Seventh Circuit Hears Oral Arguments in ‘Assault Weapon’ Ban Challenge

No, not the challenge to the gun and magazine ban that U.S. District Court Judge Stephen McGlynn found unconstitutional last Friday. The almost half-dozen lawsuits taking on the Protect Illinois Communities Act will be heard by the Seventh Circuit as well, but not for several months. Instead, today’s oral argument is in a case called Viramontes v. Cook County, which is seeking to undo the “assault weapons” ban first put in place by Cook County lawmakers in the early 1990s.

The ordinance, which was revised in 2006 and again in 2013, makes it “unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, offer or display for sale, give, lend, transfer ownership of, acquire, carry or possess any assault weapon or large capacity magazine in Cook County.” Earlier this year U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, a Clinton appointee, ruled in favor of Cook County and dismissed the claims brought by the plaintiffs.

Pallmeyer’s decision was based almost entirely on the Seventh Circuit’s denial of an injunction in yet another challenge to a semi-auto ban in Illinois. In Bevis v. Naperville, the appellate court ruled that both local and statewide bans on so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are likely to withstand constitutional scrutiny because the arms in question are  “more like military weapons than those useful for self-defense.”

That decision was authored by Judge Frank Easterbrook; a Reagan appointee with a long history of upholding Illinois gun laws. In 2009, Easterbrook ruled that Chicago’s ban on handguns didn’t violate the Second Amendment because the Second Amendment’s protections didn’t extend to state and local laws. In 2015 Easterbrook ruled in favor of Highland Park, Illinois and its ban on “assault weapons”, arguing that even if arms that were in common use were prohibited, gun owners had other options available to them if they wanted a firearm for self-defense.

But Easterbrook is not a part of the three-judge panel that’s considering the constitutionality of Cook County’s gun and magazine ban today. Instead, Judge Diane Sykes (who’s authored a good ruling for gun owners), Judge Michael Brennan, and Judge Amy St. Eve will determine whether the county’s prohibition on modern sporting rifles and ammunition magazines that can hold more than ten rounds violate the Second Amendment.

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Armed Intruder Shot by Homeowner During Break-In Attempt in DeSoto, Texas

On Friday, November 8, 2024, at approximately 7:54 p.m., police were dispatched to an active disturbance in the 400 block of Raintree Circle, DeSoto, Texas. The caller, an adult female, reported to dispatch that an unknown adult male armed with a pistol was in her backyard. During the 911 call, dispatch could hear screaming as the suspect attempted to force entry through the rear garage door. Multiple neighbors also called 911, reporting gunshots in the area. Police arrived on scene at the victim’s residence by 7:57 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers encountered the victim in front of her home. She informed them that she believed she had shot the suspect, who was likely at the back of the property. Police searched the premises and found the suspect lying on the ground inside the garage, with a pistol nearby. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Octavio Flores Mondragon, had sustained two gunshot wounds, one to the chest and another to the face. Officers secured the scene and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived. The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

The victim stated that she noticed a dark truck following her as she entered her neighborhood, and it pulled in behind her when she parked in her driveway. Concerned for her safety, she ran inside her home and called the police. She armed herself with her pistol as the suspect tried to break in, firing multiple shots to stop him. She then met officers at the front of her home when they arrived.

The suspect faces charges of Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Another Felony, a first-degree felony. No motive has been determined.

The pistol found beside the suspect is believed to be the firearm he had during the incident. [ya think?]

Here’s Trump’s Plan to Purge the Pentagon of the Woke Brass

President-elect Donald J. Trump is sending signals to the military brass. They’re going back to protecting our country, killing our enemies, and enhancing our national security. The era of woke nonsense and sensitivity training is over. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Trump’s plans for the Pentagon, alluding to the “chilling” effect it could have on the officer corps, but the president-elect has a mandate and should use it.

The reported executive order would create a “warrior board” of retired generals and other senior personnel who would review the leadership qualities of the officers in question. There’s no re-election effort lingering overhead either, so don’t be shocked if this executive is issued. It’s time to clean house (via WSJ):

The Trump transition team is considering a draft executive order that establishes a “warrior board” of retired senior military personnel with the power to review three- and four-star officers and to recommend removals of any deemed unfit for leadership.

If Donald Trump approves the order, it could fast-track the removal of generals and admirals found to be “lacking in requisite leadership qualities,” according to a draft of the order reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. But it could also create a chilling effect on top military officers, given the president-elect’s past vow to fire “woke generals,” referring to officers seen as promoting diversity in the ranks at the expense of military readiness.

As commander in chief, Trump can fire any officer at will, but an outside board whose members he appoints would bypass the Pentagon’s regular promotion system, signaling across the military that he intends to purge a number of generals and admirals.

The draft order says it aims to establish a review that focuses “on leadership capability, strategic readiness, and commitment to military excellence.” The draft doesn’t specify what officers need to do or present to show if they meet those standards. The draft order originated with one of several outside policy groups collaborating with the transition team, and is one of numerous executive orders under review by Trump’s team, a transition official said.

The warrior board would be made up of retired generals and noncommissioned officers, who would send their recommendations to the president. Those identified for removal would be retired at their current rank within 30 days.

There’s likely to be a media overreaction, and officers who engaged in this DEI/woke nonsense are likely to retire instead of fighting this board. Whatever the reason, I like the blueprint. Let’s see if the administration follows through.

Well, he wants a whole lot more than that, view that video, and I’m not sure he should what all he wants.

Trump Reaffirms Push for National Concealed Carry Reciprocity.

In a decisive message released this weekend, President-elect Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights, announcing his intent to implement national concealed carry reciprocity once he takes office. This proposed legislation would require all 50 states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by any individual state, enabling gun owners to carry firearms legally across state lines without fearing discrepancies in local regulations.

Trump addressed the nation with a promise to uphold the right to self-defense, stating, “I will protect the right of self-defense wherever it is under siege, and I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line.”

The announcement quickly gained traction, with the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., a diehard hunter and shooter, enthusiastically sharing his father’s message on social media, writing, “Boom! My father just announced concealed carry reciprocity. The Second Amendment will stay and remain protected.”

This policy has long been part of Trump’s platform. Since his 2015 campaign, he has voiced support for a nationwide reciprocity measure, arguing that if a driver’s license can be universally recognized, so too should a concealed carry permit, which he describes as a “right, not a privilege.” During his 2020 campaign, he reiterated his stance, expressing readiness to sign a national reciprocity act if brought to his desk.

For gun owners and Second Amendment advocates, Trump’s pledge represents a significant step in ensuring that state borders do not interfere with their rights to self-defense. Many argue that reciprocity would eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic barriers, allowing law-abiding citizens to exercise their right to carry consistently across the country, and also help avoid ensnaring them in unwitting legal blunders because of different laws that follow no consistent standard from state to state.

As Trump prepares to take office, his announcement on reciprocity underscores a commitment to preserving gun rights nationwide, promising a potentially significant shift in the landscape of Second Amendment protections, a sea change from the current administration in the White House. While this is great news for gun owners, don’t expect national reciprocity to become the law of the land easily. Democratic state’s attorneys and anti-gun groups are already gearing up to fight every action Trump proposes to take even without knowing everything he plans to push legislatively. Expect the courts to become a rife battleground over gun laws for the next four years. That much will likely not change in the political landscape for the foreseeable future.

Below is Donald Trump’s entire statement shared on his website at DonaldJTrump.com.

This ain’t your father’s Donald Trump
This is the Lemon-scented Super Duper Ultra President Trump with OxiClean

Our once and future president Donald Trump is announcing his appointments to his next administration via Twitter and Truth Social, bypassing the media completely. This avoids a formal announcement and having to answer silly, loaded questions at press conferences asked by DNC water carriers who pose as reporters.

His new approach bodes well for his second term because the media will no longer control how the news is presented. Those following Twitter and Truth Social will get the news first and straight from the source.

But that’s not the only thing Trump is doing differently from 2016. Democrats are freaking out because Trump’s transition team won’t play by their rules.

The Hill said:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said on Monday that President elect-Trump “and his transition team are already breaking” a law on presidential transition.

“Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law,” Warren said in a post on the social platform X. “I would know because I wrote the law. Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.”

“This is what illegal corruption looks like,” she added.

And here is what legal corruption looks like.

Warren’s changing of the rules is why Trump hasn’t accepted federal money or office space because it comes with Democrat strings attached.

Earlier, the Economist reported:

Trump has steered clear of any government funding or office space so far, so distrustful are his allies of career civil servants and the Biden administration. That frees him to accept unlimited private donations. Cantor Fitzgerald Chief Executive Officer Howard Lutnick is running personnel while Linda McMahon, Trump’s former head of the Small Business Administration, is supervising the policy operation.

I recall in 2008 that Obama decided against accepting federal matching money for his presidential campaign because it would limit his fundraising. That pretty much ended Democrats and Republicans accepting the money because it wasn’t free. It came with strings attached, as does this money.

In order to get federal aid, Trump must sign an agreement with this administration, which is headed by the man who called Trump supporters garbage. The Hill said this agreement is done “so [the Democrat] staff may get their hands on relevant resources like facilities, documents, executive branch employees and national security information in the period between the election and the inauguration. Those agreements also feature an ethics plan.”

Sounds perfectly legit. Trade their privacy for a few bucks more.

The Hill also reported:

Last month, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) raised concerns in a letter to Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance over their campaign’s failure to enter into presidential transition agreements with the federal government. Raskin warned that the delay could have an unfavorable impact on the transfer of power in the upcoming year.

“Breaking the precedent set by every other presidential candidate since 2010, you have rejected these resources and refused to commit to a smooth transition,” Raskin wrote.

“Your actions depart from well-established norms of the federal government and demonstrate a spectacular disregard for the successful continuation of the essential institutions of American democratic government,” he added.

Like Hunter Biden, these entitled Democrats are spoiled rotten brats. They are dogs who keep chasing the car — only to crash when the driver slams on the brakes.

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The answer is “Hubris”

The question not being asked.

This Autumn has been rough for the Southeast. First, Hurricane Helene ripped up Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, and then Hurricane Milton hit a different part of Florida and tore it up.

And the season isn’t over yet.

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By now, you may have already heard about what happened down in Florida and may well have happened elsewhere. It turns out that personnel working for FEMA knocking on doors to see if people were eligible for federal funds were told to skip the homes of obvious Trump supporters.

After publication of this story, a FEMA spokesperson told The Daily Wire it was “deeply disturbed” and “horrified” by the employee’s actions, and that it has “taken extreme actions to correct this situation.”

“While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”

“This is a matter that we take extremely seriously and we are doing everything we can to make sure all survivors receive support from FEMA. To date, we have helped over 365,000 households impacted by both Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the state of Florida and have provided over $898 million in direct assistance to survivors.”

“We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels. Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.”

That’s all fine and well.

Plus, the individual responsible for that, Marn’i Washington, has been fired from her position and the case has been referred to the Office of Special Counsel. That means she faces potential prosecution for her actions, which should most definitely happen.

However, while people are focusing on what happened—and for understandable reasons—I can’t help but ask the question no one else seems to be asking. Why did she think she could get away with it?

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FEMA outrage reveals weaponized government — and points Trump toward reform.

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s first orders of business must be to de-weaponize the federal government. One episode from Florida illustrates why.

Not long ago you might have charged me with paranoid conspiracy theorizing if I had told you that federal disaster relief workers were deliberately keeping Trump supporters from receiving government assistance.

But they were, and a FEMA supervisor has been fired for it.

FEMA skipping Republicans’ homes:

Marn’i Washington allegedly told FEMA workers in Florida to skip houses with Trump signs out front after Hurricane Helene.

“Avoid homes advertising Trump,” she wrote in a “best practices” memo to employees, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Wire, reportedly reinforcing this with a verbal order.

Er, except that it was true. And The New York Times, as of this writing, had not corrected its false reporting, which itself constitutes disinformation.

So does that mean the conspiracy theorists are right?  Well, yes and no.

If the “conspiracy” would involve a handful of big-shots in a smoke-filled room sending out orders to their minions, not really.

That happens in government sometimes — as with the federal campaign to quash dissent on social media over COVID policy and the disputed 2020 election — but usually it doesn’t work that way.

Because it doesn’t have to.

When you have a federal workforce that overwhelmingly favors the Democratic Party, coupled with nonstop media (and social media) accounts of how awful Republicans are and how it’s fair to do pretty much anything to stop them because they’re basically Hitler, you don’t need to issue orders.

People act on their own.

I very much doubt that any FEMA higher-up told Marn’i Washington to skip over houses with Trump signs.

She just knew that she hated President Trump and wanted to punish his supporters. Then she took action.

Democrats like to see themselves as vital soldiers, defending democracy — and, coincidentally, their party’s power — from opponents who are not merely different, but outright evil.

This sense of self-importance is coupled with a self-esteem-boosting snobbery: They tell themselves they deserve to be in charge because they’re so much smarter and better and more moral than the hoi polloi.

And the allegedly high stakes justify even the most immoral actions because they’re in service of a higher cause — stopping Hitler! (An excuse that’s always available: Democrats characterize just about all of their GOP opponents as the next Hitler, going all the way back to Tom Dewey in 1948.)

Trump has said he will fire bureaucrats who get in the way of his reforms, and plans to vastly thin the civil service in general. This will help.

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1620
The Mayflower Compact is signed aboard ship at Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod, Plymouth Colony (later merged with Massachusetts Colony).

IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience.

IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.

At eleven o’clock this morning came to an end the cruellest and most terrible War that has ever scourged mankind. I hope we may say that thus, this fateful morning, came to an end all wars.
David Lloyd George, British prime minister

Only to be surpassed by World War 2 in destruction and casualties.

 

November 11

1918 – At at 5:45 a.m Paris Time (UTC +1), aboard a railroad car in Compiègne forest France, the Allied Entente & German delegations sign an armistice, ceasing all hostilities between the parties,  to take effect at 11:00 a.m. Paris Time.

1921 – The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is dedicated by President Harding at Arlington National Cemetery.