Category: RKBA

David Codrea:
I guess anyone dumb enough to get their information from  ABC13 WBKO, “Your Hometown Newsleader,” is dumb enough not to question whose voice “responsible gun owner” Matt Robeson really represents

 

Pro-reform gun owner says he wants to see more background checks and restrictions

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – A pro-reform gun owner says he wants to see more background checks and restrictions.

Former Bowling Green citizen Matt Robeson says he comes from a gun-owning family and is open to Biden’s proposed reform. This could include banning assault rifles and stricter background checks.

Following the mass shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta, Georgia, lawmakers are meeting about possible gun reform legislation.

Robeson says guns that are sold or traded privately in Kentucky don’t require background checks.

I’ll take ‘Answers in the Negative‘ for $500, Alex.

Is A “Ghost Gun” Ban Really Needed (Or Workable)?

Two Democratic congressmen are pushing a bill to limit so-called ghost guns. This runs along with a push to get President Joe Biden to restrict incomplete lower receivers, doing essentially the same thing administratively.

H.R. 1454, introduced by Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Brad Schneider (IL-10), seeks to redefine firearm kits as actual firearms. Currently, the ATF only classifies complete lower receivers as the actual firearm, which has created a cottage industry of incomplete receivers many people purchase to finish and build their own guns.

I know, because I’ve built one myself and it was a great time.

In a tweet, Espaillat said, “The Ghost Guns Are Guns Act is critical to addressing gun violence in the United States, and will undoubtedly save lives.”

Will it really?

See, we’ve seen a lot of news reports all about how the threat from so-called “ghost guns” was growing, but there tends to be a distinct lack of numbers. The few times they’re provided, they generally show that the “problem” is minuscule in relation to the broader issue of violence in our society.

Why is that? Well, I reached out to the ATF a while back to find out.

April Langwell, the chief of the Public Affairs Division of the ATF, noted that her agency was ill-equipped to provide any insight into how many such firearms were recovered. “ATF cannot provide a number of recovered crime guns that were privately made. For a number of reasons, ATF does not believe that the number of privately made firearms that has[sic] been reported to ATF would be indicative of, or representative of, the number of privately made firearms actually recovered by law enforcement.”

Langwell notes that the ATF typically provides tracing data on recovered firearms, yet many local departments may not submit information about homebuilt, and thus unserialized, firearms.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report lists, among other things, the number of violent crimes committed with different weapon types. While it contains numbers for handguns, rifles, and even fists, no information breakdown shows just how many of these firearms may have been ghost guns.

The FBI did not reply to requests for whether they tracked the information despite its omission from the report.

Continue reading “”

Concealable Assault-Style Firearms!? Anti-American Democrats Drop Made-Up Scare Term

Springfield, VA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Gun Owners of America (GOA) Senior Vice President Erich Pratt rebuked a call by 109 Democrat lawmakers who recklessly seek to add a made-up and undefined category of firearms referred to as “Concealable Assault-Style Firearms” to the National Firearms Act (NFA).

“The Democrats’ anti-gun ‘logic’ is asinine,” Pratt stated. “They think that criminals, who are willing to break the law to commit murder, will somehow be stymied by gun control restrictions and voluntarily submit to them. Instead of adding to the confusing complexity of the National Firearms Act — and thereby criminalizing honest gun owners — Congress should take up and pass legislation like the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act, which would remove Short Barreled Rifles from the NFA.”

Last Congress, the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act was championed by then Kansas Representative Roger Marshall. However, because of his leadership on Second Amendment, gun owners in the Sunflower State elected Marshall to the United States Senate. Now, Senator Marshall is continuing his defense of the Second Amendment by introducing the Senate companion, S. 803.

Pratt concluded, “Legislation like the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act is true ‘common sense gun legislation.’ The archaic and unconstitutional National Firearms Act is scoffed at by criminals while needlessly forcing honest gun owners to jump through hoops just to own certain types of firearms and accessories.”

Editors Note: Concealable Assault-Style Firearms is a perfect example of a fake issue in need of a fake fix to take away your God-given rights.

Let’s not discriminate. Everyone should oppose this.

Why African Americans should strictly oppose the war on guns

In the aftermath of the tragedy in which eight people, including six Asian women, were killed at massage parlors in Atlanta, Democrats are likely to use the unfortunate event as a rallying cry for more gun control as they have the bully pulpit in national politics in Washington.

We have seen significant measures from the new administration, including the White House statement on the anniversary of the Parkland high school shooting along with the urging of Congress to enact firearms restrictions. Congress has already passed a measure on universal background checks for private and public gun sales across the country.

Other recent mass shootings are likely to raise calls for more firearms restrictions. But these events have occurred in a tumultuous social and political climate where many are feeling more concerned about securing their personal safety and property. It is also ironic that the segment of the population that could be most likely to object to stricter gun control is African Americans, a core constituency of Democrats.

While gun sales overall were initially falling in 2017 after President Trump signaled a more favorable Second Amendment stance, they started to increase among African Americans, who anticipated a threatening rise in right wing radicalization. But sales dramatically rose in 2020 amidst the pandemic and raging social unrest in the wake of the killings of unarmed African Americans. They spiked again during the first weeks of the new administration. Over two million firearms were purchased in January, the third highest monthly gun sales, according to federal data.

Continue reading “”

Texas House Committee Reports Out Four Pro-Second Amendment Measures

Dear Texas NRA Member:

On Thursday, by a 6-3 vote, the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety voted out House Bill 1911, by Rep. James White (R-Woodville), and House Bill 1927, by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler), NRA-backed permitless carry proposals that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun without a state-issued License To Carry (LTC).  It’s time for Texas to join the 20 other states that have legalized this personal protection option!

The existing LTC law would not be repealed under these measures.  Criminals who are prohibited from possessing firearms (i.e., felons, fugitives from justice, individuals committed by the courts for mental illness, domestic abusers) would still be barred from carrying guns.  This legislation would not prevent the enforcement of any laws broken by criminals who misuse firearms.  These measures now move to the House Calendars Committee, which will determine if, and when, each measure is considered by the full House.  Please contact your State Representatives and urge them to PASS PERMITLESS CARRY THIS SESSION!

Yesterday, the committee also voted out two additional bills:  House Bill 918, by Rep. Ben Leman (R-Iola), which lowers the age eligibility requirement for a License To Carry to 18 for, and extends this self-defense option to, a person who has obtained an active family violence protective order or magistrate’s order of emergency protection; and, House Bill 1407, by Rep. Schaefer (R-Tyler), which allows a LTC holder to have a handgun in his or her vehicle that is visible and in a holster but not on the person – an important clarification, and an extension of legal, safe and practical carry options in one’s car or truck.  These measures also head to the Calendars Committee, which will consider whether or not they will receive a House floor vote.

Majority of voters, including nearly half of Democrats, prefer to live where gun ownership is legal

A  strong majority of U.S. voters in a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen – including nearly half of Democratic voters surveyed – say they would prefer to live in communities where gun ownership is legal.

Sixty-three percent of voters said they would prefer to “live where individuals are allowed to own guns.” Just 26% said they would prefer to reside “where guns are outlawed.”

The remaining 12% was unsure.

When broken down by political party alignment, the overwhelming majority of Republican voters – 83% – said they’d prefer to live in gun-friendly areas. Notably, nearly half of all Democratic respondents – 45% – said the same thing. Democrats have historically been more favorable to gun control than have Republicans.

Gun ownership has been established by the Supreme Court as a broad constitutional right. However, states have enacted restrictions on gun owners, which has resulted in some such as Texas having relatively high rates of gun ownership, while others like Vermont have significantly lower rates.

The survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed-mode approach from March 25-27. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Click here to see the poll’s methodology and sample demographics.

Montana lawmakers advance bill to nullify federal gun bans

HELENA — A measure that would prohibit state and local law enforcement officials in Montana from enforcing federal bans on firearms, ammunition and magazines is nearing passage in the state Legislature just a week after President Joe Biden urged Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted Wednesday 30-20 in favor of the measure. They are set to vote on the bill for a third and final time this week before the bill heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, who has not commented on whether he would sign the bill into law.

The bill would ban state employees from enforcing or implementing federal bans on firearms, magazines or ammunition………..

Arkansas senators declare federal gun laws null and void within state borders

Senate Bill 298 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch), the “Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021,” aims to stop every federal gun law at the Arkansas border. Anyone who has ever taken a United States civics class will recognize the unconstitutionality of the bill. Still, Arkansas senators passed the measure by a vote of 28-7, and it now heads to the House side to be voted on there. Should it pass, it would then go to the governor’s desk.

All acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations of the United States Government, whether past, present, or future, that infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to 2the United States Constitution and Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, § 5, are invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, are specifically rejected by this state, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this state…………….

 

Gun Control Fails Violently- Democrats Call for More Gun Control

We saw two horrific examples of mass murder in the last few weeks. As usual, the initial news reports were wildly wrong. The initial reports claimed the attacks were by racist white men using assault weapons. They were wrong, but the false report served the  political ends of the mass media and the politicians. The news reports deliberately failed to mention how the existing 20 thousand firearms regulations again failed to protect innocent people from violent attacks. Despite the shocking failure of gun-control laws, Democrat politicians called for more of the same.

Both politicians and pundits ignored the responses we know will reduce violent attacks. Unfortunately, the media and politicians are now part of the disease rather than being part of the cure to reduce mass public violence in the United States.

A murderer killed innocent women in Georgia. This murderer bought his gun legally. He bought his gun through the same purchase process at a gun store that tens of millions of us use every year. The murderer used the same sort of handgun that millions of honest citizens use to defend themselves every year. In short, the murderer looked like us.

This murderer passed his firearms purchase background checks when he bought his handgun. He was not a prohibited person before he committed his attack. Background checks have not done much to stop mass murderers. Background checks look back in history and mass murder isn’t a repeat crime. Time after time, we’ve seen people who went on to commit mass murder pass their background checks.

It is uncomfortable to imagine that a mass murder can look normal until he kills. It is uncomfortable to realize our gun-laws won’t protect us. This murderer didn’t bother to get his concealed carry permit because criminals don’t bother to follow gun-laws.

It would be nice if mass murderers were easy to identify ahead of time. They are not. They look like us and they act like us before they kill. They use the same firearms to harm others that we use to defend our families every day.

In Boulder, Colorado, a murderer killed innocent people in a supermarket. This murderer also bought his gun legally. He passed his background checks even though the FBI had a file on him. Like most mass murderers, and for the same reason, the murderer didn’t bother to get his concealed carry permit.

The grocery store this mass murderer attacked had a posted sign saying that customers should not carry firearms openly. A moments thought tells us that mass murderers won’t obey plastic signs. Again, honest citizens obey those gun-laws while murderers break the law. Gun-control may have disarmed the victims, but it did not stop violent criminals.

Continue reading “”

BLUF:
“So we have 10 years of data on how a national ban works. How do you think it worked? It is tough to prove causation, but I haven’t seen anyone even make a reasonably believable case it did anything at all.”

Words Mean Things: Grown Up Talk about the AR-15

Despite the fact that there are (certainly) millions of AR-platform rifles in the hands of (probably) millions of American civilians, they only draw significant attention outside of gun culture occasionally. Following mass homicide events in which they are used, I am bound to hear: “AR-15s are weapons of war that have no business in civilian hands.”

Although I will have a chapter called “Living with AR-15s” in the book I am currently writing, rifles are not really in my wheelhouse. So, I have tended to ignore them on this blog, though on my Gun Curious blog back in 2019, I re-posted an essay by Jon Stokes on “Why I ‘Need’ An AR-15”.

Obviously many are not open to information and discussion about AR-platform rifles, believing they are only good for hunting helpless people. But some do reasonably wonder why civilians should own these rifles. As someone who knew nothing about guns for most of my life, I appreciate this authentic wonderment, so I jumped at the opportunity to bring forth another set of answers to the question that I found in my social media.

The following open letter of sorts includes some technical information about AR-platform rifles, some thoughts on their use and usefulness, and some points of political philosophy concerning government regulation.

Continue reading “”

Rahm Emanuel: Hey, Let’s Strip Gun Owners of Due-Process Rights

The former Chicago mayor’s big idea is not new — and not constitutional, either.

In another case of poll-driven confirmation bias, Democrats have overestimated the popularity of their gun-control efforts as another House bill is reportedly “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

Alas, the bill didn’t stall because of the infamous filibuster — though demanding a 60-vote threshold for legislation predominately aimed at red states shut out of the lawmaking process would be entirely legitimate — but because moderate Democrats like Joe Manchin and Jon Tester would likely have a difficult time supporting the House efforts. Manchin, who wrote a more modest “universal background check bill” a few years ago, represents a state where an estimated 54 percent of households have guns. In Montana, the number is over 52 percent.

But Democrat Rahm Emanuel has an idea. The only way his party can pass gun-control legislation, he argued on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, is by focusing less on firearms and more on people. He reasons Democrats should compromise with Republicans by focusing on “criminals,” “mental health,” and the No-Fly List.

Continue reading “”

Productive Dialogues Don’t Begin With Forfeiting Our Gun Rights

Guns are a hot-button issue in this country and they have been for a while. For better or worse, there’s a lot of arguing that goes on and none of it is particularly pleasant. Not when the country already feels like it’s on the brink of civil war.

There needs to be some way we can sit down and calmly discuss the issue.

However, there are ways that aren’t really going to fly.

Over at Ammoland, noted firearm instructor Rob Pincus penned a post with Dan Gross, a former president of the Brady Campaign, talking about establishing a productive dialog.

Continue reading “”

“Productive Conversation” ? My conversation goes like this:
What is it about “shall not be infringed” do you not understand?

Guns in America: Ending the Culture War & Starting a Productive Conversation

(Ammoland) Editors Update 03/29/2021: This is not the opinion of AmmoLand News.  It seems we are old school in that we still publish opposing points of view on controversial topics. Our regular readers all know where the ownership of AmmoLand News stands on the issue and we have 10,000’s of articles and over a decade of advocating for the RKBA. Sorry if we offended anyone but we still have the balls to print various opinions, for good or bad. And deciding whether they are right or wrong is left up to you, our readers, to decide. That is why we are one of the few media outlets left where you can freely leave a comment …uncensored. ~ Fredy Riehl, Editor in Chief.

Open Letter By Dan Gross, Former President of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence & Rob Pincus

USA –  -(AmmoLand.com)- Although many other issues have understandably dominated the news cycle, we are at a critical moment for guns. Over the last year, gun sales have reached unprecedented levels, as have gun-involved homicides, and the House has recently passed H.R. 1446, The Enhanced Background Check Act of 2021, which is currently being debated in the Senate. Recently, a wave of tragic mass shootings has put the gun issue in national headlines as President Biden has called on the Senate to pass the background check bill, adding that he supports a ban of “assault weapons.”

Continue reading “”

When even the hard core anti-gun demoncraps acknowledge it;
“It’s Dead Jim”

Chris Murphy: Unlikely to Get 60 Votes on Universal Background Checks

During a March 28, 2021, interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) admitted that Democrats probably cannot round up 60 votes for the universal background check legislation contained in H.R. 8.

Host Chuck Todd pointed out that Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) have both made clear they do not support H.R. 8.

Todd suggested that Manchin and Tester believe the bill is “too broad” as written.

He then asked Murphy if there is any chance of getting the 60 votes for the bill that Democrats need in order to secure passage.

Murphy responded, “I think it’s unlikely that H.R. 8, as it’s written today, can get 60 votes, but I don’t think it has to change very much in order to get the sufficient number of votes.”

Earlier in the interview, Murphy said, “Don’t count us out.” He added, “I’ve gotten a lot of calls from Republicans in the Senate who don’t want to fight this fight any longer because the NRA’s authority is fading; the anti-gun violence movement’s impact is increasing. I think we have a chance.”

On Sunday, Breitbart News reported that the NRA has witnessed a surge in membership that continued in January 2021 and continues even now.

The NRA’s Andrew Arulanandam noted that the civil rights organization is “gaining 1,000 new members a day” just from people signing up via the Internet.

Tennessee- Constitutional Carry Legislation Heads to Governor Lee’s Desk for His Signature

Monday, the Tennessee House gave final approval to NRA-supported Constitutional Carry Legislation, Senate Bill 765 /House Bill 786.  This important measure now heads to the desk of Governor Bill Lee for his signature.  Following a large misinformation campaign from faux-gun rights organizations and gun control proponents to derail this outcome, Tennesseans will finally be able to utilize their right to self-defense without government red tape or delays.

House Bill 786 /Senate Bill 765 allows any law-abiding adult who is legally eligible to obtain a carry permit, to carry a handgun without first having to obtain government permission. It does not affect previously issued carry permits, and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit in order to carry in other states recognizing Tennessee permits, to do so.  Sometimes called permitless carry, Constitutional Carry would ensure that no honest, hard-working Tennessean is ever left defenseless while waiting for government permission or wading through red-tape. Bottom line: The VAST majority of Tennessean’s will be able to carry a handgun WITHOUT a permit when this becomes law. Period……

Schumer wants to deem all gun parts as ‘ghost guns’ “any part as a firearm”

Democrats Face Gun Legislation Dilemma as Support for House Background Check Bill Breaks Down.

Senate Democrats punted on taking up House gun-control bills on Friday, acknowledging that the restrictions put forward by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) were “dead on arrival,” according to senior Senate aides.

Facing pressure from gun-control activists and Democratic elected officials alike, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) told colleagues on Thursday he would bring background check legislation to the floor shortly after the Senate returns for business on April 12.  But with Sens. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), Jon Tester (D., Mont.), and Susan Collins (R., Maine) publicly stating their opposition to House-passed background check bill H.R. 8, Democrats must find a viable replacement. The political environment makes that a nearly impossible task, according to multiple Senate aides. 

A senior Republican aide said H.R. 8’s requirement that licensed gun dealers perform background checks nearly every time someone sells or even lends a gun to another person is a non-starter. 

“H.R. 8 is just dead on arrival,” a senior Republican staffer said. “Period. It doesn’t have the votes. Not only does it not have the votes quietly it doesn’t have the votes loudly because Manchin and Toomey are out there opposing it.” 

Continue reading “”

It’s always ‘a good first step’ with them and why they call themselves “progressive” because the word implies that they’ll never stop but keep progressing onwards (to their Marxist/Commie  warped idea of ‘utopia’).
As for me, I call them ‘enemies domestic’

Chris Murphy Outlines Other Gun Laws Democrats Can Pursue Once Universal Background Checks Secured

During the March 28, 2021, airing of NBC’s Meet the Press, Sen. Chris Murphy (D) outlined additional gun control that could be considered once universal background checks are in place.

His comments came after host Chuck Todd asked if it is a “political impossibility” to secure regulation of certain categories of firearms at this time.

Murphy responded, “I think right now, our best chance to get something passed is universal background checks. And I think that the theory of the case is once we can convince Republicans that the sky doesn’t fall for you politically when you support a reasonable expansion of something like background checks, you can move on to other interventions.”

Murphy then described what some of the “other interventions” might entail, lauding the gun owner permitting system in Connecticut as well as the broadening of factors that will land an individual on the prohibited purchasers’ list.

Eight days after the October 1, 2017, Las Vegas attack, Murphy pushed universal background check legislation, referring to it as the “North Star” for Democrats, regarding gun control.

Ironically, the Las Vegas attacker passed background checks for firearms, so universal background checks would have done nothing to hinder, much less prevent, that attack.

Equally ironic, the March 22, 2021, Boulder, Colorado, attacker acquired his gun via a background check as well.

Moreover, Colorado already has universal background checks. Breitbart News noted Colorado adopted the universal checks in 2013.

So the people don’t want what the ruling class is trying to cram down their throats.
I wonder why?
Doesn’t the goobermint have nothing but our best interests at heart?

Thumbs down on gun control, won’t stop shootings: Rasmussen.

A new survey of voters following this week’s mass killing at a Boulder, Colorado, grocery store found that most do not believe more gun control laws will stop the shootings.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey said by a margin of 51% to 39% that “stricter gun control laws” will not prevent shootings like the one in Boulder.

In two other questions, the survey indicated that the public is eager for another answer than more anti-gun laws.

For example, likely voters surveyed, 49% to 46%, said the nation does not need more gun laws.

And in a second about whether it is “completely possible to prevent mass shootings,” a significant 64% said “no,” including 53% of Democrats.

The survey is one of the first to follow the Boulder slaying of 10 on Monday. President Joe Biden and other Democrats have called for more anti-gun laws. But others have said that a broader approach, including mental health, must be considered.

Early reports said that the shooter had mental health issues, purchased his weapon legally, and was known to police.