Category Archives: Second Amendment

The full Senate this week advanced two measures to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of Oklahomans. The proposals now await the Governors signature.

Senate Bill 1733, by State Sen. Anthony Sykes and State Rep. Jeff Hickman, would allow citizens licensed to carry a firearm under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act to carry their weapon openly or concealed. SB 1733 passed the Senate Thursday.

Approved by the Senate on Wednesday, Senate Bill 1760, by Sen. Sykes and Speaker Designate State Rep. T.W. Shannon, would prevent cities or state government from disarming citizens during a state of emergency.

The Legislature has made it clear that Oklahomans will have the right to defend themselves, said Sykes, R-Moore. The right to self-defense is God given and inalienable, and we intend to do everything in our power to defend it. This legislation further guarantees this right will not be taken from Oklahomans who choose to protect themselves and their families.

Another important Second Amendment measure, Senate Bill 875, has now been signed by the Governor.

Originally posted here:
Senate advances measures to bolster Second Amendment rights of Oklahomans

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --North Carolina's failure to appeal a federal judge's ruling that struck down the state's emergency power to ban firearms and ammunition outside the home during a declared emergency adds one more Second Amendment victory to the court record being established by the Second Amendment Foundation.

"When the anti-gun lobby claims that courts have not struck down any laws on Second Amendment grounds," noted SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, "they deliberately ignore the fact that the District of Columbia's handgun ban was overturned. Likewise, Chicago's ban was stricken by McDonald v. City of Chicago, as was the city's ban on gun ranges. Maryland's draconian regulations on concealed carry were struck down, and so was the Massachusetts ban on firearms ownership by legal alien residents. Part of Omaha's registration law was overturned, and now North Carolina's emergency powers gun ban has fallen.

"All but one of those cases," he added, "were filed by SAF, and in the Heller case against Washington, D.C.s ban, SAF filed an important amicus brief."

Gottlieb said North Carolina's decision not to appeal their loss, "frees the foundation to file more legal actions against cities and states that still have laws on the books that violate our constitutional rights." There are now at least six federal court victories to SAF's credit, knocking down laws that infringed on Second Amendment rights, and Gottlieb is confident more are coming.

"The North Carolina case should send a message to other states and municipalities with similar emergency powers laws that violate civil rights that they should remove those restrictions immediately," he stated.

"I want to thank our plaintiffs, our legal team, our staff and in particular, our members and donors who have made all of these victories possible," Gottlieb said. "Three of these victories, including Bateman v. Purdue in North Carolina, affirm that the Second Amendment doesn't stop at your front door, like the gun prohibition lobby claims.

"Winning firearms freedom one lawsuit at a time is a long, slow and expensive process, but SAF is committed to it," he concluded.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

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N. Carolina Lets Emergency Powers Ruling Stand, Adding Another SAF 2A Victory

Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 9:05pm

By Steven Hale

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (File)

The final reference on the floor of the state legislature to one of the most contentious issues of the session was met with bipartisan support.

Less than an hour before the General Assembly adjourned for the year, Rep. Eddie Bass (D-Prospect) rose and faked a motion to call up the so-called guns-in-parking-lots legislation.

He had sponsored two related bills on the matter. One prohibited businesses from banning the storage of firearms by employees in their cars parked on company lots. The other established protections against workplace discrimination for employees based on their ownership, storage or transportation of a firearm. Until the legislatures final day, the fate of both bills was not completely certain.

Madam Speaker, he deadpanned, with a sheet of paper in his hand. I move to suspend the necessary rules for the immediate consideration ... oh, wait a minute, thats the wrong one.

The members burst into laughter and applauded.

There was likely relief in the laughter, at least for the leadership of both parties. The states top Republicans had exerted plenty of energy in an ultimately successful effort to keep the issue from getting to the floor of either chamber. Knowing that, and hoping to foster Republican infighting, leading Democrats had tried to force a floor vote on legislation they had no intention of supporting.

For the states gun lobby, however, which spent the session aggressively working the issue, things did not end on a cheerful note. They left the Hill feeling stiffed.

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In firearms-friendly state, gun lobby finds limit in advocating Second Amendment rights

Let there be guns! Despite pleas from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Florida Governor Rick Scott rejected the mayors request to ban handguns at the Republican National Convention this summer. And the plentiful deer and quail roaming the halls of Tampa rejoiced.

Originally, Buckhorn wrote a letter to Scott requesting a temporary firearms ban in downtown Tampa.A firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors of the city, he wrote.

Scott, whose replyfell into Politicos hands, begged to differ.

Like you, I share the concern that violent anti-government protests or other civil unrest can pose dangers, Scott wrote. But it is unclear how disarming law-abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law.

Scott instead stated his trust in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to catch evildoers at the convention.

Under Florida law, Buckhorn doesnt have the authority to ban guns himself he would need the state legislatures permission for such a request. Florida Statute 790.33 states that local governments are prohibited from regulating guns under penalty of fines or loss of office. So with handguns out of the question, Tampas list of no-no items for demonstration event zonesis reduced tolumber, hatchets, gas masks, chains and super soaker water cannons.

So lets review: water guns bad, real guns good. Buckhorn called this law absurd last month, but he obviously doesnt remember how Super Soakersruin pool parties.

Is Rick Scott taking the second amendment too far? Well be discussing this news story with Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern on tonights episode of The War Room. Be sure to tune in at 9/8c.

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The War Room: Is Rick Scott taking the second amendment too far?

Marc A. Hermann for the New York Daily News

New York City Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo said the court's decision "upholds our ability to conduct meaningful checks" on gun permit applicants.

THE CITYS HEFTY $340 fee for a gun permit is constitutional, a judge declared Monday.

Gun advocates claimed the fee to keep a legal gun in the home $340 initially and for a renewal every three years violated the Second Amendment right to bear arms because it was exorbitant.

But Manhattan Federal Court Judge John Koeltl said, There is no evidence that the fee has deterred or is likely to deter any individual from exercising his or her Second Amendment right.

He said courts have approved significantly higher fees, citing a ruling that permitted a $3,000 adult business license fee.

Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, said he wanted to read the decision before commenting.

Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo said the decision upholds our ability to conduct meaningful checks into applicants qualifications.

rgearty@nydailynews.com

The rest is here:
$340 gun permit fee OKd by court 

Editor's note: On March 13, we ran John Krull's column on the National Rifle Association's endorsement of Richard Mourdock for U.S. senator. That inspired the following response from the NRA and rebuttal by Krull:

The NRA on endorsing Mourdock

By Chris W. Cox National Rifle Association

The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech. Your columnist, John Krull, appears to have exercised his constitutional right with little, if any, common sense.

The foundation of democracy is that every vote counts. And people band together to amplify their voice. That's basic civics.

Indiana has tens of thousands of National Rifle Association dues-paying members. Sen. Richard Lugar has not represented their interests or the interests of other gun owners and hunters for decades.

In past Senate races, these voters have not had a viable choice. They do now.

Richard Mourdock has stated his strong support for our hunting heritage, self-defense rights and the Second Amendment.

In stark contrast, Sen. Lugar has demonstrated disdain for gun owners. He has aligned himself out of the bipartisan majority of U.S. senators who signed amicus briefs in the historic Heller and McDonald cases, and in opposition of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty that could severely restrict civilian ownership of firearms in our country.

Mr. Krull's derision of the NRA is an extension of his disgust for the Second Amendment. His prejudice reveals his patent contempt for our Founding Fathers, our Constitution and the democratic process.

Link:
NRA responds; Krull reloads

22-03-2012 16:53 Virginia is for lovers — of guns. Last month the state overturned a 20-year-old law that barred residents from buying more than one handgun a month. In Virginia, firearms are like potato chips — you can't stop at just one. Governor Bob McDonnell in February repealed Virginia's prohibition of purchasing more than one handgun per month. Virginians are now free to buy as many guns as they want. The law was intended to curb gun trafficking, but many Virginians felt it curbed freedom instead. Thirty years after a powerful gun control movement swept the country Americans are embracing guns with a zeal unseen since the days of muskets and militias. For many in the United States, freedom is symbolized by the barrel of a gun. It's Democracy, locked and loaded. Like us and/or follow us: twitter.com http://www.facebook.com

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In Virginia, the Second Amendment means freedom to buy unlimited number of guns - Video

March 22, 2012

Actually, thats just the tip of the iceberg. They want pretty much all of your freedoms. If, however, we let them take away our Second Amendment rights, we will have no means with which to keep them from taking away everything else from us. There is a famous quote attributed to Isoroku Yamamoto about Japan not attacking the United States mainland because there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass. Though the quote has had some doubt cast on its substantiation, think about it what it says. Who knows how many times our nation has been saved from invasion because our citizenry is so well armed? Now, take that a step further. If the current administrations rocket ride toward tyranny were to ever reach the point that either the United Nations or (May God help us!) our own government were to take up arms against the citizens of this great nation, the only weapons we would have with which to defend our families and our homes would be the arms that we had managed to keep from being confiscated. Now, lets see; Which of our fine, upstanding elected officials would want to disarm us? Hillary Clinton has been on board for years with the United Nations plans to implement a global ban on small arms. This means a system of registering, banning, and confiscating firearms owned by private citizens. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton has warned gun owners about the Arms Trade Treaty and the fact that the U.N. is not being honest about its true goals, which are not just to control international arms trade between nations, but to actually control domestic firearms. Barack Obama, of course, is all about big government and limited freedom for the common citizenry who arent part of the ruling elite. His affinity for George Soros, the Open Society pusher, is just one symptom of his longing for the government to get its tentacles into every aspect of our lives. He loves gun control. He would prefer a world where only the government had guns. Guess what would be next if we lost our Second Amendment protection? With a czar around every corner, thanks to Barack Obama, and executive orders flowing from the White House like a swift-running river, it wouldnt take anytime at all to see the United States of America cease to exist as we know it. I believe the current administration would just as soon sell us out to the United Nations, or simply nullify any semblance of our Constitution and Bill of Rights as they would do any of the treacherous things they are doing to us right now. Have you studied Agenda 21? You really must be aware of this gigantic threat. Please go to http://www.freedomadvocates.org or http://www.thenewamerican.com and read about the horrors planned for us. Taking away our guns is just tiny facet of the plans already in the works if we dont stop them. Look at http://www.canadafreepress.com and ready about Agenda 21 and Obamas Rural Council. Start watching out for terms in news coverage such as smart growth and social equity. Read about ICLEI and the plans for for ideal-seeking behavior and sustainable de-growth. ICLEI is the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, a conglomerate of 600 national, regional, and local government associations who have already bought into the scam of man-made global warming or climate change and are ready to sell you out for it. Along with your guns, they can take your land and everything you think you own, if they continue to get their agenda pushed through. A look at their members list shows North Little Rock has been in their clutches for a good while now. Fayetteville is also a proud member. Rumblings of ICLEI were heard surrounding the recent Maumelle Watershed Project. Folks, ICLEI and U.N. Agenda 21 are all over our country like a big, ugly duck on a helpless little junebug. They want your land. They want your freedom. They want social equity. They want your guns. Please get informed. Get involved. Stand up for your unalienable rights.

Nancy Carlton is a resident of Saline County. Her column appears each Wednesday in The Saline Courier.

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CARLTON: Barack, Hillary and the U.N.: United to take away your guns

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -

A bill to allow guns in parking lots is pretty much dead for the year. The legislation, which caused quite a controversy, pits Second Amendment rights against privacy rights.

Tennessee Democrats say they stopped what would have been a big deterrent for new business in the state.

They helped send the so-called "Guns in Parking Lots" bill into a summer study. That means the bill will not advance any further this legislative session.

Thursday, House Republican and Democratic leaders spoke about the bill. State Rep. Mike Turner, D-Old Hickory, chair of the Democratic Caucus, says they dodged a bullet.

He says he supports the Second Amendment, but this measure went too far.

"I believe in the Second Amendment, but it's been broadly interpreted what that means here lately," he said. "I think the next thing you know we'll be carrying guns in the factory cafeteria, so I think they keep reaching on the issue."

Republican leaders say the legislation is not gone forever - it just needs more study before they make a final determination.

"This caucus is dedicated to gun rights, the Second Amendment," said House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville. "We are also dedicated to property rights, and right now we're trying to merge those to where we get to a point where we are satisfied."

One issue still up for debate is whether to allow any employee to keep a gun in their car or only allow it for gun permit holders.

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Guns in parking lots bill appears dead for now

20-03-2012 09:17 While in Nuremberg, Germany, Ginny Simone talked to George Mason University Law Professor Joyce Lee Malcolm - NRA News - March 19, 2012 - http://www.NRANews.com

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Joyce Lee Malcolm on Threats to Our Second Amendment Rights - Video