Supreme Court to take 2nd Amendment Case

From the NRA-ILA:

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Fairfax, Va. -- The National Rifle Association applauds the Supreme Court's decision, announced today, to hear the landmark Second Amendment case of McDonald v. Chicago. The case will address the application of the Second Amendment to the states through either the Due Process clause or the Privileges or Immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case has major implications for the legality of restrictive gun laws not only in Chicago, but also in other cities across the United States. The decision to hear the case, which will be argued later this year or early next year, gives Second Amendment advocates across America hope that this fundamental freedom will not be infringed by unreasonable state and local laws.

"The Second Amendment applies to every citizen, not just to those living in federal enclaves like Washington D.C. In the historic Heller decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed what most Americans have known all along -- that the Second Amendment protects an individual right and that it applies to all Americans. The government should respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens throughout our country, regardless of where they live, and NRA is determined to make sure that happens," said Wayne LaPierre, NRA executive vice president.

In the June ruling that the Supreme Court will now review, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the Second Amendment does not apply to state and local governments. That opinion left in place the current ban on the possession of handguns in Chicago.

However, the Seventh Circuit incorrectly claimed it was bound by precedent from 19th century Supreme Court decisions in failing to incorporate the Second Amendment. Many legal scholars believe that the Seventh Circuit should have followed the lead of the earlier Ninth Circuit panel decision in Nordyke v. Alameda County, which found that those cases don't prevent the Second Amendment from applying to the states through the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. To the contrary, a proper incorporation analysis supports application of the Second Amendment to the States.

"It is an injustice that the residents of Chicago continue to have their Second Amendment rights denied," said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. "It’s time that the fundamental right of self-defense is respected by every jurisdiction throughout the country. It is our hope that the Supreme Court will find, once and for all, that all law-abiding Americans have the God-given, constitutionally-protected right of self-defense, no matter what city, county or state they call home."

-nra-

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

More from the SAF, SCOTUSBLOG, Washington Post, and Ammoland.

Update 1: Glenn Beck interviews Alan Gura.

AZ: New Laws Take Effect Today

Today's the day that the new Arizona gun laws take effect. My wife & I are looking forward to enjoying meals in an expanded list of approximately 5,900 restaurants and bars in Arizona that happen to serve alcohol, minus the few who don't want our business.

If you find any "gun free zone" signs or hear from restaurant or bar owners who plan to respect our right to defend ourselves be sure to send an e-mail to wewelcomeccw@asrpa.com so that the ASRPA webmaster can update the list. Be sure to go out of your way to patronize businesses on the right hand side of the list under the "Thanks so much for your business" image while avoiding the businesses on the left hand side under the "No CCW allowed" image.

Glenn Beck: Arguing with Idiots

I've been reading through Glenn Beck's new book Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government, and I have to say I'm Loving it! My favorite chapter of course is on the topic of the Second Amendment. Glenn Beck tackles many of the gun grabber arguments against the right to keep & bear arms and does a great job of debunking them, backing up the facts with links to the data & reports in the back of the book. There are many other great topics as well, so definitely check it out.



PS: If you have not yet read Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine you're missing a great read.

Not Without a Fight

Max Lemus is working on a documentary titled "Not Without a Fight" - you can watch pieces of the documentary as he captures & uploads interviews to the Not Without a Fight youtube channel. The most recent upload is his interview of Kenn Blanchard:




Update 1: It's available now for purchase.

Tales of Wordishure

My friend Mick McCart of the Armed Citizen Podcast recently published his new Christian Short Stories book "Tales of Wordishure." I ordered & received my copy of it last week, and have been reading the stories to my children at bedtime. I can tell my children are loving the tales of adventure because they've been asking for me to read from the book every night since I began reading from it last week, and they have plenty of books to choose from in our collection. Great book Mick!

Future Ammunition Problems in California?

My friends in California may soon be prohibited from buying inexpensive ammunition via mail order from retailers throughout our Country if Governor Schwarzenegger fails to veto California Assembly Bill 962 by Oct 11th.

Do the politicians in California despise their law abiding constituents so much that they want them to loose the option of buying inexpensive ammunition via mail order? Do they really think these new ammunition regulations could hinder drug gangs entrenched in the drug war from getting ammunition when they already get all the illicit drugs across the border that they care to transport?

Give Governor Schwarzenegger a call at 916-445-2841 & tell him to Veto California Assembly Bill 962, or he won't be able to say "I'll be back" as a Politician after California term limits boot him out of the Governor's Seat in 2010. If the number gives you a busy signal like it is for me as I write this, you can also use the contact form. While you're leaving him a message, you should also mention a few other bills worthy of termination.

Update 1: Bad news, he signed the bill.

Update 2: The NRA and the CRPA have filed a Lawsuit requesting an injunction before this legislation is scheduled to take effect (Feb 1, 2011).

NSSF: Modern Sporting Rifle

The NSSF has launched an educational campaign to demystify the Modern Sporting Rifle, commonly referred to as an AR-15. The lamestream media has colorful names for it designed to cause confusion among those who are not familiar with the details, such as "assault weapon" or "military style weapon." Assault is a verb, not a noun (an action, not a name).

Assault can be performed utilizing a vast array of tools, utilizing any number of common items like a kitchen knife, knuckles, or a baseball bat. Nevertheless I don't hear anyone calling my baseball bat an assault bat, and there is not any reason to call my modern sporting rifle an assault weapon. If I were to add any words to the name of my modern sporting rifle, I'd say Self Defense would be more appropriate than assault. Self Defense Rifle is a fitting name, and it applies well.

I'm glad to see the NSSF running a Modern Sporting Rifle educational campaign, it is definitely helpful.

Obama Health Care Song

From Present Day Paul Revere:

FL: He Saved Her From Attacking Pit bull

Patricia Thiel was being mauled by a 100 Lb Pit bull in her own back yard & screaming for help - a neighbor who heard her screams called 911 & ran from house to house looking for assistance. Luckily she found Joseph Wharton a few doors down the street, who had a Ruger 9mm handgun & knew how to use it. Joseph Wharton put the Pit bull down before Police could arrive, and Patricia Thiel was then taken to the Hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Once again we see that while the Police may be minutes away when seconds count, our handgun can be a critical defensive tool immediately. If Joseph Wharton had not been prepared for the defense of his own home & family, he probably would not have been prepared to defend his neighbor either. I love happy endings!

H/T to David R.

Lloyd Marcus, American

Lloyd Marcus is a talented singer, songwriter, and entertainer. He proudly states "I am NOT an African-American! I am Lloyd Marcus, American!" I'm proud to stand tall next to Lloyd Marcus as a fellow American!

Coming Together on September 12th

Like we did on September 12th 2001 let us forget about Political Parties and come together once again as Americans. May we put aside past bickering about whether Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, or Independents caused the largest portion of the problems we currently face. If we can all just remember that we are Americans First maybe we will see clearly enough to slam the breaks on the direction some of the members of both parties have been taking us over the last number of decades. Let us all work together to restore our Freedoms while we still can. Let us speak our minds freely before the newly appointed regulatory Czar bans free speech.

I will be at the Arizona Capitol this morning letting our Federal Government know what direction I think we should turn. Hopefully you'll be there with me, even if not physically, at least in spirit. United we stand, divided we fall, may God Bless your efforts, and may we never give up!

Update 1: I spent this morning with fellow Americans at the Arizona Capitol. It was wonderful to be with like minded individuals demanding an end to the out of control government spending. I counted about 3 dozen folks open carrying, and another dozen or so who were conceal carrying lifted up their shirt to show me their gun when they saw me open carrying mine. Freedom is wonderful, it's great to be an American!

Tim Hawkins: The Government Can

Tim Hawkins: Uncle Sam Theatre:

Should the BATFE monitor Screwdriver Sales?

Last night a man killed his ex-girlfriend with a screwdriver, which makes it perfectly clear to me why she dumped the looser in the first place. I just wish she would have had a gun to defend herself from the screwdriver wielding man so that the headline could have been that she shot her screwdriver wielding ex-boyfriend in self defense.

In light of this tragic use of the common screwdriver, is the Brady Campaign going to demand that the BATFE get involved with licensing screwdriver dealers in order to monitor screwdriver sales? Shall we rename the BATFE to BATFES for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, and Screwdrivers?

Hardware stores used to sell firearms before the BATFE began regulating gun sales which made many of the hardware stores decide to pull out of the gun sale business to avoid the hassle. Could we soon have to make a separate stop at screwdriver stores licensed by the BATFES when looking for the common screwdriver? Would regulating screwdriver sales prevent ANY senseless screwdriver deaths by screwdriver wielding thugs?

No? I don't think so either. It wouldn't work any better than regulating nail guns.

Small Business Owner Shares Her Ideas for Reform

Small Business Owner Speaks her Mind at a Town Hall Meeting. I couldn't have said it better myself.



Let your voice be heard: look for a September 12th event near you.

Tim Evans (London, UK) Discusses Government Run Healthcare

Tim Evans (London, United Kingdom) from BigGovHealth on Vimeo.

Officer Says: "It Aint [America] No More"

In response to question: "This used to be America!" a Police Officer says: "It ain't no more" and threatens: "I can charge you with whatever I want to charge you with"

AZ: Which Restaurants Want our Dollars?

Like most people, my wife & I enjoy eating out from time to time. We personally don't even choose to drink alcohol, but there are many good restaurants in Arizona that happen to serve it to those who do. Starting September 30th 2009 the law in Arizona will no longer prohibit my wife & I from eating at restaurants that happen to serve alcohol while we carry concealed weapons for defense of ourselves & our family, so long as we don't drink.

Unfortunately some businesses are already making the decision that they don't want our dollars. That is their right as a business owner, as it will be ours to choose not to do business with them. About 138,000 active CCW Permit Holders in Arizona as of Sep 1st 2009 is nothing to sneeze at in this economy, and that doesn't even take into consideration the 2.5 Million Arizona residents who live in households that have at least one gun, many of whom are likely to support restaurants that support our rights irregardless of their own decision to not apply for a CCW permit for themselves.

The Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association has created a web page to list Arizona businesses that have come out on one side or the other on this issue - either deciding to openly support the right to bear arms in self defense or deciding to ban our patronage. Businesses that ban entry to Conceal Carry permit holders carrying concealed will be advising criminals that they'll find easy targets inside the restaurant as well as walking about in the parking lot. The ASRPA has a PDF you can print out to share with the restaurants you wish to patronize. Restaurants can choose either to simply not ban our patronage or to go an extra step and have their logo listed as a self defense supporter on the ASRPA website to attract our business.

As required by the law, our weapons will remain concealed so patrons who are scared of guns will not even know we're there, the same way they don't know that we're sitting next to them in a Movie Theater or in an ice cream shop. The signs banning our patronage will begin shipping out later this week to the 100 or so restaurants that have already requested them. With about 5,900 bars & restaurants that serve alcohol in Arizona that will still leave us with 5,800 places we can patronize.

Thai Rama is the first restaurant to be listed as supporting our rights which as a result is now on my must visit list. As for those who don't want our dollars, the first to be listed are George & Dragon as well as Chipotle. Based on this article, I'm guessing the Chevraunt Restaurant & Wine Bar will soon be added to the list of restaurants who don't want our dollars as well. Be sure to contact these businesses with a friendly note or phone call to let them know your thoughts. If you know of other restaurants that should be added to one side or the other of the list send the details to ASRPA via: wewelcomeccw@asrpa.com

For any businesses thinking about creating their own gun free zone, please check out this video first:



Update 1: Other restaurants like Thai Rama that have indicated that they plan to respect our right to defend ourselves (based on reader feedback & the list - below listing is not comprehensive):
Black Angus, Olive Garden, NYPD Pizza, Parson's Restaurant, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Babaloos, Eat at Joe's Barbecue, Maloney's, Santisi Brothers Sports Grill, Silver Spur Saloon, Chuy's Mesquite Broiler, & Valle Luna.

Update 2: More news on the subject: azcentral, azdailysun.

Update 3: Additional lists of CCW friendly restaurants are now available.

September 12th March on the Capitol

On September 12th Citizens from all over the Country will march on Washington DC in protest of out of control spending in an effort to unite our Country the way we united on September 12th 2001. Check out the Tea Party Express to see if there will be a lead up event near you. Those who can't make it to Washington DC on the 12th of September can join in on the protest at their local State Capitol. If you're in Arizona you can indicate that you plan to participate at the Arizona Tea Party, the Greater Phoenix Tea Party Patriots, or via Facebook. If you prefer you may simply show up at the Capitol on the morning of Saturday September 12th. Let your voice be heard!

Update 1: If you're on facebook you can also invite your facebook friends to attend with us!

Update 2: Find an event near you.

Update 3: I spent the morning with fellow Americans at the Arizona Capitol Today. It was wonderful to be with like minded individuals demanding an end to the out of control government spending. I counted about 3 dozen folks open carrying, and another dozen or so who were conceal carrying lifted up their shirt to show me their gun when they saw me open carrying mine. Freedom is wonderful, it's great to be an American!