Tag Archives: 2nd Amendment

Election, Featured, US

Cruz: ‘The Second Amendment Will Be Written Out of the Constitution’ if Trump is President

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As previously reported by Truth In Media, Senior Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of apparent natural causes at a ranch in West Texas Saturday morning.

The passing of Scalia sparked different reactions from presidential candidates and political organizations. Both the National Rifle Association and Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) are emphasizing the importance of replacing Scalia’s seat with a pro-2nd Amendment Justice.

According to Washington Examiner, the NRA will spend $20 million during the election to push for gun rights and will lobby for pro 2nd Amendment justices.

The NRA tweeted Senator Ted Cruz’s statement at the news of Scalia’s passing.

Senator Cruz told This Week‘s George Stephanopoulos the importance of the next election and how it will affect the SCOTUS’ decision on important issues like the 2nd Amendment. Cruz also told Stephanopoulos that he intends to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee brought forward by President Obama.

“I don’t think the American people want a court that will write the 2nd Amendment out of the Constitution,” said Cruz.

But Cruz went a step further by attacking his opponent Donald Trump.

Cruz said, “And if Donald Trump becomes president, the Second Amendment will be written out of the Constitution because it is abundantly clear that Donald Trump is not a conservative. He will not invest the capital to confirm a conservative.”

[RELATED: Reality Check: What Trump’s Love of Eminent Domain Tells You About His Values]

Cruz added, “whether it’s Hillary, Bernie or Donald Trump. The Second Amendment will go away.”

“He says you’re wrong. He says he will and he says your judgment should be questioned because you supported John Roberts,” said Stephanopoulos.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/698990680719360000

Cruz said, “Listen, number one, I did not appoint John Roberts. George W. Bush did. Now once the president made the appointment, I supported that nomination. That was a mistake.”

Featured, Government Accountability, Opinion

Lawmakers, Activists Showing Support for 3D Printed Guns

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On December 17, Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and 14 other Republican lawmakers filed an amicus brief on behalf of Defense Distributed, a non-profit organization that designs weapons that may be downloaded and printed with a 3D printer.

Defense Distributed is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the U.S. State Department over the legality of publicly posting blueprints of 3D printable weapons online. In 2013, DD’s founder Cody Wilson created the world’s first 3D printed handgun. Shortly after Wilson posted the blueprints online for free downloading, he was contacted by the State Department and told that his designs were under the jurisdiction of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The State Department insisted that “this means that all data should be removed from public access immediately.”

After months of delays, Defense Distributed filed a lawsuit requesting an injunction that would keep the Obama administration from blocking the posting of the blueprints for the “Liberator” 3D printed gun.

Massie stated that “the State Department’s improper and unconstitutional interpretation of federal law is likely to chill scientific and technological advancement in the United States.” The brief also noted that Massie is an MIT-trained engineer and inventor, as well as a Member of the Committee on Science, Space & Technology.

“We expect the Court to recognize that the State Department exceeded the authority granted to it by Congress and violated the First, Second, and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution,” Massie stated.

The day after Massie’s brief was filed, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit focused on protecting civil liberties, also filed a brief in support of Defense Distributed.

“The State Department claimed that publishing the files on the Internet could violate the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which controls the international export of defense-related technology. After suggesting Defense Distributed put in an administrative request to determine whether the files were, in fact, controlled, the State Department sat on the request for nearly two years—only acting after Defense Distributed sued. It then concluded that a license was required to publish most of the files at issue,” the EFF wrote.

The EFF’s brief also noted that “the scope of [International Traffic in Arms Regulations]’s prohibition on speech could apply to members of the press republishing newsworthy technical data, professors educating the public on scientific and medical advances of public concern, enthusiasts sharing otherwise lawful information about firearms, domestic activists trading tips about how to treat tear gas or resist unlawful surveillance, and gun control opponents expressing a point about proliferation of weapons.”

The Cato Institute filed an amicus brief calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to defend the First Amendment right of Americans to share open-source technical information.

As Cato writes, “Defense Distributed is not in the business of distributing arms. What it distributes, as properly recognized by the district court, is computer code in the form of CAD and other files. Code and digital files are speech for purposes of the First Amendment, as several federal appellate courts have recognized. Most importantly, simply because speech may be used for unlawful purposes by third parties doesn’t mean it loses constitutional protection.”

The topic of 3D printed guns is likely to continue to be a contentious topic of debate as gun violence is the focus of much of the media. Police in Queensland, Australia recently busted a crystal-methamphetamine lab with several weapons produced with 3D printers. The bust came shortly after Australia passed legislation to regulate 3D printed weapons.

The U.S. government can craft as many pieces of legislation as they’d like, but the fact remains that if people want to commit violence or want means of self-defense they will use whatever means are at their disposal, including creating weapons with emerging technologies. 3D printed weapons, like all technology, are simply tools that can be applied in any number of ways. The state fails every time they attempt to legislate morality or attempts to create security through statism.

For more information on DefenseDistributed vs. U.S. State Department check out this recent interview with Cody Wilson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNfcZLlRhSk

Featured, Interviews, Police Accountability, Videos

Oath Keepers: Americans “Are Being Given A False Choice” In Calming Ferguson Tension

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9p9PN4UqY

Truth In Media’s Joshua Cook followed up with Oath Keepers president Stewart Rhodes to provide an update on the Oath Keepers’ presence in Ferguson.

Cook asked Rhodes, “what is the media getting wrong about your group?”

“One of the first things they said was that our presence was inflammatory,” answered Rhodes. “And it’s quite the opposite. There were actually no shots fired and interesting enough, no arrests made while our guys were on the streets. And we protected several black owned businesses again like we did last year.”

“The point of us being there is, (a), lead by example and show the people of Ferguson this is how you prevent arson, this is how you protect against looting, etc. And (b), protect your community so that you don’t have this false choice that’s being presented to the American people- that the only way to stop arson and looters is to trample on the First Amendment Rights of the protesters or to have a hyper-militarized police state. The American people are being given a false choice,” said Rhodes.

“The American people are being given a false choice.” – Stewart Rhodes, President of Oath Keepers

Rhodes said that there have been increased instances of business owners more actively protecting their property during the unrest. “There’s a growing number of businesses doing exactly what we did, stand up and do what the police can’t do. The police cannot or will not protect the people’s actual businesses from the looters and arsonists. The best answer is for the folks in Ferguson to do it themselves, it takes away that false choice,” said Rhodes.

Cook asked Rhodes about his thoughts on St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar’s comments about his group’s presence being “unnecessary” and “inflammatory.” Rhodes responded that their presence has actually had a “calming” effect and many of the protesters realized who the Oath Keepers were and that their presence was meant for protection.

“I think Chief Belmar, like all too many police officers, have this idea that only the police should have firearms. It’s a threat to their turf. It’s a turf battle. He’s kind of a small minded man and looks at it like that,” said Rhodes.

“What we are doing is leading by example. And we want to see the people of Ferguson to stand up for themselves and take care of their own security so they won’t need a heavy police presence.” said Rhodes.

“Frankly they need a new police of chief there,” said Rhodes. “I think a lot of the problems go away with better leadership.”

Cook asked about the criticism Oath Keepers have received for offering to protect independent journalists while major media outlets have provided themselves with security teams. “If you’re a mainstream media journalist with a professional security team, that’s okay. But if you’re alternative media like Alex Jones or some other small group who has us along to help protect them, then it’s somehow extreme. So it’s a double standard, it is,” said Rhodes.

Rhodes advised that “the people themselves need to step up and take care of their own neighborhoods and suppress the thugs. The few thugs who are causing the problems, it’s up to the experienced veterans in Ferguson to step up.”

Politics, US

City Council Passes Gun Ban On S.C. State Capitol Grounds

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S.C. Governor Nikki Haley signed a bill to remove the Confederate battle flag off of State Capitol grounds on Thursday. Hours after Gov. Haley signed the bill, the Columbia City Council passed an ordinance temporarily banning weapons within a 250-foot perimeter surrounding the South Carolina State House grounds in an emergency meeting.

As reported previously by Truth In Media, a fight broke out during a protest at the State capitol grounds last week, but no threats have been made since then. So why is there a temporary ban?

According to the Free-Times.com, Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said the emergency ordinance is not in response to any information or intelligence specifically in connection with Friday’s flag removal ceremony.

“No specific intelligence or information, we are just exercising prudence and caution,” Holbrook says. “Our goal is to have peaceful, lawful assembly. This helps us facilitate and make sure everybody is safe.”

“During this period of extraordinary circumstances that have arisen, the City of Columbia believes it is in the best interest of public safety, free speech and freedom of peacable assembly to temporarily extend the existing ban of weapons as enacted by the General Assembly within 250 feet of the borders of the Capitol Complex,” the ordinance reads.

Violators will be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $500 or sent to jail for up to thirty days if caught with a weapon.

Truth In Media will be covering the flag removal ceremony on Friday.

At 10am, the Confederate Flag came down from the State capitol memorial.

International, US

New Kalash On Sale in U.S. Markets: “Russian Heritage- American Innovation”

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Nearly one year after Russian-made imported AK-47 styled rifles were banned due to imposed sanctions by the Obama administration, Americans can now purchase the popular rifle.

“We have made good on the promise delivered at SHOT Show, to provide our customers with a quality product at a competitive price by the second quarter of this year,” Thomas McCrossin, CEO of Kalashnikov USA, said in a press release Tuesday.

The most poorly trained militia can become a deadly force when supplied with AK-47 rifles. The AK-47 is the world’s most abundant firearm with over 100 million produced.

As reported previously by Truth In Media, Mikhail Kalashnikov invented the weapon which helped many countries to fight for their independence. “I invented it for the protection of the motherland. I have no regrets and bear no responsibility for how politicians have used it,” said Kalashnikov.  The famous Russian inventor Kalashnikov died this week at the age of 94.

[RELATED: “Kalash”: The Most Effective Killing Machine in History]

Below is a scene from the movie Lord of War that describes Kalashnikov’s famous invention.

Check out the new rifles at www.kalashnikov-usa.com.

https://twitter.com/KalashnikovUSA/status/562648038968422400

Activism, Featured, Gun Rights, Politics, US

Gun Activists Start 3 Recalls In Oregon, Prepare For More

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Advancement of  legislation that would require criminal background checks for private gun transfers has sparked a recall effort in Oregon by gun rights activists.

According to The Oregonian, papers were filed Wednesday against State Senator Chuck Riley and State Representative Susan McLain, both in their first terms and “part of an expanded Democratic majority enabled, in part, by campaign donations from gun-control advocates.”

Riley received money from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his campaign where he narrowly defeated the Republican incumbent. McLain and Riley sponsored the gun control bill, SB941.

Papers were also filed against state House Majority Leader Val Hoyle, who expected this ridiculous legislation to move quickly through her chamber.

Recall organizers told The Oregonian that they expect more recall papers to be filled.

Riley’s office called the efforts work done by “extreme right-wing groups.” They released the following statement:

“The voters of Senate District 15 know that I have always supported common sense legislation to promote gun safety. I proudly cast a “Yes” vote on SB 941 to close the loophole that allows felons, domestic abusers, and people with severe mental illness to get access to a gun. Common sense gun safety was a key issue in my campaign and I’m delivering on my promises to the voters. Extreme right-wing groups may not like the fact that I won, but I am doing exactly what I said I would do. I respect the right of citizens to exercise their beliefs in the democratic process. I am also confident that the vast majority of people in my district support gun safety, and that my vote for SB 941 is democracy in action.”

These recall efforts are similar to ones that took place in Colorado under similar circumstances.

Gun Rights, Opinion, Politics, US

Exclusive Interview With Larry Pratt: “Gun Owners of America Is A Muslim-Free Zone”

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Glenn Beck is not happy with the National Rifle Association. On his radio show, he actually threatened to quit the organization if its board member, Grover Norquist, was re-elected, calling Norquist a Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer.

According to Beck, Norquist has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is closely related to the terrorist group Hamas. “I mean I just, I am that concerned that he is a very bad influence and a very bad man that if this is who the NRA decides to put on their board of directors I don’t think I can be associated with them,” Beck said.

“I think Glenn Beck is right to be concerned,” said Larry Pratt, Gun Owners of America’s executive director. “And we just hope that he might be comfortable over at the Gun Owners of America someday.” Pratt said that his organization has a strong anti-Muslim Brotherhood stance.

“Muslims, when they’re in power, don’t like you having guns. They disarm the populace and certainly anyone opposed to them won’t have a gun,” he explained.

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised by the Gun Owners of America about the NRA. When Congress was considering expanding background checks post-Sandy Hook, the NRA had a questionable stance: “The NRA had initially years ago written the background check legislation, so they were not comfortable opposing an expansion of background checks to private sales and in fact were supporting it,” Pratt said.

“It doesn’t stop crime, but it sure gives the government a dandy list of who owns guns,” he said of background checks.

With the NRA’s support thrown towards the legislation, the Gun Owners of America and its concern for Second Amendment rights stepped in.

“We were so concerned about it,” he said. The group turned to its email list, which they jokingly call the “Piers Morgan Memorial Email List” due to how large it grew after the former talk show host had heckled the group.

The group had its members and allies write and call their elected officials.

“A week later, they [NRA] announced that they were doing a 180,” he said. Under pressure, the NRA had changed its views.

“It was marvelous to behold, because one of the bill’s sponsors went running to the media, saying that he’s been betrayed,” he explained. “There was a vote, and happily, that was it. The measure died. That was due to people writing their members of Congress, emailing them in this case, or telephoning them as we encouraged. It got results. Numbers count.”

Another group the Gun Owners of America is taking aim at is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They hope the ATF is disbanded.

“This is something that Gun Owners of America has advocated for years. This is a blood-drenched agency who is responsible for the death of many, many, many Americans,” he explained. “They had never been able to discover what their role was except gun control.”

“Trying to make gun owners criminals by catching them in non-violent, statutory-type crimes has been about the best that they can come up with. They don’t serve any purpose.”

Pratt encouraged Second Amendment patriots to get more involved by joining the organization and its email list, saying it is effective.

“That is the tool that was used to defeat post-Sandy Hook gun control push. Obviously, it works,” he added.

Listen to Joshua Cook’s entire interview with Larry Pratt.

Government Accountability, Gun Rights, Interviews, Politics, States Rights, US

Texas Senate OKs Handgun Open Carry, Governor To Sign

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On Monday, handgun open carry legislation moved one step closer to Texas law after it passed the Texas State Senate.

Senate Bill 17 would allow citizens with concealed carry permits to open carry handguns.

The 20-11 vote was unsurprisingly divided on party lines with 20 Republicans voting in favor and 11 Democrats voting against the bill.

The bill needs to then pass the Texas House, and then it will ultimately land on the governor’s desk.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made it clear that he will sign an open carry bill if it is sent to his desk.

 

BenSwann.com has covered the open carry movement for years (see here, here, here and here) and it appears that grassroots activists are finally seeing their dreams come true. Texas activists have worked diligently on getting this bill passed; some even were arrested for standing up for their right to carry firearms.

 

amosarrested

 

Though handgun open carry is a positive step in the right direction, it is just a first step. Constitutional carry is what many activists want in Texas.

Justin Delosh, executive director for Come and Take It Texas, said that the government shouldn’t be making money off of gun permits.

“We support the right to concealed carry and the right to open carry.  We think it’s unethical for the state to profit off a person’s ability to defend themselves.  So we’re pushing for both without a permit,” Delosh said.

“Constitutional Carry means that if you’re legally allowed to possess the firearm, you should be able to carry it openly or concealed without a permit,” Delosh said.

Since the right to bear arms is part of our Constitution, requiring citizens to need a permit or have state-mandated training is unethical.

“We’re all for more training, we’d love to see everybody get more training.  But to make it state-mandated, to me it’s just unethical,” Delosh said.

Joshua Cook interviews Kory Watkins, Coordinator Open Carry Tarrant County in an exclusive interview below:

US

Federal Interstate Handgun Transfer Ban Struck Down By Federal Judge

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The federal interstate handgun transfer ban was declared to be unconstitutional by Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The ban, according to the judge, infringes on our Second Amendment rights.

O’Connor wrote in Mance v. Holder: “The federal interstate handgun transfer ban is unique compared to other firearms restrictions because it does not target certain people (such as felons or the mentally ill), conduct (such as carrying firearms into government buildings or schools), or distinctions among certain classes of firearms (such as fully automatic weapons or magazine capacity). Instead, the federal interstate handgun transfer ban targets the entire national market of handgun sales and directly burdens law-abiding, responsible citizens who seek to complete otherwise lawful transactions for handguns.”

The Obama administration, he wrote, has “not shown that the federal interstate handgun transfer ban is narrowly tailored to be the least restrictive means of achieving the Government’s goals under current law. The federal interstate handgun transfer ban is therefore unconstitutional on its face.”

Read the full text here.

 

Featured, Gun Rights, US

New E-mail Revealed DEA, ATF Plan To Monitor Gun Show Attendees

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According to a newly disclosed e-mail, the DEA and ATF collaborated on plans to monitor gun show attendees with automatic license plate readers.

The e-mail was released by the ACLU through the Freedom of Information Act.

The email, which is from April 2006 states the “DEA Phoenix Division Office is working closely with ATF on attacking the guns going to [redacted] and the gun shows, to include programs/operation with LPRs at the gun shows.”

According to the ACLU, “The government redacted the rest of the email, but when we received this document we concluded that these agencies used license plate readers to collect information about law-abiding citizens attending gun shows. An automatic license plate reader cannot distinguish between people transporting illegal guns and those transporting legal guns, or no guns at all; it only documents the presence of any car driving to the event. Mere attendance at a gun show, it appeared, would have been enough to have one’s presence noted in a DEA database.”

The ACLU asked the DEA about this project, and they claim it was never implemented. “We were certainly glad to hear them say this, as we had rationally, based on the scrap of information left unredacted in the document, concluded that gun show monitoring was underway,” explained the ACLU in a blog post.

This isn’t the first time the government’s license plate collection plans were revealed by the ACLU.

According to heavily redacted documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, the DEA has gathered as many as 343 million records in the National License Plate Recognition program, reported Derrick Broze for BenSwann.com.

 

Featured, Gun Rights, Politics

Watch Out! More Gun Laws In Sight in 2015

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Representative Mike Honda (D-California) is taking aim at the Second Amendment with 3 proposed bills, which include making it illegal to make your own gun at home.

“These bills are sensible, reasonable measures to limit the damage that can be inflicted by guns and those who mean harm with them,” Congressman Honda said. “We have seen too many people injured and killed by guns to just stand by and do nothing. These bills will modernize our gun laws to reflect how weapons are currently getting into the wrong hands.”

The three bills include:

The Responsible Body Armor Possession Act – This bill allows law enforcement to respond to active shooting situations more effectively. The bill prohibits the purchase, sale, or possession of military-grade body armor by anyone except certain authorized users, such as first-responders and law enforcement.

The Homemade Firearms Accountability Act – This bill will require that guns that are self-assembled or manufactured at home be regulated the same as those that are purchased. It will require that all homemade guns have serial numbers, so if they are used in the commission of a crime, the police are able to trace the bullet back to the weapon.

The Home-Assembled Firearms Restriction Act – This bill will ban the sale and purchase of “incomplete lower receivers,” which are easily purchased and converted into functioning firearms. Banning these transactions would severely reduce the number of untraceable weapons on our streets.

“We need a common sense approach to reduce gun violence,” Congressman Honda said. “These bills can make our streets safer, and protect our citizens, police, and first responders. I will continue to fight for sensible public safety laws.”

 

Rep. Thomas Massie stated on Facebook that he would oppose all three bills.

Post by Congressman Thomas Massie.
Gun Rights, US

GOA Exposed Manchin’s Gun Control Plans

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Did you watch PBS’ new special “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA”? According to Breitbart, the special includes a look at other gun rights groups, including the Gun Owners of America and credits the group for exposing Senator Joe Manchin’s attempt to cloak his 2013 gun control push by padding it with words like “compromise” and “loopholes.”

The group’s Executive Director Larry Pratt saw the West Virginia Democrat working behind the scenes, pushing gun control after Sandy Hook. He called him out and asked other gun rights groups, including the NRA, to do the same.

“Pratt saw Manchin as an opportunist who was stepping in while the hearts of the American people were aching, offering them salve that wouldn’t heal, but which would take away even more of their liberty,” wrote Breitbart.

The groups did join forces and defeated Manchin’s proposed bill.

“The Manchin bill was not aiming at loopholes, it was aimed at nailing down some remaining freedom the American people have. Gun control simply kills people. And for Senator Manchin to wave the bloody shirts of those children from Newtown is despicable,” said Pratt.

Featured, US

Video: California cop says selling ammunition is bizarre and illegal

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In a video posted to LiveLeak’s YouTube, a Eureka, Calif. officer, confronts two Second Amendment activists selling .22 caliber ammunition on the street. The officer calls the behavior “bizarre.”

According to TheBlaze, police responded after receiving several calls about the men selling ammo.

“One of the pro-gun activists grew immediately confrontational when the officer approached them, refusing to provide any identification or answer any questions, citing his constitutional rights and maintaining that he had broken no laws,” wrote TheBlaze.

“It’s 100 percent legal. Don’t answer any of his questions,” said one of the activists.

The officer then asks for the duo’s business license.

“Absolutely not, sir. Check your law. It’s our constitutional right, you can check it in the city of California laws,” the activist said. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” he later adds.

Watch the entire clip below:

US

Interview: 2nd Amendment Advocates Support Texas ‘Constitutional Carry’

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As Texas is considering legislation for open carrying handguns, groups are advocating “Constitutional Carry.”

Justin Delosh, executive director for Come and Take It Texas, said that the government shouldn’t be making money off of gun permits.

“We support the right to concealed carry and the right to open carry.  We think it’s unethical for the state to profit off a person’s ability to defend themselves.  So we’re pushing for both without a permit,” Delosh said.

“Constitutional Carry means that if you’re legally allowed to possess the firearm, you should be able to carry it openly or concealed without a permit,” Delosh said.

Since the right to bare arms is part of our Constitution, requiring citizens to need a permit or have state-mandated training is unethical.

“We’re all for more training, we’d love to see everybody get more training.  But to make it state-mandated, to me it’s just unethical,” Delosh said.

Kory Watkins, Coordinator Open Carry Tarrant County told Joshua Cook that James White’s open carry bill is not one to support because if the 2nd Amendment is a right, the state shouldn’t force citizens to pay for a license, or a concealed carry permit.

“There is a different bill that gun supporters are supporting,” said Watkins. “HB 195 by Jonathan Stickland is Constitutional carry. That’s what the open carry groups are supporting.”

Please listen to BenSwann.com’s Joshua Cook full interview with Kory Watkins for more details on a growing movement to restore 2nd Amendment rights in T.X.

Featured, Police State, US

Wisconsin Police Dept Ask Residents To Volunteer To Have Homes Searched For Guns

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By Joshua Cook | Tsu | Facebook | Twitter 

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, Police in Beloit are asking city residents to volunteer to have police search their homes for guns, as part of a new effort to reduce gun violence.

Their police chief, Norm Jacobs, said he didn’t expect tons of volunteers, but he hopes the effort helps people to think about gun violence like an infectious disease like Ebola, and a home inspection would act like a vaccine to help build up the city’s immune system, reported WPR.

“Gun violence is as serious as the Ebola virus is being represented in the media, and we should fight it using the tools that we’ve learned from our health providers,” he said.

Jacobs thinks that some searches will result in the discovery of guns they didn’t know were in their own homes. He also said that guns linked to crimes could also be discovered.

“That’s really what we’re looking for. Maybe we’ll find a toy gun that’s been altered by a youngster in the house — and we know the tragedies that can occur there on occasion,” he added.

There have been seven gun homicides in Beloit, population 36,888, which is south of Janesville, on the Illinois/Wisconsin border.

Jacobs’ statement is so bizarre and should raise eyebrows for 2nd Amendment activists. Yes, we should fight domestic violence by educating the community but gun confiscation is not the answer. In the current environment where the police state is expanding and becoming more violent toward citizens, why would anyone “volunteer” and allow law enforcement to search their home? Is possible that this policy is just another “backdoor” gun control measure and attempt to circumvent the 4th Amendment?

 

Featured, US

Texas Could Become 45th Open Carry State

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Right now, you can openly carry rifles and shotguns in Texas, but no handguns. This could all change, making Texas the 45th state to allow open carry.

State lawmakers have introduced several open carry bills affecting handgun owners.

A bill introduced by State Representative James White would allow concealed handgun license holders to open carry, if they want.

“Well, I believe it’s everyone’s constitutional right to be able to carry a handgun, but I believe people need to go through the right amount of training before they even start that,” said Brad Bennett, a licensed concealed handgun instructor at Lone Star Gun Range in Lumberton, Texas.

State representative White, who introduced the bill, said protecting yourself is key.

“Self protection and ensuring against government tyranny is a God given right and it’s a Constitutional right protected,” said State Representative James White, a Republican.

White said that open carry is a constitutional right for law abiding citizens. “You can’t be a felon and have a weapon, we’re not for that,” said White.

White said open carry deters crime. “If you see someone that’s packing, you’re probably less likely to accost that nice young lady in the parking lot that’s coming from her nursing class at night at the community college,” said White.

South Carolina tried to pass similar pro-gun bills that would allow citizens to open carry but it failed last session. Hopefully TX can pass this bill and stop the state from violating citizen’s God-Given right to keep and bear arms.

S.C. State Senator Lee Bright told BenSwann.com that he will prefile a similar bill for next session. Hopefully the Republican controlled senate won’t kill it this time around.

Election, US

Georgia man forced to remove his NRA Instructor hat before voting

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DOUGLASVILLE, GA, October 29, 2014 – Last Friday, Bundy Cobb, a Douglasville, GA resident, was told by poll workers that he must remove his hat with the wording “NRA Instructor” on it before he would be allowed to enter the voting booth.

Cobb is a certified firearms trainer through the National Rifle Association (NRA) and wears the hat in part to promote his business, True Aim Defense.

The Douglas County board of elections supervisor Laurie Fulton defended the decision as a move of extra precaution and stated, “The courts have found that anything that suggests association with the NRA in many people’s perceptions is associated with the Republican party. So in an overabundance of caution Mr. Cobb was asked to remove the hat so that no one could interpret that we were playing any favoritism over one party versus the other.”

Cobb obeyed the request in order to vote, but later reached out to Atlanta’s local Fox News affiliate to express his distress over the situation. Cobb stated, “It’s ridiculous, my hat advertises my business.” Cobb went on to say that the NRA has nothing to do with political parties and stated, “I know personally some Democrats who are members of the NRA.”

You can watch the full local report of the incident here.

 

Follow Michael Lotfi on Facebook & Twitter.

Featured, US

Pro-Gun Milwaukee Sheriff Triumphs Over Bloomberg-Backed Opponent

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On Tuesday, Second Amendment-loving Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. beat City of Milwaukee Police Lt. Chris Moews in the Democratic primary for sheriff.

This victory is made even sweeter by the fact that former New York City Mayor and nanny-to-the-world Michael Bloomberg gave $150,000 to the Moews campaign for TV ads.

Appearing on Fox & Friends, Clarke said that Bloomberg is tone-deaf to Milwaukee politics:

“Mayor Bloomberg made a huge miscalculation. He didn’t understand the political climate on the ground here in Milwaukee County. I have a lot of support for my position on support for the Second Amendment, for people to be able to defend themselves and the pro-gun movement.”

NRA-backed Clarke came into the national spotlight with his strong belief of guns as personal protection.

After winning the primary, Clarke firmed up his fourth term as Milwaukee County Sheriff.

 

Featured, US

Obama Administration Bullies Banks To Cut Ties With Gun Dealers

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It happened to a pawn shop in South Carolina. Inman Gun & Pawn was forced to close two of its checking accounts due to Operation Choke Point, which is an Obama Administration effort to hinder financial fraud.

But the Obama Administration is using a broad brush to define what constitutes fraud and is instead using executive powers through the Department of Justice to shut down businesses that Obama finds unsavory like gun sales.

“We had an excellent relationship. We had ample funds in the accounts to do anything that we needed to do,” said Morris Williams of Inman Gun & Pawn in Spartanburg County, S.C. “We thought everything was just wonderful until we received this letter.”

The letter states that due to the rules and regulations for deposit accounts, the bank, Suntrust Bank, asked Williams to close two of his accounts.

“The only thing that they will tell us is that we have been deemed a prohibited business type,” he said.

Local news reported that prohibited businesses include weapon sales, pornography, bankruptcy lawyers and psychic services.

“We asked our local branch manager and we have asked corporate and what basis did they make this decision?” He asked.

The answer he got was that businesses like his cost more to facilitate and have more risk associated with them.

Thankfully, Williams has already found a new bank. But, why should he have to? Is this another attempt by the Obama administration to implement back door gun control?

Watch the video below that explains Operation Choke Point: