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IA: Iowans overwhelmingly approve constitutional amendment that ‘prohibits current and future common-sense gun laws’
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Strict scrutiny is the highest level of judicial review. Strict scrutiny requires a law or regulation be “narrowly tailored” to achieve a “compelling state interest.” Few laws can pass this test. Even as the Republican-appointed justices of the U.S. Supreme Court have dramatically expanded gun rights over the last 14 years, the high court still applies a lower standard, intermediate review, in decisions on Second Amendment issues.
Ed.: No, SCOTUS has never supported intermediate scrutiny, it has in fact explicitly repudiated the interest-balancing of intermediate scrutiny. |
VA: Police: Man armed with large landscaping rock fatally shot by homeowner in Fairfax Co.
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Fairfax County Police held a news conference Wednesday night where they provided an update and clarification. Currently, detectives say that the homeowner was outside on his property when he came across another man. During this time, there was some sort of interaction that led to an altercation.
Police claim that the homeowner then went back inside his house and got a firearm. At some point, the man reportedly got inside the home with an object that appeared to be a large landscaping rock. The homeowner then fired his gun and shot the man. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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12 More Incidents in Which Lawful Gun Owners Stopped Criminals
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In a case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court in June struck down concealed carry permitting frameworks in several states that effectively prohibited ordinary Americans from carrying firearms in public for self-defense.
Since then, residents of those states have applied for concealed carry permits in droves, showing just how willing many of them always have been to exercise their Second Amendment rights when the government no longer prohibits it. |
OH: Columbus leaders put forward new gun control measures
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Columbus leaders proposed new legislation to reduce gun violence in the city on Wednesday.
The announcement comes a week after a Franklin County Common Pleas judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking part of a 2018 state law that expanded self-defense protections and other gun rights.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said 91% of the city's homicides in 2021 were committed with a firearm.
"Today we're fighting back. The time for talk is over. The time for study is over. It is time to act," Ginther said. |
Biden administration relies on flawed argument for banning gun possession by marijuana users
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President Joe Biden, who recently issued a mass pardon for low-level marijuana offenders, says cannabis consumption should not be treated as a crime. His administration nevertheless defends the federal ban on gun possession by marijuana users, arguing that Second Amendment rights are limited to “law-abiding citizens.”
Last week, a federal judge agreed, dismissing a challenge to that rule by medical marijuana patients in Florida. The reasoning underlying that decision shows that the constitutional right to armed self-defense, which the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld, is still subject to legislators’ arbitrary whims and irrational prejudices. |
How midterm elections could impact the firearms industry — or not
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As midterm election results continue to roll in, Americans are still waiting to find out which party will control the House or the Senate and whether they might be impacted by how the chips fall.
But firearms industry insiders and Second Amendment advocates say the results of the federal elections will have little to no impact on them at all, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans win either chamber. |
NY: Stefanik wins 5th term: What’s next for the North Country?
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“I think we need to address crime issues in the state. I’m going to continue to address our Second Amendment right.”
Stefanik’s opponent Matt Castelli says her extremism is what pushed him to run. He lost by an 18-point margin. “I celebrate that we participated in a free and fair election,” he said in his concession speech.
Now, Stefanik enters her fifth term with big promises. “We have to unleash American energy independence to lower the price of gas and to lower the price of home heating,” she said. “Then we have to stand up for our constitutional liberties, like the Second Amendment rights which are so important in this country and specifically in this district.” |
NY: Church Sues New York State Over Law Prohibiting Worshipers From Carrying Firearms
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In a lawsuit brought by First Liberty Institute (FLI) on behalf of Pastor Micheal Spencer and his church, His Tabernacle Family Church, with locations in Horseheads and Ithaca, New York, the complaint states that
It is thus now a felony in New York to carry a firearm in a place of worship, regardless of whether one has a license to carry a firearm and regardless of whether the place of worship expressly authorizes — or even encourages — the carrying of firearms on its property.
Pastor Spencer and a number of his parishioners have shown skill at arms and, until passage of the law defying Bruen, regularly carried firearms during church services to protect the flock. |
Reframing the conversation about gun control around human rights
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So the people who fixate on the Second Amendment are not looking at the United States Constitution in a holistic way, or at international human rights law which is binding on the United States under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. It is not consistent with the rule of law for individuals to claim that their right to have a weapon, whatever the weapon is, is more important than anything else, including the right to life and safety of thousands of gun violence victims and the millions of school children who are traumatized by gun violence.” |
IL: Firearm safe-storage rules help stop tragic child deaths
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But the Second Amendment Foundation, Illinois State Rifle Association, Illinois Carry and two individuals filed suit, claiming the DCFS rules infringe on the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. The case, Miller v. Smith, is now before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Litigation Center of the American Medical Association and State Medical Societies, Illinois State Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the AAP’s Illinois chapter filed an amicus brief (PDF) urging the 7th Circuit to uphold the lower-court ruling that found the rules didn’t violate the Second Amendment. |
FL: Sheriff’s deputies say deadly Newberry shooting appears to be self defense
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Beckett said she’s familiar with her neighbors, despite the crime happening in a different subdivision from the one she lives in.
“You know there’s been some talk of a gruff personality on that street but I wouldn’t suspect anything malicious.”
The chief detective on this case said at this time the incident appears to be a case of self defense.
Officials have not yet released a name of the man who was shot and killed. |
This flashlight doubles as a stun gun for self-defense!
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If you’ve been considering buying a close contact self-protection device, the StrikeLight 2 is an interesting choice. Not only will this handheld gadget perform as your trusty flashlight with 3 light modes (700-lumen high mode, 150-lumen low mode, and a red beam that won’t wreck your night vision), it’s also a stun gun. With a 20kV zap and audible crackle warning noise, it will hopefully make any attacker think twice about messing with you. |
More Reasons Anti-Gun Policymakers Are Wrong About Armed Self-Defense
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Despite the June U.S. Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which clearly affirmed the right of lawful Americans to carry a firearm for self-defense outside the home, many state and local politicians continue to try to pass more-restrictive laws on firearms carry.
As this was being written, the New Jersey legislature was pushing for a ban on guns in so-called “sensitive places,” while in Longmont, Colo., city councilors were considering similar restrictions. |
OR: Prosecutors Won’t Charge Oregon Man Who Killed Landlord Dressed As Michael Myers
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A Portland man who used a sword to kill his ex-landlord, who, at the time, was disguised as fictitious serial killer Michael Myers, won’t be criminally charged, officials said.
The unidentified tenant acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed 46-year-old landlord Justin Valdivia after he allegedly attacked him with a hammer and a pellet gun in September, prosecutors said. The tenant won’t face criminal charges, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office confirmed this month, the Willamette Week reported. |
VA: Fairfax Co. Schools Push Anti-Gun Propaganda on 5th Graders
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A concerned parent, Darcey Geissler, has brought attention to an assignment that her son received in a Fairfax County school. In a “lesson” on persuasive writing, students were given an anti-gun essay to evaluate, rather than something with more neutral content, so that the students could focus on the persuasive writing aspect. There was no sample essay with an opposing viewpoint presented.
Though this sample essay is ostensibly meant to be just a learning tool, it does parrot many worn out talking points that disarmament radicals have used over the years. It claims that the Second Amendment is about hunting, that the existence of modern police forces makes the Second Amendment obsolete, ... |
Fightin' Iron: Centennial Story
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Handgunners whose work requires them to habitually go heeled may have problems in selecting a gun. But, those who must carry, and can reasonably expect to use the gun, face even greater ones. If the easy-to-carry, easy-to-draw, easy-to-shoot gun lacks on-target stopping power, the guy who made the choice just might be the victim of a poor choice. This is the story of a legendary American soldier and the gun that functioned perfectly, but didn’t stop the fight—as well as the gun that grew out of it and stopped many fights. |
OH: Columbus wants to ban the sale of assault weapons to curb violent crime
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The Buckeye Firearms Association, a gun-rights lobby, has pushed back against the city’s proposals saying, “Preemption is settled law in Ohio. And the Ohio Supreme Court has already ruled on it. This is yet another attempt by the City of Columbus to override state law and pass gun control laws they have no right to pass. The city ran a study not so long ago that showed where most of the violence is coming from in the city, so what are city officials doing about that? Why do they insist on passing laws that affect the law-abiding and which criminals will never obey? Why don't they focus their efforts on the real criminals?" |
AL: Republican agenda not thwarted in sweeping Alabama wins
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Promising protection of the unborn, the Second Amendment and a quest for jobs, Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey led a winning Republican trifecta on Election Day.
Ivey, snagging two out of every three votes in defeating Democratic challenger Yolanda Rochelle Flowers, says the next four years will continue her quest for the betterment of children, veterans and farmers.
She’ll have the political alignment of the state’s House and Senate. The Alabama Republican Party collectively campaigned on safer communities, giving parents a choice in their child’s education, and restoration of the economy. |
Voters Weighed Two Very Different Gun Control Ballot Measures
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Despite the anti-gun group cheerleading for Measure 114 rushing to declare victory on the initiative, voters except for those in the Portland and Eugene metro clusters rejected the new host of restrictions. As of Wednesday night, the results showed Measure 114 winning the day in only four out of Oregon's 36 counties with a total statewide tally breaking at 793,015 (50.8 percent) in favor vs. 767,077 (49.2 percent) against, with some 72 percent of votes counted. While the numbers are still tight as of the time of publication, a "yes" vote of such a slim margin is hardly a popular mandate for what may eventually be ruled an unconstitutional limit on Second Amendment rights. |
Gun ownership among Black Americans rising nationwide
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A recent Tuesday night marked Ladies’ Night for the 9th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers Gun Club in Atlanta.
Karine Alleyn joined in 2020 and now she represents one of the fastest growing groups of new gun owners - Black women.
“I feel like I’ve accomplished something,” said Alleyn.
She said she wanted to get a gun to protect herself and her son from home invasions.
“It puts me in a position where I don’t want to be a victim and I don’t feel like I am a victim
For longtime gun owners like Marilyn cook, this growing sisterhood is encouraging. |
TX: After refusing locals' pleas for gun reform, Gov. Greg Abbott wins Uvalde County
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Despite heavy criticism aimed at Gov. Greg Abbott over his refusal to enact gun reforms in response to the deadliest school shooting ever recorded in Texas, Uvalde County turned out overwhelmingly in favor of reelecting the Republican incumbent. On Tuesday, Abbott secured a third term as Texas' highest executive, defeating his high-profile Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke.
In Uvalde County, the site of the May 24 Robb Elementary School shooting where 19 children and two teachers were killed, Abbott received 60.18 percent of total votes in contrast to O'Rourke who garnered only 38.32 percent of votes, according to unofficial results. |
Democrats Spent Millions Boosting Far-Right Republicans. How Did It Pan Out?
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Typically, ads paid for by Democratic groups would take one of two strategies: Some attacked more moderate candidates, like a New Hampshire ad that labeled Republican Chuck Morse a "sleazy politician" hand-picked by "Mitch McConnell's Washington establishment." Others were more subtle, like a Maryland ad blasting gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox as former President Donald Trump's "handpicked candidate" who is "fighting to end abortion in Maryland" and "will protect the Second Amendment at all costs, refusing to support any federal restrictions on guns." In the latter case, the ad sought to highlight Cox's conservative bona fides, slyly making him more appealing to Republican voters. |
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