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Amid debate over arming teachers, what does the Catholic Church teach about self-defense?
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Policymakers will likely debate the matter for some time. In some cases it has already been decided: A handful of states, including Florida, Idaho, and Texas, allow for public school teachers to carry guns in some circumstances.
Whether or not it will be adopted broadly in Catholic schools is another question. Although the debate is deeply, and at times bitterly, contentious, Catholic Church teaching would appear to allow it.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has never pronounced directly on the morality of carrying firearms, much less in a school environment. |
FL: Florida appeals court rules open-carry ban unconstitutional
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A Florida appeals court has struck down the state’s decades-old ban on the open carrying of firearms, ruling the prohibition violates the Second Amendment.
In a decision released Wednesday, the First District Court of Appeal reversed the conviction of Stanley Victor McDaniels, a Pensacola man arrested after openly carrying a holstered handgun during a July 4th demonstration in 2022.
Judge Timothy Ray, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel, said Florida’s law “cannot be reconciled” with the U.S. Constitution.
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FL: Florida AG Uthmeier To State Attorney Worrell: Drop The Murder Charge In Stand Your Ground Case
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A heated debate is erupting in Central Florida’s legal circles after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly called for the dismissal of a murder charge against a woman involved in a deadly road rage incident, arguing she acted in self-defense.
The move has ignited a political firestorm, with State Attorney Monique Worrell firing back, accusing the Attorney General of overstepping his bounds.
The case involves Tina Allgeo, 48, who is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the shooting death of Mihail Tsvetkov.
According to her attorney, Mark O’Mara, Allgeo shot Tsvetkov after he allegedly opened her car door and began to assault her. |
LA: Louisiana joins push to strike down gun magazine ban
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has joined a coalition of 27 states urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a law in the state of Washington that bans the sale and possession of firearm magazines holding more than 10 rounds.
“Shall not be infringed,” Murrill told The Center Square in a statement.
The states filed an amicus brief in Gator’s Custom Guns, Inc. v. State of Washington. They say the Washington Supreme Court wrongly upheld the ban earlier this year, despite clear precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court affirming the right to bear commonly used arms. |
Charlie Kirk once said some gun deaths 'worth it' in order to have Second Amendment
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In the moments following the Sept. 10, 2025, shooting of Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk in Utah, online users shared an alleged quote from the conservative political pundit about gun deaths. According to those users, Kirk, a staunch supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, once said, "I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights." |
Gun Violence To 'China Virus': Look At Charlie Kirk's Controversial Takes
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A prominent radio host and podcaster, Kirk also had many critics, who often accused him of promoting controversial--and at times conspiratorial beliefs-- against Liberal viewpoints on subjects like climate change, gun control, LGBTQ+ rights and the civil rights movement. The right-wing activist regularly hosted open-air debates on US college campuses, fielding rapid-fire questions in a signature "Prove Me Wrong" format to debate college students on various topics to promote the conservative narrative -- just like he was doing on Wednesday when he was assassinated. |
What Charlie Kirk was saying moments before he was shot
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Charlie Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization when he was fatally shot at a college in Utah.
Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked. Kirk responded: “Too many.”
The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked. |
CA: Charlie Kirk’s killing created a powder keg. Why are Republicans waving matches around?
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The reaction of Second Amendment absolutists and their enablers to the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday during his rally at Utah Valley University was as predictable as it was dangerous.
In a moment that begged for calm and unity, Democrats — even those who loathed Kirk politically — offered condolences and railed against political violence. Meanwhile, Republicans, who control Congress and the White House (and, let’s face it, the Supreme Court) were much less likely to condemn political violence, and none suggested they should pursue gun safety measures. |
FL: Florida appellate court tosses any state restrictions on open carry of guns
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A panel of appellate Judges has ruled that any restrictions on the open carry of firearms in Florida is unconstitutional. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier signaled his office supports the riling and will not appeal the decision to the Florida Supreme Court.
In a case involving frequent Pensacola political candidate Stan McDaniels, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal ruled that the state’s statutory limits on carrying arms for self-defense violates Second Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.
“The Constitution protects the right to carry arms openly for self-defense. Florida’s Open Carry Ban cannot be reconciled with that guarantee,” reads a ruling by Appellate Judge Stephanie Ray. |
FL: Bystander Stops Robbery at Dania Beach 7-Eleven, Shooting Both Suspects
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A violent robbery attempt in Dania Beach on Saturday evening ended in gunfire, leaving one suspect dead and another wounded, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The incident unfolded around 6:52 p.m. when deputies responded to reports of a shooting near the 600 block of Stirling Road. Investigators later determined that two individuals had attempted to rob both a bystander and a nearby business located closer to the 800 block of Stirling Road. |
MD: Maryland’s Handgun Roster Board: a ‘rubber stamp’ or assault on Second Amendment?
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In a meeting that lasted 35 minutes and 15 seconds, the state’s handgun roster board approved 49 of the 64 guns brought before them last week, allowing Marylanders to sell or acquire these handguns.
That’s 33 seconds per gun.
Since 2018, the Maryland Handgun Roster board has approved thousands of petitions, allowing new handguns or handgun models to be sold in the state as long as they functioned, a Baltimore Sun data analysis found.
Between 2018 and 2024, unless a gun did not fire — or a petitioner incorrectly filed their petition — the board passed it through. |
27 States Ask SCOTUS To Strike Down Unconstitutional Firearm Magazine Ban
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Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a 27-state coalition Monday asking the Supreme Court of the United State (SCOTUS) to safeguard law-abiding Americans’ right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense and reverse an unconstitutional decision by the Washington Supreme Court banning magazines that can hold more than ten rounds.
The amicus brief was filed in Gator’s Custom Guns, Inc. v. State of Washington. In May, the Washington Supreme Court wrongly upheld the state’s ban on firearm magazines that can contain more than 10 rounds of ammunition. A Cowlitz County Superior Court judge had previously struck down the 2022 law, ruling it violated the Second Amendment. |
Charlie Kirk said "some gun deaths" were an acceptable cost for having Second Amendment gun rights
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Now that Kirk is the one who has paid the ultimate cost for living in a society "when you have an armed citizenry," I wonder if he still thinks that price was worth it. Of course, we can't know. Although if Kirk, a devout evangelical Christian, is right about the Divine order of things, he will be able to tell his fellow Christians when they meet up later in heaven. Which, God willing, is Kirk's "complete alternate universe."
Of course, if Kirk has been weighed in the celestial balance and found wanting — and consequently finds himself in the hot place — then he will still be in an alternate universe. |
FL: Medical Marijuana and the Second Amendment: Eleventh Circuit Revives Second Amendment Challenge to Federal Ban on Gun Ownership for Drug Users
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In a recent decision, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture v. Attorney General,1 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated a district-court dismissal of an as-applied Second Amendment challenge to 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) and § 922(d)(3), which prohibit unlawful drug users from possessing or being sold firearms. The lawsuit was brought by Florida medical-marijuana patients and a prospective patient who already owns a firearm. The panel held that, at the pleading stage, the federal government failed to demonstrate that disarming state-law-compliant medical-marijuana users is “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation.” |
FL: Florida’s First-Ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Underway Through 2025
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Florida’s first-ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday is officially underway and will continue through December 31, 2025. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the tax holiday Monday, giving Floridians nearly four months to save on firearms, ammunition, hunting gear, and outdoor supplies.
“We’re committed to helping Floridians keep more of their hard-earned money, and the Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday is one way to do that,” DeSantis said during the announcement. “Florida is a great state for outdoor adventure and exercising your Second Amendment rights, and we’re working to keep it that way.” |
NJ: SAF Secures Partial Victory in New Jersey Sensitive Places Lawsuit
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The Third Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners a partial victory today in a case challenging New Jersey’s “Sensitive Places Law” but left in place carry restrictions for many public areas.
The case, Koons v. Platkin, challenges New Jersey law that create a series of “sensitive places” in which even permitted concealed carriers are prohibited from carrying their firearms. Those places create a patchwork of overlapping categories such as public gatherings, zoos, parks, beaches, recreation facilities, and more, intended to encompass nearly every square inch of the state. |
Charlie Kirk, Conservative Commentator, Dead at 31
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Right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday. He was 31 years old.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Video from the event showed a single bullet fired on the Sorensen Center courtyard. Kirk is seen reaching for his neck with his right hand. |
The Big Beautiful Bill Quietly Shot Down One Of America’s Dumbest Gun Laws
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Plenty of ink has been spilled on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping piece of budget reconciliation legislation that cuts taxes, creates “Trump accounts” for newborns, and grants an unprecedented new surge of funding in support of mass deportation and border security efforts.
But one of the law’s biggest impacts may be its unfurling of a longstanding gun law that firearms enthusiasts and Second Amendment advocates have long had in their sights. |
Charlie KKKirk’s chickens come home to roost
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Charlie Kirk once said gun deaths were “unfortunately” a price worth paying for the freedom to bear arms under the Second Amendment of the US constitution. The far right pundit’s argument was (almost) vindicated when he was shot dead on Wednesday.
He felt a small fraction of the violence against Palestinians, black people, women and other oppressed groups that he glorified.
Kirk was a Make America Great Again (Maga) extremist and fervent fan of Donald Trump. He called the US president “the bodyguard of Western civilisation”. Trump called Kirk a “great warrior”. |
IL: Deadly Mistake: Illinois Career Criminal Brings A Screwdriver To An Unexpected Gunfight
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We’ve chronicled many times before how bad guys with knives, axes and other weapons that are less effective than firearms have come out on the wrong end of illegal encounters. But this is the first time I can remember reporting on a home invasion where the intruder carried a screwdriver.
Repeat Chicago criminal Shelby Hurd was a product of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s early parole programs. Like many such criminals, however, Hurd decided that rather than going straight after receiving that break, he’d bust into a home and steal whatever he wanted. After all, he’d done it before and was still on the street. |
IA: AG Bird Defends Second Amendment Rights of Law-Abiding Travelers
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Attorney General Brenna Bird announced today she joined a coalition of 25 states filing an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court, urging it to review the constitutionality of Massachusetts’ firearm licensing requirements for nonresidents.
“Massachusetts’s law drowns the rights of law-abiding citizens in red tape and violates both historical tradition and Supreme Court precedent,” said Attorney General Bird. “Constitutional rights travel with the individual—not just within their home state, but across the United States.” |
FL: Florida sheriffs cease enforcement of open carry ban after appeals court decision
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“No historical tradition supports Florida’s Open Carry Ban. To the contrary, history confirms that the right to bear arms in public necessarily includes the right to do so openly,” Judge Stephanie Ray wrote in an opinion, joined by Judges Lori Rowe and M. Kemmerly Thomas.
“That is not to say that open carry is absolute or immune from reasonable regulation,” the opinion continued. “But what the State may not do is extinguish the right altogether for ordinary, law-abiding, adult citizens.”
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith issued nearly identical statements regarding the repercussions of the ruling, saying their deputies will no longer enforce the ban. |
Biden, Obama, Other Democrats Condemn Kirk's Murder by Unknown Assassin
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I didn't always agree with Charlie Kirk, but I always felt he stood for what he believed in. When so many people feel like useless grifters, I never got that impression of Kirk.
I'm very sad that he's gone, especially in such a senseless act of violence.
We will, of course, be following the story as things continue. I suspect that we'll have a lot of discussion about what happened to Kirk in the coming days and weeks.
President Trump was fond of Kirk and credited him with rallying the youth vote for him in 2024. |
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