RKBA – Page 115 – MILESFORTIS

But there’s always next year for the gun grabbers

Oregon: Legislature Adjourns from Short 2022 Legislative Session

Last Friday, the Oregon Legislature gaveled out of their short 2022 Legislative Session. While multiple anti-gun measures were proposed and introduced, nothing was able to gain any traction and pass. Two of those measures, House Bill 4079 and Senate Bill 1577 were opposed by NRA and were defeated as the legislature adjourned.

House Bill 4079 is one of the biggest signs of how disconnected from reality the anti-gun elite is. This measure would have placed a “Luxury Tax” on many retail goods for sale in Oregon, including firearms. While the program aimed to assist low-income Oregonians, placing further taxes on the constitutional rights of ALL Oregonians is the exact opposite of the measure’s intent. HB 4079 would invariably price-out low-income residents from their right to self-defense.

Senate Bill 1577 would ban 3-D printed guns, however the bill is so poorly written that it confuses “undetectable” firearms with 3D printed guns. This bill is the ultimate solution in search of a problem. Undetectable firearms have been banned under federal law for 30 years. This is nothing more than political theater. However, because of poor bill drafting, this bill could have serious unintended consequences for hobbyists who engage in the lawful home manufacture of firearms.

CNN Panics as Almost Half the States Have Passed Constitutional Carry Laws.

“Law enforcement and their constituents and everybody united can help slow these policies now, but I also recognize that some of these states have been trying to do this over and over again and this may be the year, unfortunately, that they finally get it across the finish line,” [Everytown director of state affairs Monisha] Henley said.

[NRA spokesman Lars] Dalseide, the NRA spokesman, noted that permitless legislation does not allow known criminals to carry firearms, nor does it legalize the criminal use of firearms or allow individuals to carry firearms in localities where it is prohibited to do so.

“My concern is that as we support the second amendment, we get to a point here in our society that we’re ignoring the fact that it is not an individual freedom that is unlimited,” Sheriff [Charmaine] McGuffey said.

The senators who support constitutional carry “will never know the lives they saved if they go in opposition to the bill,” McGuffey added. “If they pass this bill, there is a great likelihood that they will come to know the lives that they didn’t save because those names will live in infamy and those situations will be reported to the public by the press.”

— Emma Tucker in ‘They will come to know the lives they didn’t save’: States forge ahead with permitless carry legislation despite law enforcement opposition

“People who don’t even buy guns are coming in and buying magazines just because they might buy a gun someday.”

Sales of high-capacity magazines brisk as bill banning them heads to Governor’s desk

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Business is brisk at this local gun shop, three days after a historic vote banning the sale of high-capacity magazines in our state.

The legislation cleared the Washington State Senate last Friday and is now headed to Governor Jay Inslee’s desk.

The bill bans all gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds, making Washington State the 10th state to do so.

There is now a big demand for these magazines. A lot of people appear to be stocking up on them.

That has people here saying law-abiding gun owners are once again being penalized for the actions of criminals.

“These are all going to be banned,” said Tiffany Teasdale. “It’s a lot of our inventory.”

These are the waning days for Lynnwood Gun and Ammunition.

Teasdale and her business partner are closing shop after eight years. She says it is a coincidence that the Washington state legislature has voted to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines, just as she’s shutting down her business.

The vote is already impacting her store.

“People who don’t even buy guns are coming in and buying magazines just because they might buy a gun someday,” said Teasdale.

“Yeah, I think there’ll be a short-term impact where people go out and buy the ones that you can legally access,” said Sen. Marko Liias, the 21st District Democrat who sponsored the legislation.

He says his goal is to prevent mass shootings like what happened in his district in Mukilteo in 2016.

A 2015 Kamiak High School graduate killed three fellow graduates, including an ex-girlfriend, seemingly on impulse.

“And so, taking these products off the shelf means that folks who are disturbed like he was won’t be able to access that when they get into that, into that dark place,” said Liias.

Senate Bill 5078 will prevent anyone in this state from manufacturing, distributing, possessing, buying or selling high-capacity magazines — anything that holds more than 10 rounds.

Senator Liias says he believes the bill will save innocent lives.

“We know in states where they have passed a law like this, they see lower levels of mass shooting violence,” he said. “And that’s my goal.”

“They’re saying that this magazine is going to promote public safety,” said Tiffany Teasdale, holding a high-capacity magazine.

She says the bill will mostly penalize law-abiding gun owners.

“Just because they are banned for law-abiding citizens,” says Teasdale, “doesn’t mean criminals aren’t going to have them.”

She says a better deterrent is to adequately fund the police and prosecute the criminals they catch.

Senator Liias says if the governor signs the bill, it could become law in mid-June.

‘The Trace’ (Yes, ‘The Trace’) Reveals the Lie Behind San Jose’s New Gun Owner Liability Insurance Law

[Sam] Liccardo, the mayor, has said that safe gun behavior will determine insurance rates and lead to discounts. He told Slate last month: “When you notify the insurance company, the insurance company can start to ask questions like, ‘Do you have a gun safe? Do you have a trigger lock? Have you taken gun safety classes?’ And those kinds of actions can help to reduce the premium.”

But experts we spoke with said insurance companies won’t be asking these questions, and gun owner behavior probably won’t influence rates, because the ordinance only requires policies that cover accidental shootings, which are rare in San Jose. “It’s totally oversold,” said George Mocsary, a law professor at the University of Wyoming. “I think it’s an idea that makes sense on the surface. But when you dig into it a little bit, it essentially falls apart.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office, Rachel Davis, told us that staffers reached out to “over a dozen” insurance companies and that all of them asked about risk factors. These included whether children lived in the home, whether someone was on medication for depression, whether there is a gun safe, how many guns were in the house, and if the gun owner had safety training. But Davis didn’t say how these factors would affect premiums.

“While there’s a clause in most policies that covers negligent gun harm, it’s up to the gun owner to disclose more information that could affect their rates,” Davis said in an emailed response to our questions. “It’s also up to each of the insurance companies to define their policy requirements and up to residents to find the insurance policy that will work for them.” Davis insists that when gun owners file a claim, they will be asked about risk factors like gun storage, and the answers to those questions will determine whether a shooting is covered.

We reached out to several major insurance providers for more details about how the policies will work, but only three got back to us. Farmers and State Farm, referred us to [Janet] Ruiz of the Insurance Information Institute, while AAA said in a statement: “AAA supports the safety and security of our communities, which is why we offer insurance covering a broad scope of losses. We are reviewing the newly passed ordinance to determine whether it affects our products.”

According to the Pacific Institute study, San Jose has an average of two unintentional shooting deaths per year. The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, meanwhile, has recorded just three unintentional shootings in San Jose since 2015, resulting in two deaths and two injuries. Those figures may be an undercount — GVA bases its tallies on news and police reports, which can be incomplete — but even so, none of those shootings would have been covered by San Jose’s gun owners insurance because they all resulted in criminal charges.

According to Mocsary, the rarity of unintentional shootings make the odds of ever paying out on a claim so low that “the insurance companies just don’t care.” “They’ve already had the opportunity to do the actuarial math on this, and they found that it makes no difference,” he added. If risky gun behaviors affected their bottom line, insurers would already be asking about them. “And they don’t,” he said.

That contradicts a major selling point of the ordinance: the claim that risk-adjusted premiums will encourage gun owners to take safety courses and invest in gun safes, trigger locks, or chamber-load indicators.

— Jennifer Mascia in Will Requiring Gun Owners to Buy Insurance Improve Firearm Safety?

Another Eastern European Country Is Seeing Gun Sales Skyrocket After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Citizens of Lithuania are taking advantage of the country’s relatively relaxed gun laws and are buying firearms in droves in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Euronews reported Lithuania gun stores are experiencing sales surging up to eight times and applications for gun licenses doubling, along with more people visiting gun ranges to brush up on their skills:

“Sales have shot up for all categories of weapons but the largest demand is for handguns used for self-defence and semi-automatic weapons that could also be used in military situations. Some stores have reported selling as many handguns in a week as during the preceding year….

“Many stores also report that they have run out of military-style gear such as night vision and thermal vision equipment, flak jackets and tactical clothes. The Lithuanian Defence and Security Industry Association has said that most of those goods have been bought to be sent to Ukraine as privately funded military assistance.

“In stores, handguns cost around €600 while semi-automatic rifles around €2,000. Second-hand guns sell online for just over half the price.”

“Many more clients are coming. they buy semi-automatic rifles – unfortunately, I have no more to show them, I sold them out – and handguns,” said gun store manager Gytis Misiukevicius.

“People buy handguns most probably for self-defense, as they are of course not suitable for war. So they buy them out of their insecurity, to protect themselves, their families and relatives should something happen. Whereas semi-automatic rifles, they can be used for firefights,” he continued.

Lithuanians “with a spotless reputation and appropriate medical certificates” are able to purchase firearms after obtaining a license from the police.

Lithuania borders Belarus, where Russia has launched troops and missiles into Ukraine.

During the opening days of the major Russian offensive into Ukraine in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainians the government will be providing weapons to anyone who would be willing to fight against the Russians. Zelenskyy further told the country to prepare to fight “in the squares of our cities.”

BLUF:
HB272 passed last month in the State House of Representatives. The bill passed as substituted in the Senate, and now moves back to its house of origin for concurrence. If agreed upon by the House, the bill will be sent to Governor Kay Ivey for signature.

State Senate clears constitutional carry

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The State Senate today approved legislation to enable Alabamians the right to carry a firearm without obtaining a concealed carry permit. The bill – HB272 sponsored by Representative Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle) – was carried by Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa) in the Senate.

“The Second Amendment affords protection to an American individual’s right to possess a firearm and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes. As an elected official who swore to uphold the constitutions of this state and country, I will always do everything in my power to preserve the rights of Alabamians, especially those granted by the Second Amendment,” said Allen. “I appreciate Representative Stringer’s work on this issue in the House, and I am proud to have worked alongside him to move this critical bill in the Senate. I look forward to finally delivering constitutional carry to the people of Alabama.”

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Poll finds Republicans would stay and fight, Dems less so

It’s not exactly breaking news that there are profound differences between Republicans and Democrats. We see them every single day, especially in how we view the Second Amendment.

Now, understand, there are pro-gun Democrats. There aren’t many of them, but they do exist and I’m more than prepared to stand side-by-side with them to defend our right to keep and bear arms.

But they’re the minority in their party.

Yet the Second Amendment was meant as a bulwark against tyranny, either domestic or from foreign invasion, which brings us to Ukraine. What if something like that were to happen here. Who would stay and fight and who would flee the country.

Well, Quinnipiac decided to ask in a recent poll, and the results are fascinating.

As the world witnesses what is happening to Ukraine, Americans were asked what they would do if they were in the same position as Ukrainians are now: stay and fight or leave the country?
A majority (55 percent) say they would stay and fight, while 38 percent say they would leave the country.
Republicans say 68 – 25 percent and Independents say 57 – 36 percent they would stay and fight,
while Democrats say 52 – 40 percent they would leave the country.

“When confronted with a terrible hypothetical that would put them in the shoes of the Ukrainians, Americans say they would stand and fight rather than seek safety in another country,” added Malloy.

Nearly half of Americans (49 percent) say the attack on Ukraine has contributed to them feeling anxious, while half (50 percent) say it has not.

1,374 U.S. adults nationwide were surveyed from March 4th – 6th with a margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points.

So more than two-thirds of Republicans and more than half of independents would stay and fight for their homes compared to more than half of all Democrats who would run.

Fascinating.

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An open letter to Gabby Giffords, Shannon Watts and Michael Bloomberg

Dear Gabby, Shannon and Tiny Mike;

The instant the first Russian T-80 crossed the Ukrainian border, the whole world could see the uselessness of everything you’ve ever said and everything you’ve ever done. You’ve been overtaken by events – mooted and muted in one fell swoop, so scram. Leave the field. It is time for you and your gun-ban groups to go.

There’s a madman with nukes on the loose who’s just 50 miles off Alaska’s port bow. No one knows how far he’s willing to go, so you’re out. The adults are taking charge. Your services are no longer required. Please take the Demanding Moms and their creepy husbands with you, open a box of wine and have yourselves a good cry. Ukraine learned nearly too late that the right to keep and bear arms saves lives, while the civilian disarmament pipedream you’ve been peddling for decades costs lives.

If you are in doubt, ask the brave Ukrainian single mom with the yellow ribbon tied around her sleeve if she’s comfortable battling Russian Spetsnaz with a standard-capacity magazine in her Avtomat Kalashnikova, or if she’d prefer a 10-round mag you’ve long advocated for and a rifle that’s California-compliant. You could also ask the young Russian conscript bouncing around in the back of a BMP – who’s belly is churning from the rations he’s eating, which expired in 2015 – if he’d prefer shooting at disarmed civilians or ones who can shoot back.

Ukraine was a bastion of gun control – something you would have found refreshing – but when Russian fighters started strafing runs, they quickly came to their senses, repealed their gun laws and issued AKs by the thousands to anyone who asked. What the Ukrainians lack in training and marksmanship they’re making up for with sheer tenacity and uncommon valor.

The whole world saw how quickly the holy grails of your gun-ban industry – licensing and registration, waiting periods, background checks, magazine and “assault weapon” bans – were cast aside once Vlad the Invader came calling. The Ukrainians issued assault weapons to their citizens – real ones – without delays, licenses, checks or 4473s. Thank God they weren’t too late.

America will never be put in that position, no thanks to you. We train constantly with the rifles you want confiscated, and we’re not going to tolerate any more of your infringements: Our guns, our gear and our ammunition are now off limits to your foolishness. You need to find something else to do – another way to occupy your spare time. Our armed civilian populace is a strategic national asset, something more than a few would-be invaders considered before declaring war. You and your ilk have been trying for years to undermine this asset. I’m pretty sure there’s a word for that, and it carries a stiff penalty, especially in time of war.

The Ukrainian resistance is showing the world – at tremendous cost – how free men and women can resist tyrannical invaders if they’re given the right tools. Thankfully, Americans have the right tools, and we will savagely resist any attempts to reduce their effectiveness or take them away.

WA Gun Owner Fury Erupts as Lawmakers Pass Magazine Ban

By a 55-42 dead-of-night vote, the Washington State House of Representatives has passed a ban on rifle and pistol magazines holding more than 10 cartridges (including magazines for rimfire rifles), causing outrage among Evergreen State grassroots activists who will be looking unseat as many Democrats as possible in the November 2022 election.

Senate Bill 5078 goes to the desk of anti-gun Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee, who has already vowed to sign it. Two Democrat House members—Reps. Kirsten Harris-Talley from Seattle and Steve Kirby from Tacoma—voted against the measure, breaking ranks from their majority Democrat colleagues.

The vote came about two weeks after Liberty Park Press published a revealing report about the ineffectiveness of magazine capacity limit that many readers sent to their state lawmakers.

The late-night Friday vote was hailed by anti-gun Democrat Attorney General Bob Ferguson in a tweet now posted at the Facebook page of the Washington 2022 Legislative Action Group. The legislation was introduced at Ferguson’s request by Democrat Sen. Marko Liias of Lynnwood.

“Today is the fulfillment of years of hard work from so many,” Ferguson wrote. “More than five years ago, I stood with the parents of shooting victims, legislators, mayors, police chiefs and representatives from faith communities to say enough is enough, and proposed banning the sale of high-capacity magazines in Washington state. Today, our Legislature chose public safety over the gun lobby, and I am deeply appreciative of their service. This policy will save lives and make our communities safer from gun violence.”

But Wade Gaughran, owner of a Bellevue gun range and firearms retail business, reacted bluntly, telling KING News, “There’s no way that an intelligent person is going to look at this law and see that it would stop or limit or change the of any kind of mass shooting.”

He predicted a surge in magazine purchasing, a notion reinforced by an announcement from at least one firm—Palmetto State Armory—announced it will prioritize orders from Washington State residents: “All magazine orders placed from Washington State with Palmetto State Armory with ship out immediately and receive priority over all other orders.”

Dan Mitchell, owner of Vancouver’s Sporting Systems, posted a “Fact Sheet” about the magazine ban, which included a depiction of the state flag with dictatorial overtones.

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BLUF:
Peter Ambler of Giffords Law Center is unhappy that gun rights advocates are pointing out evidence that further unravels his cause, so it’s not surprising that he thinks it’s “deeply irresponsible” to do so. In other words, he wants us to stop pouncing and seizing and hammering and exploiting and feasting and gloating.

Giffords’ Ambler to 2A Supporters: Stop pouncing on Ukraine!

The history and rationale behind the Second Amendment are clear-cut. The defense of self, family, community, and country is protected in the founding documents of several states, not just the U.S. Bill of Rights. In a constitutional republic with checks and balances, with power splintered and diffused among various levels of governments, an armed citizenry is the ultimate check and balance against enemies both foreign and domestic.

The United States is approaching its 250th anniversary. That the republic has lasted so long, contributed so much to human flourishing and prosperity, spread the ideas of liberty and justice around the world, doesn’t mean that we can take the status quo for granted and forget or distort what it took to get here. The rest of the world provides periodic reminders and warnings of what could happen if America abandons its founding principles. Ukraine is the warning du jour.

Our friends in the Gun Grab Lobby, however, aren’t drawing the same lessons from Ukraine. When faced with yet another example of why an armed citizenry is good, their response is to cry foul and ask us to not cite it.

Ukraine crisis emerges as talking point in U.S. gun debate

By Barbara Goldberg and Brendan O’brien

NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) – Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gun rights advocates in the United States have sought to use the crisis to bolster their position on the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, injecting a new element into the heated debate.

Arguments linking the invasion to gun rights have cropped up this week across social media, in a post by the National Rifle Association and during a legislative vote in the Georgia statehouse.

“What is happening in Ukraine proves the wisdom of our founding fathers in drafting the Second Amendment,” the NRA said in a blog post on Monday, pointing to Ukrainians who have armed themselves to defend their country.

Is a newly discovered fossil a talking point in the evolution “debate” or is it yet another piece of evidence supporting evolution? Ukraine is not a mere talking point despite how the headline downplays it as one.

Anti-gun violence advocates, however, point to increasing fire-arms deaths in the United States and say tighter regulations and fewer guns are what is needed.

Peter Ambler, executive director of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said it was “deeply irresponsible” for gun rights advocates to tie their “more guns everywhere” advocacy to the Ukraine crisis.

“The tyrannical actions of Vladimir Putin don’t erase the fact that 45,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2020, nor do they erase the urgent need for commonsense, popular gun violence prevention policies like background checks and funding for community violence intervention programs,” Ambler told Reuters.

“Anti-gun violence advocates,” better described as Anti-Second Amendment activists or gun control supporters, want fewer guns in the hands of the citizenry. A good question to ask them would be, “Can you define fewer?” We all know the answer to that, and it’s no mystery that the question was not asked by the reporters.

Peter Ambler of Giffords Law Center is unhappy that gun rights advocates are pointing out evidence that further unravels his cause, so it’s not surprising that he thinks it’s “deeply irresponsible” to do so. In other words, he wants us to stop pouncing and seizing and hammering and exploiting and feasting and gloating.

Seasoned readers and Second Amendment advocates know this already, but new readers may not, so I will also point out that the 45,000 “gun violence deaths” that Ambler is citing is vastly inflated using suicides, which are the bulk of firearm mortalities. That would be like calling suicide by hanging “rope violence” and suicide by jumping “bridge violence” or “gravity violence.” Ambler’s suggested background checks and community violence intervention programs won’t do anything to address the bulk of those mortalities.

Ukraine was among the arguments wielded by Republicans to win a 34-22 vote in the Georgia state Senate on a concealed carry bill that split down party lines on Monday.

“I would be willing to bet you today that 99 percent of the people of Ukraine would give anything that they have to have a Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms,” Lindsey Tippins, a Republican state Senator, said in asking his fellow legislators to back the bill.

It’s unfortunate that it was a party-line vote, but thanks to the “arguments wielded,” the end-result is a win for our natural right of self-defense. Three cheers for pouncing on Ukraine!

Like most politicians, DeWine has his finger stuck up in the air to see which way the wind blows the strongest before he makes a decision.

Will DeWine sign permitless concealed carrying of handguns in Ohio?

Democrats have called on Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to veto permitless concealed carrying of handguns, but supporters of the legislation that’s now on the governor’s desk called it a historic Second Amendment victory.

DeWine is reviewing the bill, his spokesman said.

A bill to allow permitless concealed carry of handguns, Substitute Senate Bill 215 and also known as “constitutional carry,” passed the General Assembly on March 2 and has headed to DeWine to either sign or veto. It did not pass by a veto-proof majority.

On Friday, DeWine’s press secretary, Dan Tierney, did not answer questions on whether the governor still supported the list of gun reforms he promoted after the August 2019 mass shooting in Dayton’s Oregon District. Asked what DeWine — whose campaign touts him as a supporter of law enforcement — would say to police groups that opposed SB 215, Tierney was likewise silent.

“I would note Governor DeWine has long supported the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms,” Tierney said.

Bill contents

The current bill, with state Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, as its lead sponsor, says anyone at least 21 years old who is otherwise legally allowed to have a gun can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, without the previously required eight hours of gun safety training, and potentially without a pre-purchase background check.

Those who already have concealed-carry permits would no longer have to carry that license with them.

And if a driver is stopped by police, that person would no longer be required to tell officers that they have a concealed weapon unless they’re specifically asked about it.

Concealed carry licenses will still be available for those who want them, Johnson has said.

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The Right To Bear Arms Is Still a Check on Tyranny
Ukrainians have taken to the streets with arms to defend their country and their freedom.

Ukrainians have taken to the streets with arms to defend their country and their freedom. They’ve prepared Molotov cocktails as makeshift bombs.

The threat of tyranny isn’t only present in the third world. In the United States, critics of the Second Amendment have claimed that in modern warfare, small-time weapons are useless as a check on the power of standing armies.

“Well, the tree of liberty has not been watered with the blood of patriots,” President Joe Biden said in remarks delivered at the White House on June 23, 2021. “What’s happened is that there have never been, if you want to, think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.”

But now Biden is sending small arms to “Ukraine’s front-line defenders,” and it turns out that weapons of all sorts can help fight off even a nuclear power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted he’ll give weapons “to anyone who wants to defend the country.” Ukraine is the only European nation where firearms are not regulated by statute. Even in peacetime, Ukrainians were allowed to carry non–fully automatic rifles and shotguns as long as they were stored when not in use.

“And folks, ban assault weapons with high-capacity magazines that hold up to a hundred rounds,” Biden said at his 2022 State of the Union address. “You think the deer are wearing Kevlar vests?”

No, but unfortunately, hunting isn’t the only purpose of a gun. The horrific war in Ukraine reminds us that the right to bear arms is still a check on tyranny.

Proposed bill would make Kentucky a second amendment sanctuary

FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) – A bill has been filed that would make Kentucky a “second amendment sanctuary”.

Rep. Josh Bray (R-Mt. Vernon) proposed House Bill 29, which would impede the enforcement of federal gun laws in the state.

Bray said 115 counties have enacted similar legislation, but his proposed bill would put it into law statewide.

The representative is concerned about current gun law rhetoric at the federal level and concludes that if the bill was passed it could not be enforced.

“If its any kind of assault weapons ban, if its any kind of magazine capacity ban, any ammunition ban, then absolutely, with this bill they could not cooperate with enforcing a ban on firearms, ammunition, or firearm accessories,” said Bray.

The bill would not restrict any future state or federal law banning guns from being created.

Constitutional Carry Bill Headed to [Ohio] Governor’s Desk

On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, the Ohio House voted 57-35 to pass Senate Bill 215, sponsored by Sen. Terry Johnson.

About an hour later, the Senate concurred with a vote of 24-8. This means the bill now moves to the Governor’s desk!

The bill seeks to make a concealed handgun license optional in Ohio. It also clarifies how and when a person must notify law enforcement about carrying a firearm, so that an officer simply asks.

We are at a historic moment in Ohio legislative history. This is the closest we’ve ever been to passing a bill to make the licensing process optional for concealed carry of a firearm. Bills have been presented in former legislative sessions, but have not advanced.

If the Governor signs this bill, we’ll have Constitutional Carry in Ohio law in about 90 days!

Buckeye Firearms Association declared this our #1 legislative priority for the 134th General Assembly and have been working on an almost daily basis to make Constitutional Carry a reality in Ohio.

As of the publication of this article, 21 other states have some form of Permitless Carry, and Ohio is poised to become number 22. Stay tuned.

The 2nd Amendment isn’t about deer hunting, and everyone including SloJoe knows that, so what he did was simply insult everyone.

Biden calls for ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines in SOTU speech
Several called Biden out for ‘lying’ on guns

President Joe Biden renewed his call for the banning of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in his State of the Union address.

“I ask Congress to pass proven measures to reduce gun violence,” Biden said during his first official State of the Union Address on Tuesday night. “Pass universal background checks. Why should anyone on a terrorist list be able to purchase a weapon? Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”

“You think the deer are wearing a kevlar vest?” Biden said, going off the pre-released transcript of the speech.

Biden added a call to “repeal the liability shield that makes gun manufacturers the only industry in America that can’t be sued.”

“These laws don’t infringe on the Second Amendment,” Biden said. “They save lives.”

Biden’s comments immediately received criticism from conservatives on social media who have often accused his administration of attempting to infringe on the Second Amendment.

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The article is out of date on current events, but the point is these anti-self defense politards shot themselves in the foot when trying make a saint out of a thug backfired on them. Another of their deceits is conflating and insinuating all homicides as criminal to pump the numbers, when a homicide is simply defined as one person killing another, and includes those determined to be justifiable.

Stand your ground laws proliferate after Trayvon spotlight

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The “stand your ground” self defense law had been in effect in Florida for more than six years when it became part of the national vocabulary with the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. When the 17-year-old was fatally shot, Florida was still one of the few states with the law that removes the duty to retreat before using deadly force in the face of danger.

Now, upwards of 30 states have some form of the law and recent research indicates they are associated with more deaths — as many as 700 additional firearm killings each year, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study found a national increase of up to 11% in homicide rates per month between 1999 and 2017 in those states with stand your ground laws. The largest increases, between 16% and 33%, were in southern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, the study found.

States colored in red or orange below have some form of Stand Your Ground law.

“These findings suggest that adoption of (stand your ground) laws across the U.S. was associated with increases in violent deaths, deaths that could potentially have been avoided,” the study’s authors concluded.

Advocates for the laws, especially the National Rifle Association, have argued they act as a crime deterrent by ensuring a person can protect themselves and others against a would-be assailant.

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Are Ukraine’s armed citizens making a difference?

One of the go-to arguments of gun control advocates who try to portray our Second Amendment as an outdated anachronism is that armed citizens just wouldn’t stand a chance against the might of a modern military force bristling with tanks, missiles, and even nuclear weapons (looking at you, Eric Swalwell).

The armed citizens of Ukraine, however, are helping to put that argument to rest. So far the nation has defied expectations and has continued to to resist the Russian invasion, repelling many of the attacks against the country’s biggest cities, and the country’s Territorial Defense Force, which includes many individuals who were simply private citizens a couple of weeks ago, is having an impact, according to Ukrainian officials.

“In the city itself, the territorial defense detachments are working quite effectively,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential chief of staff, said in a statement Saturday morning. “It turned out that people are coming out, defending their homes. It wasn’t expected by analysts of the Russian General Staff.”

I don’t think it was expected even for some of those who’ve shown up to volunteer, many of whom may never have thought about defending their country with a gun until last week but who are now heading down to their nearest recruitment center.

Men from their 20s to late 50s, from a range of backgrounds, showed up. Igor, 37, an economist for an online retailing company, who didn’t want his last name published for safety reasons, stood in line for his gun. He spoke at barely a whisper and his lips trembled. The dull thud of bombs or artillery could be heard in the distance.

“I never served in the army or with the police or anything,” he said. He said he hoped to be able to figure it out. He was worried, he said. “But people who are really afraid are sitting at home. They aren’t out here now.”

“Everybody in our country needs to defend — women, girls, everybody,” said Denis Matash, 33, the manager of Milk, a Kyiv nightclub, standing in line with about 50 other men at the recruitment center. “I don’t think they understand where they came,” he said of the Russians. “Look at what is happening here.”

Grigory Mamchur, 40, who works as a male strip dancer at the Milk nightclub, part of the now shuttered but once booming nightlife scene in Kyiv, was also in line for a Kalashnikov.

“There wasn’t even anything to think about,” Mr. Mamchur said. “We will defend the country however we can. This could be our last chance.”

The Territorial Defense Force and the private citizens who are taking up arms against their country’s invaders can’t thwart the Russian military on their own, but they can and have made life hell for Russian troops. In addition, the massive mobilization of civilian volunteers serves as a psychological boost for Ukrainians and is helping to obliterate the argument made by Vladimir Putin that the Ukrainian campaign is about “liberating” a grateful populace from their democratically-elected overlords.

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Poll: Majority Feels Safer ‘Knowing There’s A Gun In The House’

Contrary to what the gun prohibition lobby would have America believe, a new Rasmussen survey released Friday shows that a majority of American adults who say someone in the house owns a firearm (61%) “feel safer knowing there’s a gun in the house.” majority feels safer with gun

Rasmussen learned that 36 percent of poll respondents admit they or someone in their household owns a gun. In recent years, anecdotal evidence suggests that gun owners refuse to acknowledge they have a gun in the home, as they are either worried about social stigma or simply believe it’s nobody’s business.

The survey of 1,000 U.S. American Adults was conducted on February 17 and 20, 2022, by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence, the veteran polling company said.

According to Rasmussen, “Of those who live in gun-owning households, majorities of both men (62%) and women (59%) say they feel safer knowing there’s a gun in the house.” The survey also revealed, “More whites (42%) than blacks (30%) or other minorities (28%) say they or someone in their household owns a gun.”

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, in 2020 and 2021, millions of Americans purchased firearms for the first time.

As one might expect, gun ownership falls mainly along political lines. Rasmussen’s survey found “Republicans (44%) are significantly more likely than Democrats or those unaffiliated with either major party (both 34%) to say they or someone in their household owns a gun.” The poll also revealed, “More men (42%) than women (32%) say they live in gun-owning households. However, a majority (58%) of men under 40 say they live in homes without firearms.”

And here’s something startling: “Entrepreneurs are more likely to live in gun-owning households than either government employees or private-sector workers.”

Over the past several days, Headlines from southeast Europe provide more reason for Americans to appreciate their Second Amendment rights. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the Ukrainian government reportedly handing out firearms to citizens to mount a defense against Vladimir Putin’s army. In the United States, such a situation would hardly be necessary thanks to the Second Amendment protection of the right to keep and bear arms.

War in the Ukraine Has Strengthened the 2nd Amendment in the U.S.

If you held any doubts about the importance of the 2nd Amendment the war in Ukraine should serve as a prime example as to why the “right to keep and bear arms” is absolutely vital to the security and peace of the Nation. It may be too little too late, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made the announcement yesterday that all citizens who wish to arm themselves in defense of the country may do so.

More than that, the Ukrainian government/military would supply the weapons. At this time thousands upon thousands of Ukrainians are arming themselves and are ready to fight alongside their military in defense of their country. Had this right been protected by a constitution and in place prior to the invasion they would have been armed already and better prepared to defend their lives and country. By loosening the firearm laws in the country the Ukrainian government has at least given their citizens and country a fighting chance.

To those who doubted the meaning, intent, or reasoning of the 2nd Amendment what’s happening in Ukraine should settle that argument. An armed citizenship is near impossible to conquer and control. In the United States, an enemy foreign or domestic would have to get through all of our military branches, all the reserves and guard units along with an armed populace in order to even occupy the country, much less conquer it.

It’s frustratingly funny that people, “anti-gun” people, always remark that there’s no need for citizens to have arms and that the 2nd Amendment is outdated. They continually say it’s ridiculous to think that a private citizen with a gun could do much in defense of the country. Well, oddly enough that’s exactly how our country began. A group of armed men tried of the tyranny they were living under got together and fought back, with arms. I’m sure the British at the time thought like our “anti-gun” crowd, and like them were dead wrong.

Within minutes of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian government immediately put the word out about arming its citizens. So to those who constantly state that it’s the government’s job to protect and defend us, it clearly shows without us, it’s a non-reality. Relying solely on others for protection is to be utterly defenseless and victim-bound. Without the means to protect yourself and others, you are at the mercy of those who would seek to do you harm and even those sworn to protect you. This is the heart of the Second Amendment.

The 2nd Amendment has never been about hunting, or really even self-defense. It’s about having the means to protect our freedom, liberties, and the ability to use arms against tyranny, both foreign and domestic.

That’s what it’s all about and what we’re seeing in Ukraine definitely affirms this, at least to those who are paying attention anyway. Hopefully, some lessons will be learned and those who in the past wished to eliminate or further restrict our rights to keep and bear arms will better understand the intent of our Founding Fathers, the architects of freedom and framers of our constitution had in mind when writing it.

Lastly, the Bill of Rights and U.S. Constitution DOES NOT grant rights. It recognizes and upholds the rights that were given to us at birth by our creator, which is why they’re called “Inalienable Rights.”

The primary purpose of the Consitution and Bill of Rights is to restrict the government’s “infringement” of rights, which preexisted the documents in the first place. So any argument about changing any of the amendments in the Constitution is completely invalid. Our rights aren’t given to us by the government, we were born with them. This means you CAN NOT take away what you haven’t given!

News networks ignore Ukraine’s gun rights push

Ukraine is dealing with a lot right now, but one of the smarter things they did was recognize that an armed populace is an asset. They expanded gun rights in the Eastern European nation leading up to the invasion, though, in fairness, guns weren’t completely forbidden there, either.

However, the major news networks seemed to have completely ignored this during their coverage of the buildup.

On Wednesday, hours before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukrainian, the Rada (parliament) advanced legislation that would allow more Ukrainian civilians to own firearms as they stared down the bear that was eager to wage war on and conquer them. It’s another obvious example of why civilian firearm ownership is important and vital for a free people, yet it wasn’t worth any airtime on the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) that night or Thursday.

Citing local Ukrainian reporting, The Reload’s Stephan Gutowski reported: “274 of the country’s 450 elected representatives voted for the bill, according to local media outlet Ukrinform. The bill would formalize the country’s gun laws, allow more civilians to own and carry guns, and allow them to be used for self-defense in more places.”

The Canada-based CTV noted the move came on the eve of, “[o]ne of Europe’s worst security crises in decades” after “Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two areas of eastern Ukraine as independent and ordered troops to be deployed to eastern Ukraine.”

NBC Nightly News did note this distribution of weapons but not the expansion of gun rights on Thursday. Yet reporter Erin McLaughlin spoke with a member of the Ukrainian parliament who’s never shot a weapon before but was among those ready to take up arms:

And most of the media failed to note the legal moves prior to the invasion. Why?

Well, the answer is pretty simple. These are the same networks that play host to people who tell us our AR-15s are useless against tanks and attack helicopters. They don’t want us to see that, on the eve of the invasion, a sovereign nation turned to armed citizens to help defend their homes.

They don’t want people seeing the kind of scenarios the Second Amendment was meant for play out on their television screens.

In truth, they’d much rather keep us ignorant of how Ukraine recognized that they needed those armed citizens if they were going to have any hope of fending off the invasion of a more powerful neighbor.

If we recognize that fact, many would be far less hesitant to back things like assault weapon bans or magazine restrictions.

They’d see one of the scenarios the Founding Fathers feared and recognized the role armed citizens can play. They’re doing so in Ukraine, but they could just as easily have to do so here.

Our right to keep and bear arms is something that any invader has to fear.

The networks, however, would rather you not think about that because they want people to view guns only as something to fear, not something that can be used to protect.