbers were driven by New Jersey ’ s population centers , with three cities already recording killings in the double digits .
Newark , the state ’ s largest city , had 21 deaths .
Trenton had 19 deaths .
And Paterson had 13 deaths — including the bloodiest single event , a July 7 shooting in which four people were killed and three were injured .
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said the pressures of the year appear to be contributing to the woes .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Chicago and Philadelphia , ” Gusciora said , referencing three cities that have reported upticks in violence .
And as it turns out , New Jersey residents are no different than Texans , New Yorkers , Californians , and Americans from coast-to-coast who ’ ve embraced their right to keep and bear arms as cities under the control of Democratic politicians fail to stem the growing tide of violence .
What kind of impact might those 130,000 gun applicants have on the elections in New Jersey ?
Hillary Clinton won the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they might not be able to swing the presidential contest in favor of Donald Trump , but depending on where these gun owners live , they could have an outsize impact on several congressional races .
The Cook Political report currently lists three House races in New Jersey as either toss-ups or “ lean Democratic , ” and if gun owners in the state vote like their rights depend on it , Democrats like Rep. Andy Kim and Rep. Tom Malinowski could lose their seats in favor of pro-2A candidates .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to be a single-issue voter .
Some of the 130,000 people who ’ ve applied for a gun permit in the state and are now twiddling their thumbs as their local sheriffs take months to approve or deny their application will undoubtably be voting for Joe Biden , even if they ’ re not thrilled by his anti-gun agenda .
Others may choose not to vote at all , perhaps believing that their vote doesn ’ t matter in a Democrat-dominated state like New Jersey .
If that ’ s their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their vote does matter , and even in New Jersey we have a real chance to send some anti-gun politicians packing come November if these Second Amendment supporters show up on Election Day to reject the gun control plans of Democrats .

This is bad news for the Biden/Harris campaign and gun control activists across the country. It’s not just red states that are seeing a huge influx in the number of new gun owners these days. Even anti-gun strongholds like New Jersey are seeing unprecedented interest from residents who’ve decided it’s time to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Check out this amazing statistic uncovered by NJ.com:
As of August 12, the New Jersey State Police has received nearly 130,000 firearm applications, topping the number of applications the agency received in 2018 and 2019 combined, according to State Police data. The number of applications this year has increased by more than 137% since last year— with more than 4 months left in 2020, according to the agency.
That’s incredible. More New Jersey residents have applied for their government-issued permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights in the past seven months than in the past two years combined.
What’s driving the increase? We haven’t seen a ton of violent protests in New Jersey itself, though there have been plenty in neighboring New York City and Philadelphia. Violent crime, on the other hand, is on the rise in some of the state’s biggest cities.
Statewide, a total of 104 people have been killed as of July 19, according to state police data released last week. Twenty-seven communities across New Jersey saw at least one person die of gun violence. Another 476 people were injured. The numbers were driven by New Jersey’s population centers, with three cities already recording killings in the double digits. Newark, the state’s largest city, had 21 deaths. Trenton had 19 deaths. And Paterson had 13 deaths — including the bloodiest single event, a July 7 shooting in which four people were killed and three were injured. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said the pressures of the year appear to be contributing to the woes. “We’re no different than New York, Chicago and Philadelphia,” Gusciora said, referencing three cities that have reported upticks in violence.
And as it turns out, New Jersey residents are no different than Texans, New Yorkers, Californians, and Americans from coast-to-coast who’ve embraced their right to keep and bear arms as cities under the control of Democratic politicians fail to stem the growing tide of violence.
What kind of impact might those 130,000 gun applicants have on the elections in New Jersey? Hillary Clinton won the state in 2016 by about 500,000 votes, so they might not be able to swing the presidential contest in favor of Donald Trump, but depending on where these gun owners live, they could have an outsize impact on several congressional races. The Cook Political report currently lists three House races in New Jersey as either toss-ups or “lean Democratic,” and if gun owners in the state vote like their rights depend on it, Democrats like Rep. Andy Kim and Rep. Tom Malinowski could lose their seats in favor of pro-2A candidates.
Of course, not every new gun owner is going to be a single-issue voter. Some of the 130,000 people who’ve applied for a gun permit in the state and are now twiddling their thumbs as their local sheriffs take months to approve or deny their application will undoubtably be voting for Joe Biden, even if they’re not thrilled by his anti-gun agenda. Others may choose not to vote at all, perhaps believing that their vote doesn’t matter in a Democrat-dominated state like New Jersey.
If that’s their mentality, they’re wrong. Their vote does matter, and even in New Jersey we have a real chance to send some anti-gun politicians packing come November if these Second Amendment supporters show up on Election Day to reject the gun control plans of Democrats.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Gun Owners' Appeal Over Pittsburgh Gun Ordinances Changes Court

It ’ s a case that should be a slam dunk .
The city of Pittsburgh , PA passed an assault weapon ban .
However , Pennsylvania has a preemption law , meaning cities can ’ t pass their own gun control .
That has to come down from the state level .
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto apparently doesn ’ t think laws actually apply to him , so he did what he wanted to do anyway .
That sparked the inevitable lawsuit .
That includes one targeting the district attorney for refusing to accept criminal complaints against the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , that case is switching courts .
Yeah , this one should be interesting .
Realistically , I don ’ t see this one going very far .
While I certainly sympathize with the plaintiffs one this one–as well as being more than a little amused by the case as a whole–I somehow don ’ t see the courts become willing to force a DA to prosecute a case .
Prosecutorial discretion is a thing , after all , and prosecutors often decide not to pursue cases for any number of reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges willing to step on that .
Not that such a decision would be right .
What Peduto and the city council did was a clear violation of the law .
If laws aren ’ t enforced , they ’ re meaningless .
They ’ re just words on a page and nothing more .
That ’ s especially true of laws designed to limit governmental power at various levels of government , which is what preemption does .
Failing to prosecute is really just a middle finger toward the idea that any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can do .
Meanwhile , had the council and mayor decided to overstep bounds in some other manner , some manner that Zappala found personally objectionable , I think we all know how that would go .
And this is the problem .
Zappala ’ s decision would be more defensible to me if he didn ’ t think he could actually win a case against the mayor and various city council members , but I don ’ t believe that to be the case .
This is going to be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure .

It’s a case that should be a slam dunk. The city of Pittsburgh, PA passed an assault weapon ban. However, Pennsylvania has a preemption law, meaning cities can’t pass their own gun control. That has to come down from the state level. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto apparently doesn’t think laws actually apply to him, so he did what he wanted to do anyway.
That sparked the inevitable lawsuit. That includes one targeting the district attorney for refusing to accept criminal complaints against the mayor and city council for their actions.
Now, that case is switching courts.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Wednesday moved an appeal from four gun owners pursuing criminal complaints against Pittsburgh leaders who last year passed gun control ordinances to the Commonwealth Court. five-page opinion from the court states jurisdiction over the case lies with the Commonwealth Court because the gun owners are seeking to compel Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., “acting in his official capacity,” to accept the criminal complaints. “As we have long stated, ‘we should be most cautious in assuming jurisdiction over matters that properly belong before the Commonwealth Court,’” the opinion states, citing a 1987 opinion. … The gun owners, all Pittsburgh residents, originally sought to file criminal complaints against Mr. Peduto and members of City Council for passing the gun control ordinances. The plaintiffs alleged the passage of the laws constituted official oppression under Pennsylvania law. The district attorney refused to accept the complaints; the gun owners sued Mr. Zappala in Common Pleas Court, saying he was violating his official duties as DA by rebuffing them.
Yeah, this one should be interesting.
Realistically, I don’t see this one going very far. While I certainly sympathize with the plaintiffs one this one–as well as being more than a little amused by the case as a whole–I somehow don’t see the courts become willing to force a DA to prosecute a case. Prosecutorial discretion is a thing, after all, and prosecutors often decide not to pursue cases for any number of reasons. I just don’t see judges willing to step on that.
Not that such a decision would be right.
What Peduto and the city council did was a clear violation of the law. If laws aren’t enforced, they’re meaningless. They’re just words on a page and nothing more. That’s especially true of laws designed to limit governmental power at various levels of government, which is what preemption does. Failing to prosecute is really just a middle finger toward the idea that any government should have limits imposed on what they can do.
Meanwhile, had the council and mayor decided to overstep bounds in some other manner, some manner that Zappala found personally objectionable, I think we all know how that would go.
And this is the problem. Zappala’s decision would be more defensible to me if he didn’t think he could actually win a case against the mayor and various city council members, but I don’t believe that to be the case.
This is going to be an interesting one to follow, to be sure.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Richmond City Council Considering Rolling Gun Ban During Protests

The mayor of Richmond , Virginia is a big fan of gun control , but for years , it wasn ’ t possible for local cities to impose their own gun laws .
Virginia had preemption in place and local gun control wasn ’ t remotely legal , at least until the law changed this past July .
When the anti-gun legislature repealed preemption , it was just the latest move by a Democratic Party that ’ s bound and determined to try to make Virginia into California , Massachusetts , or New Jersey .
It ’ s also unsurprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger cities , like Richmond , were eager to jump at the opportunity .
Mayor Levar Stoney quickly proposed banning firearms from protests in the city , as well as public right of ways near ongoing protests , even those that take place without a permit and are impromptu , unscheduled affairs .
Stoney ’ s proposal didn ’ t go quite as he planned .
Instead of rubber-stamping a new gun ban in public places on Thursday , the city council pushed back a vote on the issue until next month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ slam against the Lobby Day protestors earlier this year , as well as the continued protests that have taken place in Virginia ’ s capital over the past few month .
However , perhaps Stoney would do well to remember one very key fact .
In particular , the fact that absolutely nothing happened on Lobby Day .
Those individuals walking around with firearms did absolutely nothing to anyone .
No one got hurt , no one was threatened , nothing .
That doesn ’ t seem to matter much to Stoney or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did get pushback on their gun ban from residents .
To enforce the ordinance , police would have to post signs around an event to make clear the boundaries of where firearms are prohibited .
Council members questioned how they would do that in advance of an unpermitted event that crops up , or a march that may not have a clearly denoted path .
A lawyer for the police department said events that weren ’ t stationary would pose a challenge in meeting the noticing requirement .
Several speakers who addressed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ordinance brought up similar concerns about its enforcement , or opposed it outright , saying it would not create a safer environment .
Cheryl Nici-O ’ Connell , a former police officer , said she carries a gun to protect herself .
She said she believed the ordinance would have unintended consequences if adopted .
“ What you are doing in essence is setting up a pool of potential victims , because law-abiding citizens are always going to follow the law , ” she said .
Richmond isn ’ t exactly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s very interesting that the vote was pushed back until next month .
It may be a sign that this anti-gun mania that ’ s swept through the legislature isn ’ t nearly as popular as some people want to believe .
I guess we ’ ll have to wait and see what the city council actually does on this at its meeting here in a few weeks , but at the moment I ’ m actually cautiously optimistic that this bad bill could get defeated .

The mayor of Richmond, Virginia is a big fan of gun control, but for years, it wasn’t possible for local cities to impose their own gun laws. Virginia had preemption in place and local gun control wasn’t remotely legal, at least until the law changed this past July.
When the anti-gun legislature repealed preemption, it was just the latest move by a Democratic Party that’s bound and determined to try to make Virginia into California, Massachusetts, or New Jersey. It’s also unsurprising that lawmakers in the state’s larger cities, like Richmond, were eager to jump at the opportunity. Mayor Levar Stoney quickly proposed banning firearms from protests in the city, as well as public right of ways near ongoing protests, even those that take place without a permit and are impromptu, unscheduled affairs.
Stoney’s proposal didn’t go quite as he planned. Instead of rubber-stamping a new gun ban in public places on Thursday, the city council pushed back a vote on the issue until next month.
Richmond City Council voted to revisit Mayor Levar Stoney’s proposal of a new gun-control measure during a special meeting in September. Stoney made his position clear on Thursday by saying guns shouldn’t be allowed at or near public events and said he’s disappointed in City Council. Stoney proposed this ordinance less than two weeks ago and says even this week there was proof it’s needed. The mayor citing rallies such as the gun rights rally on Tuesday, where people with guns marched down city streets. … The mayor’s ordinance would disallow guns at or near public events. “I just think that if you’re going to a public event, you should be able to go there and enjoy yourself, go there for your cause, and not feel under constant threat because of individuals walking around with an AK-47,” said Stoney.
This is, of course, a slam against the Lobby Day protestors earlier this year, as well as the continued protests that have taken place in Virginia’s capital over the past few month.
However, perhaps Stoney would do well to remember one very key fact. In particular, the fact that absolutely nothing happened on Lobby Day. Those individuals walking around with firearms did absolutely nothing to anyone. No one got hurt, no one was threatened, nothing.
That doesn’t seem to matter much to Stoney or the city council members, but they did get pushback on their gun ban from residents.
To enforce the ordinance, police would have to post signs around an event to make clear the boundaries of where firearms are prohibited. Council members questioned how they would do that in advance of an unpermitted event that crops up, or a march that may not have a clearly denoted path. A lawyer for the police department said events that weren’t stationary would pose a challenge in meeting the noticing requirement. Several speakers who addressed the council during an electronic public hearing on the ordinance brought up similar concerns about its enforcement, or opposed it outright, saying it would not create a safer environment. Cheryl Nici-O’Connell, a former police officer, said she carries a gun to protect herself. She said she believed the ordinance would have unintended consequences if adopted. “What you are doing in essence is setting up a pool of potential victims, because law-abiding citizens are always going to follow the law,” she said.
Richmond isn’t exactly a Second Amendment stronghold, so it’s very interesting that the vote was pushed back until next month. It may be a sign that this anti-gun mania that’s swept through the legislature isn’t nearly as popular as some people want to believe. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the city council actually does on this at its meeting here in a few weeks, but at the moment I’m actually cautiously optimistic that this bad bill could get defeated.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Biden's Silence On Gun Control During Convention Speech Speaks Volumes

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made it official on Thursday evening with a convention acceptance speech that focused almost exclusively on kitchen table issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recovery , and avoided mention of his gun control plan that would turn tens of millions of Americans into felons overnight if they didn ’ t hand in or register their legally owned firearms and ammunition magazines .
Thirty-two years after his first run for president in 1988 , Biden was finally able to deliver an acceptance speech , and while I didn ’ t find his remarks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was on point when he said that “ this is a life-changing election that will determine America ’ s future for a very long time.
” If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win in November , the lives of Americans who want to exercise their Second Amendment rights will be inexorably changed , and not for the better .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is already threatening to end the filibuster if Democrats win in November and take even a narrow majority in the Senate , which would allow Democrats to ram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ majority .
“ We have a moral imperative to the people of America to get a whole lot done if we get the majority , which , God willing , we will , and keep it in the House , and Biden becomes president , and nothing is off the table , ” the New York Democrat said Thursday .
“ We will do what it takes to get this done .
I ’ m hopeful , maybe if [ President Donald ] Trump goes and [ Mitch ] McConnell is no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
But we ’ re going to have to get it done , whether they work with us or not , ” he added .
Biden too has spoken somewhat approvingly of nuking the filibuster if he ’ s elected , though of course he ’ d prefer to see Republicans simply roll over and go along with his agenda .
“ I just don ’ t believe you ’ re going to have this kind of resistance … that we had before , ” Biden said in an interview earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists .
“ If in fact they are as obstreperous as is expected , we ’ d have to get rid of the filibuster , but the filibuster has also saved a lot of bad things from happening too.
” “ If there ’ s no way to move other than getting rid of the filibuster , that ’ s what we ’ ll do , ” Biden said , although it is clear he would prefer a more bipartisan course .
In other words , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to Democrats on Election Day they ’ ll change whatever rules they need to in order to impose their anti-gun agenda on the American people .
We can ’ t say they didn ’ t warn us , even if Joe Biden studiously avoided any mention of gun control during his acceptance speech .
As for the reason for Biden ’ s silence about his plans for American gun owners , I think it ’ s pretty simple : gun control isn ’ t nearly as popular as Democrats pretend it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re inundated with headlines and video of violence on some of our biggest ( and bluest ) cities on a nightly basis .
Gun sales are at record highs , but many of the firearms that Americans have purchased this year would be banned by the Biden/Harris administration , and those who purchased a gun to protect themselves or their families from criminals would be turned into criminals themselves simply for maintaining possession of their legally-owned and purchased firearms .
On Thursday evening , Joe Biden promised to keep Americans safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but his gun control agenda would ensure more dangerous streets , emboldened violent offenders , and the transformation of our Second Amendment rights into a privilege exercised only with a government permission slip .
The empty promise of greater security would result instead in the loss of civil liberties , individual rights , and human lives .
It ’ s no wonder that Joe Biden didn ’ t bring up his anti-gun plans during his acceptance speech , but it ’ s up to us as gun owners and Second Amendment supporters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that ’ s at stake this Election Day .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made it official on Thursday evening with a convention acceptance speech that focused almost exclusively on kitchen table issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recovery, and avoided mention of his gun control plan that would turn tens of millions of Americans into felons overnight if they didn’t hand in or register their legally owned firearms and ammunition magazines.
Thirty-two years after his first run for president in 1988, Biden was finally able to deliver an acceptance speech, and while I didn’t find his remarks to be all that inspiring or insightful, he was on point when he said that “this is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time.” If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win in November, the lives of Americans who want to exercise their Second Amendment rights will be inexorably changed, and not for the better.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is already threatening to end the filibuster if Democrats win in November and take even a narrow majority in the Senate, which would allow Democrats to ram through their anti-gun agenda with a bare majority.
“We have a moral imperative to the people of America to get a whole lot done if we get the majority, which, God willing, we will, and keep it in the House, and Biden becomes president, and nothing is off the table,” the New York Democrat said Thursday. “We will do what it takes to get this done. I’m hopeful, maybe if [President Donald] Trump goes and [Mitch] McConnell is no longer leader, some Republicans might work with us. But we’re going to have to get it done, whether they work with us or not,” he added.
Biden too has spoken somewhat approvingly of nuking the filibuster if he’s elected, though of course he’d prefer to see Republicans simply roll over and go along with his agenda.
“I just don’t believe you’re going to have this kind of resistance … that we had before,” Biden said in an interview earlier this month for the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists. “If in fact they are as obstreperous as is expected, we’d have to get rid of the filibuster, but the filibuster has also saved a lot of bad things from happening too.” “If there’s no way to move other than getting rid of the filibuster, that’s what we’ll do,” Biden said, although it is clear he would prefer a more bipartisan course.
In other words, if Americans hand over control of the federal government to Democrats on Election Day they’ll change whatever rules they need to in order to impose their anti-gun agenda on the American people. We can’t say they didn’t warn us, even if Joe Biden studiously avoided any mention of gun control during his acceptance speech.
As for the reason for Biden’s silence about his plans for American gun owners, I think it’s pretty simple: gun control isn’t nearly as popular as Democrats pretend it is, and support is dropping fast as we’re inundated with headlines and video of violence on some of our biggest (and bluest) cities on a nightly basis. Gun sales are at record highs, but many of the firearms that Americans have purchased this year would be banned by the Biden/Harris administration, and those who purchased a gun to protect themselves or their families from criminals would be turned into criminals themselves simply for maintaining possession of their legally-owned and purchased firearms.
On Thursday evening, Joe Biden promised to keep Americans safe if he’s elected president. but his gun control agenda would ensure more dangerous streets, emboldened violent offenders, and the transformation of our Second Amendment rights into a privilege exercised only with a government permission slip. The empty promise of greater security would result instead in the loss of civil liberties, individual rights, and human lives. It’s no wonder that Joe Biden didn’t bring up his anti-gun plans during his acceptance speech, but it’s up to us as gun owners and Second Amendment supporters to remind voters as often as we can all that’s at stake this Election Day.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Woman Shoots Armed Robber At St. Louis Convenience Store

St. Louis is one of the many Democrat-controlled locales that ’ s seen a sharp increase in the number of shootings in their city , but on Wednesday night at least one victim was able to fight back .
KSDK-TV reports that after an armed robber targeted a convenience store in the city Wednesday evening , he received an unwelcome surprise .
The robbery happened at around 11:35 a.m. at New Carrie ’ s Corner Market at 4500 Athlone Avenue in the O ’ Fallon neighborhood .
A man entered the store , pointed a gun at two victims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said .
As one of the victims , a 55-year-old man , was getting money out of the register , a 46-year-old woman pulled out her own gun and fired shots at the suspect .
According to authorities , the armed robber took off running when the armed citizen began firing .
He managed to get away with some cash , but thankfully neither of the victims of the robbery were injured .
The quick response from the armed citizen comes at a time when the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the increased violence in the city .
U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen announced this week that 25 people have been arrested on federal charges in the city as part of the Department of Justice ’ s Operation LeGend .
Of those , 21 people have been charged with drug trafficking offenses .
The other four have been charged with various crimes including robbery and firearm violations .
“ Operation Legend – Saint Louis represents a unique federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Saint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen .
“ Today ’ s announcement highlights the impactful work the brave men and women of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department , Department of Homeland Security , FBI , DEA , ATF , the U.S .
Marshals Service and Missouri State Highway Patrol have accomplished in Operation Legend ’ s early stages .
Of course , there is more important work to be done.
” While the increased presence of local , state , and federal law enforcement in St. Louis is a welcome sign , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the anonymous woman mentioned above who are standing up for themselves and even total strangers in the face of violent criminals .
After all , most of the policing that Jensen talked about deals with post-crime investigations .
While it ’ s absolutely critical that arrests get made , when it comes to thwarting crimes in progress , it ’ s rare that any law enforcement officer will be in the right place at the right time to stop an ongoing armed robbery , carjacking , or home invasion .
Most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to have to square off against those criminals by themselves , and being armed for self-defense helps to even the odds of survival .
Cam Edwards has covered the 2nd Amendment for more than 15 years as a broadcast and online journalist , as well as the co-author of `` Heavy Lifting : Grow Up , Get a Job , Start a Family , and Other Manly Advice '' with Jim Geraghty .
He lives outside of Farmville , Virginia with his family .
https : //bearingarms.com/author/camedwards/

St. Louis is one of the many Democrat-controlled locales that’s seen a sharp increase in the number of shootings in their city, but on Wednesday night at least one victim was able to fight back. KSDK-TV reports that after an armed robber targeted a convenience store in the city Wednesday evening, he received an unwelcome surprise.
The robbery happened at around 11:35 a.m. at New Carrie’s Corner Market at 4500 Athlone Avenue in the O’Fallon neighborhood. A man entered the store, pointed a gun at two victims and demanded money from the cash register, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said. As one of the victims, a 55-year-old man, was getting money out of the register, a 46-year-old woman pulled out her own gun and fired shots at the suspect.
According to authorities, the armed robber took off running when the armed citizen began firing. He managed to get away with some cash, but thankfully neither of the victims of the robbery were injured.
The quick response from the armed citizen comes at a time when the Trump administration is taking steps to crack down on the increased violence in the city. U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen announced this week that 25 people have been arrested on federal charges in the city as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation LeGend.
Of those, 21 people have been charged with drug trafficking offenses. The other four have been charged with various crimes including robbery and firearm violations. “Operation Legend – Saint Louis represents a unique federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Saint. Louis in 2020,” said U.S. Attorney Jeff Jensen. “Today’s announcement highlights the impactful work the brave men and women of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, DEA, ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service and Missouri State Highway Patrol have accomplished in Operation Legend’s early stages. Of course, there is more important work to be done.”
While the increased presence of local, state, and federal law enforcement in St. Louis is a welcome sign, it’s also good to see armed citizens like the anonymous woman mentioned above who are standing up for themselves and even total strangers in the face of violent criminals. After all, most of the policing that Jensen talked about deals with post-crime investigations. While it’s absolutely critical that arrests get made, when it comes to thwarting crimes in progress, it’s rare that any law enforcement officer will be in the right place at the right time to stop an ongoing armed robbery, carjacking, or home invasion. Most likely, the intended victims of those crimes is going to have to square off against those criminals by themselves, and being armed for self-defense helps to even the odds of survival.


bearingarms--2020-08-21--Hawaii Firearms Coalition File Lawsuit Over Mag Capacity

The Ninth Circuit made a decision on magazine capacity that floored a lot of us .
While President Trump has put more pro-gun judges on the bench , the truth is that the Ninth Circuit is still in the Ninth Circuit , suggesting that it may well continue as the most anti-gun circuit in the country .
However , the ruling on magazine limits was…well…not anti-gun .
Yet it seems the fight isn ’ t quite over when it comes to magazine capacity .
To that end , the Hawaii Firearms Coalition has filed a lawsuit to address the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a continuation of the fight that led to the Ninth Circuit ’ s decision , just one that specifically targets Hawaii ’ s law .
Since the Ninth Circuit has already ruled on this , the lower courts have clear guidance on this and should rule accordingly .
Then again , this is the most anti-gun region of the country , so don ’ t be surprised if they ignore the Ninth Circuit ’ s ruling .
Regardless , this is another key step in helping so many of our brothers and sisters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Especially since all magazine capacity limits are arbitrary and , frankly , ridiculous .
All it does is interfere with law-abiding Hawaiians ’ ability to defend themselves in the most effective manner possible .
Meanwhile , the criminals routinely ignore such laws and do what they want anyway .
It ’ s not right and I ’ m glad to see the state of Hawaii about to be taken down a peg or two .
The fact that this may also trigger Judge Robert Benitez to lift the stay of his own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big win .

The Ninth Circuit made a decision on magazine capacity that floored a lot of us. While President Trump has put more pro-gun judges on the bench, the truth is that the Ninth Circuit is still in the Ninth Circuit, suggesting that it may well continue as the most anti-gun circuit in the country. However, the ruling on magazine limits was…well…not anti-gun.
Yet it seems the fight isn’t quite over when it comes to magazine capacity.
To that end, the Hawaii Firearms Coalition has filed a lawsuit to address the issue.
From a press release:
Yesterday evening Attorney Alan Beck on behalf of Hawaii Firearms Coalition director Jon Abbott and two other Hawaii residents (Kevin Kacatin and Soleil Roache), filled a lawsuit in the US District Court of Hawaii. The lawsuit alleges that Hawaii’s ban on Handgun magazines with a capacity greater than ten rounds in unconstitutional. HRS 134-8(c) bans the possession of any magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds. The plaintiffs in the case have all stated that if it were not for Hawaii’s ban, they would seek to and would own magazines with a larger capacity. Currently, if they were to be found in possession and using said magazines at this time, they would be charged with a Class C felony. The recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court in Duncan v. Becerra supports this lawsuit. In that case, the court found that; millions of ammunition magazines able to hold more than 10 rounds are in common use by law-abiding responsible citizens for lawful uses like self-defense. As such, they are protected by the second amendment and can not be subject to a categorical ban. Applying the same logical steps used by the 9th Circuit Court in Duncan, Hawaii’s law is likely to be found unconstitutional. In recent years Hawaii’s Firearms Coalition has asked legislators to amend Hawaii’s law to remove the capacity based ban, but legislators have been unwilling to do so. The only available course of action left is to have it removed by the courts. Hawaii Firearms Coalition is a non-profit based in the state of Hawaii that focuses on the second amendment and the right to bear arms. For more information and membership opportunities, please visit www.hifico.org
In other words, this is a continuation of the fight that led to the Ninth Circuit’s decision, just one that specifically targets Hawaii’s law. Since the Ninth Circuit has already ruled on this, the lower courts have clear guidance on this and should rule accordingly.
Then again, this is the most anti-gun region of the country, so don’t be surprised if they ignore the Ninth Circuit’s ruling.
Regardless, this is another key step in helping so many of our brothers and sisters in Hawaii regain essential Second Amendment rights. Especially since all magazine capacity limits are arbitrary and, frankly, ridiculous. All it does is interfere with law-abiding Hawaiians’ ability to defend themselves in the most effective manner possible.
Meanwhile, the criminals routinely ignore such laws and do what they want anyway.
It’s not right and I’m glad to see the state of Hawaii about to be taken down a peg or two. The fact that this may also trigger Judge Robert Benitez to lift the stay of his own ruling is also a possibility and a big win.