Category Archives: Second Amendment

Preserving the Second Amendment right to bear arms is critical for women in situations where they face life-threatening domestic abuse, argues a law professor at George Mason University.

Certainly it is difficult for a woman to adequately defend herself against a man, but when armed for her self-defense she has a chance to deter him and survive, Joyce Lee Malcolm, a Second Amendment Constitutional Law professor at GMUs Antonin Scalia Law School, wrote in a recent Liberty & Law Center Research Paper.

Restraining orders against abusive partners often fail to deter violence, she maintained, citing a study in the Journal of American Psychiatry and the Law, which found that out of nearly 36,000 cases where protection orders had been involved, 18 percent had been violated.

The study also found that 50 percent of those with a temporary restraining order reported unwanted contact in that time frame, while 75 percent of women reported some unlawful contact within the first year of the orders implementation.

In other words, Malcolm claimed, the police failed to protect the victim from their abuser, and many of them have lost their lives because of itbut she maintained law enforcement is not necessarily at fault.

The police simply cannot be on the spot, even when they have reason to know that a violent crime may occur, she wrote.

Malcolm used the example of domestic violence to counter some of the most common arguments against the right to bear arms, arguing that the right to self defense is unalienable, and shouldnt be ignored in this time of peril.

Noting that the claim that citizens dont need firearms because police offer sufficient protection, Malcolm argued that advances in police technology and stiff criminal penalties have not made people safer, according to Malcolm.

Malcolm called it a false belief that citizens licensed to carry a weapon are a danger to public safety and cause an increase in crime.

To support that claim, Malcolm compared FBI violent crime statistics to the timeframes when each state allowed open carry or concealed-carry permits.

From 1993, when violent crime was at its highest, to 2018, when serious violent crime fell 51 percent, Malcolm notes that nearly every state adopted some form of concealed or open carry legislation.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics also found that violent crime correlating with that same period of time fell 71 percent.

In short, the rate of violent crime plummeted at the same time that the numbers of Americans permitted to carry a gun soared, Malcolm explained.

Malcolm conceded that success has many fathers and that changes in the economy and approaches to law enforcement could have impacted the plummeting violent crime rates as well.

But she argued there is a connection between lawfully arming citizens and thousands of incidents where Americans were able to protect themselves and their families.

A 2013 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of times firearms were used for self-defense ranged anywhere between 500,000 times and 3 million times a year.

In another study, the authors point out that as many as 400,000 people a year claim not only to have used a gun to defend themselves, but have also used a firearm to defend others.

This has almost certainly saved lives, and cannot be dismissed as trivial, the paper said.

To offer another perspective about what America would look like if the right to self defense is taken away, Malcolm pointed to England, where, she claimed, the right to self-defense has been effectually removed.

Following World War I, the British Parliament required citizens to get licenses from their local police departments and fit a strict list of requirements that only got stricter as time went on.

However, Malcolm notes that criminals dont abide by the law; so they are not following these handgun outlaws, allowing them to be the only citizens in Britain with firearms.

Moreover, for even law abiding citizens in a state of crisis, Extreme force has been ruled unjustifiable when there was an attempt merely to attack or destroy property, including someone breaking into your house, Malcolm writes.

She continues, The public has been instructed to leave their defense to the police, and to walk on by and call the police if they see someone being attacked.

Not surprisingly, Malcolm writes, crime in Britain following these restrictions soared.

Nevertheless, Malcolms argument was countered by an assertion in the New York Times that gun deaths remain extremely rare in Britain, and very few people, even police officers, carry firearms.

To that end, Malcolm concludes, This British history eerily evokes the policy preferences of todays American progressives eager to take guns out of the hands of citizens in the name of public safety, leaving them to rely for protection on the police.

Malcolm quotes Supreme Court Justice ClarenceThomas, who once referred to the Second Amendment as a constitutional orphan.

If so it is an orphan neglected by the courts, but clung to by the people who are not waiting for the authorities to come by later to pick up the pieces, but who are prepared to defend themselves and their loved ones, Malcolm wrote.

Joyce Lee Malcolm is the Patrick Henry Professor of Constitutional Law and the Second Amendment at George Mason Universitys Antonin Scalia Law School.

The full paper can be accessed here.

This summary was prepared by TCR staff writer Andrea Cipriano

Read the original:
Domestic Violence Victims Need the Second Amendment: Paper - Crime Report

This matter goes well beyond a second amendment right. We are not looking for Cleveland Heights Police Department to challenge a second amendment right, as long as those same rights and perspective of the law is given to a black person, should he also wish to demonstrate those very same rights. What we are addressing however, is the law(s) that were actually violated which includes making terroristic threats, and ethnic intimidation. Even more so, outside of state law, Cleveland Heights charter requires an arrest, or at the least charges being filed against anyone who violates sections 537.09 and 537.06 of their municipal ordinances. Open carry and freedom of speech is one thing, but what this person said out of his own mouth; and if what is stated that he said is factual, then Cleveland Heights Police along with the Prosecutors office should act on this according to both state and local law

Read the original:
Man walking around Cleveland Heights with long-gun quoted as saying Hes going to kill Black people - Cleveland 19 News

Conservatives and Republicans, which may or may not represent the same crowd, seem to have adopted their own flag around which to rally and proclaim allegiance.

The Thin Blue Line flag is a modification of Old Glory. You have probably seen this flag in your neighborhood waving proudly on homes for several months.

If you are wondering if there are becoming two flags representing people of the United States, you might be right.

The Thin Blue Line flag depicts a blue line instead of white line just below the field of blue. Above and below this blue stripe are often depicted black stripes replacing the traditional lines of red. There are even versions where all the red stripes are replaced with black except the blue stripe just below the field of blue.

This flag started out as an artistic adaptation for sale by the Thin Blue Line organization. This nonprofit rightfully promotes appreciation for the members of law enforcement and uses sales from this flag to fundraise.

If you are wondering if this flag is legal, the answer is yes.

The thin blue line is a concept popularized in the 1950s by L.A. Police Department Chief Bill Parker that recognizes the value of law enforcement. The concept was formalized in 1988 by Errol Morriss documentary The Thin Blue Line.

The thin blue line notion promotes the appreciation for and recognition that a small band of law enforcement professionals, i.e. the thin blue line, protects greater society from crime and disorder.

But this flag lately has morphed into representing, for many, the support for heavy-handed police suppression and for countering evil, anarchy and chaos, specifically from the left.

This flag no longer seems to represent appreciation for our police professionals.

There are many safeguards in the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing our rights.

The Second Amendment permits possession of firearms as part of a well-regulated militia that at the time of passage was interpreted as permitted when part of an official organization managed by the states. The First Amendment specifies free speech, free assembly, a free press, and right to protest as individual rights. Unlike the Second Amendment, these rights are not related to a sanctioned state militia.

The First Amendment reads, Congress shall make no law respecting the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievance.

Just like the right to bear arms as part of a well-regulated militia has devolved into everyone has a right to carry a gun, the right to peacefully protest is being falsely compared to promoting anarchy and criminal acts.

My worry is that Thin Blue Line flags are becoming the modern equivalent to the Stars and Bars of the confederate south a symbol of repression.

Funny how suppressing the right to protest and the freedom of assembly are being trounced by those who claim to be law-and-order proponents.

Sure, police need to go after criminal gangs, thugs, and arsonists who loot and destroy, with full commitment and resolve. But law enforcement, paid by us, the people, should guarantee all the right to peacefully protest as well.

But lets not brand peaceful protesters as anarchists, the liber-left, and communists.

Law means acting as rights and rules permit.

Order means with respect for others and conduct in a thoughtful manner.

While many state the Thin Blue Line flag signifies favoring law and order, how is it at the same time these folks condone aggressive suppression of our rights and the cessation of the very orderly, legal, and peaceful activities the Constitution promises to all?

Jonathan Kraut directs a private investigations agency, is the CEO of a private security firm, is the COO of an acting conservatory, a published author, and Democratic Party activist. His column reflects his own views and not necessarily those of The Signal or of other organizations.

Read the rest here:
Jonathan Kraut | On Allegiance and Variations of the Stars and Stripes - Santa Clarita Valley Signal

Look who the people who tell Brits that Second Amendment-defending gun owners are traitors want Americans to vote for. (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence/Facebook)

U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)-The idea that individuals have the right to fight against tyranny is as old as the republic, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz tells the UKs The Guardian in another segment of the papers aptly titled Guns and Lies series of anti-gun propaganda pieces masked as news.

This year-long project investigates what works to reduce the daily toll of gun violence in America, exploring how Californias Bay Area has defied expectations and seen a dramatic decline in gun homicides, the series launch page declares. Dont tell the ace reporters, but East Oakland is in the Bay area, and it has emerged as the epicenter in a wave of shootings and homicides in a city that has logged more than 80 slayings in 2020, up from 58 at this time last year.

The project is funded in part by a grant to theguardian.org from the California Wellness Foundation, The Guardian tells us about its anti-gun project. All of our journalism is editorially independent and follows GNMs published editorial code.

Forgive me if I get a Michael Bloomberg/The Trace vibe off that assurance, particularly since the foundation benefactor makes a point of promoting gun-grab groups and demanding disarmament edicts under the guise of public health. And The Guardian doesnt do itself any favors by linking to its editorial code, where we learn:

Fairness The voice of opponents no less than of friends has a right to be heard [and] If you are employed as a columnist with your views openly on display you may have more latitude than a staff reporter, who would be expected to bring qualities of objectivity to their work.

The Horwitz puff piece did not present opposing viewpoints, which would be pathetically easy to find and/or solicit. And writer Lois Beckett identifies as a senior reporter, not a columnist but one who has pinned to her Twitter feed:

I am sick of media outlets making a case for hopelessness and stalemate after the latest mass shooting. There are ways to prevent some of these shootings. But people don't know about them because WE DON'T COVER THEM.

As for Horwitzs contention that fighting tyranny has been a key component of our understanding of the Second Amendment since the founding, some of us have been saying that all along. That, along with being necessary to the security of a free State, putting down real insurrections, and being a bulwark of societal and personal defense are all part and parcel of a right its advocates have long argued for. Contrary to CSGV accusations, some of us don't avoid the first thirteen words we chastise those who do.

But thats not the point hes trying to make. He thinks there is no individual right. Or at least thats the line CSGV wants those who don't know any better to swallow:

Heller reads an ambiguous constitutional provision as creating a substantive right that the Court had never acknowledged in the more than two hundred years since the amendments enactment.

Three lies in one brief assertion must qualify as some sort of gun grab trifecta.

There is nothing ambiguous about shall not be infringed.

The Heller court, citing Cruikshank specifically acknowledged:

This is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence.

And, of course, the Court acknowledged the individual right to keep and bear arms in the otherwise shameful Dredd Scott decision back in 1856 when it fretted that if blacks were entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizens it would give them the full liberty to keep and carry arms wherever they went.

Horwitz has had a thing about screaming Insurrectionist! at Second Amendment founding intent fundamentalists for years, and like all his kind, with all his exposure and all his opportunities to promulgate his message, he and they have never once manned up to the simplest of challenges: Provide evidence, based on their writings and speeches, that the leaders of the United States' founding era, men who had just risen up to throw off the shackles of British tyranny, did not intend to protect the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms from government infringement.

Instead, he resorts to personal attacks on individual rights advocates, saying this about me:

Quotes from David Codrea: Careful You're talking about testing the ultimate last-resort purpose behind the Second Amendment. Some of us armed Americans take our Bill of Rights seriously and will not go gentle into that good night, bundled or by ourselves. You and your fellow travelers are playing a most dangerous game. Source: Codrea responding to a columnist who suggested that Anyone who shows up armed at a forum where a public official or political candidate is due to appear ought to be detained-and possibly prosecuted. Guns Magazine, The Most Dangerous Game, January 2010

As anyone who has actually read that article will see, that is a deliberately deceptive mischaracterization of what I actually wrote. As I explained in my rebuttal (Gun grab group lies about me):

I was responding directly to these lines from The Guns of August by statist cheerleader Ted Rall, and my article made that clear: These town hall terrorists could be declared enemy combatants and bundled off to Bagram with the stroke of a pen. If ever there were a reason for suspending civil rights, this is it.

Just in case we're still not clear, Rall is saying he wants government enforcers to take gun owners who have committed no violation of any law, but who have peaceably assembled in protest as per our First Amendment-recognized rightto a torture camp, without due process, without trial

So you're damn right, Josh. What kind of devoid-of-principles coward wouldn't fight stormtroopers trying to do that to free Americans? And what kind of subversive traitor to every precept of the Republic, not to mention common decency, would hold that against a man and view it as an opportunity for his public condemnation?

In typical Orwellian projection fashion, heres Horwitzs bottom line that he feeds The Guardian:

Number one: there needs to be a clear public response, that people who exercise this right are not patriots, but traitors.

And we know what happens to traitors, that is, what he wants to see armed enforcers for his dreamed-of Monopoly of Violence do to us.

He tried hanging the insurrectionist tag on me again in our New York Times debate a year after the Virginia Tech gun-free zone massacre (where the paper deliberately pitted me against half-a-dozen antis, just to keep the odds fair) when he wrote:

Mr. Codrea writes a blog titled, The War on Guns, Notes from the Resistance (who is he resisting?)

Why, I'm resisting you, Mr. Horwitz. And everyone who believes as you do, and particularly those who finance your subversions. If that makes me deserving of a traitors fate in your eyes, you and your fellow gun-grabbers get the same response I gave Ted Rall. At least that's all I can post here.

And as for the UK and its happily disarmed subjects of the Queen, I weigh in firmly on the side of No to a question Ive been asking for years.

About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance, is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

Read the original post:
US Gun Banner Tells UK Paper 'Traitors' Think 2nd Amendment is to Fight Tyranny - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Opinion

North Carolina -(AmmoLand.com)-It can be exhausting for Second Amendment supporters when their champions face tough re-election battles. In the Tarheel State, one such race is taking place for the United States Senate.

As of this writing, RealClearPolitics has the race as a toss-up, with Cal Cunningham having a 2.3-point lead in the RCP average.

While the 2016 election shows that polls can be very wrong, that same election did see North Carolinians vote out a pro-Second Amendment governor and put anti-Second Amendment extremist Roy Cooper in at the same time the state gave Donald Trump its 15 electoral votes.

So, this is a race that cannot be taken for granted.

In the state legislature of North Carolina, Tillis voted to preserve the confidentiality of concealed carry permit holders and backed a comprehensive improvement for law-abiding gun owners, among other actions. When he ran against Kay Hagan in 2014, he made a strong statement in support of the Second Amendment and challenging Hagans support for various restrictions in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting.

As a Senator-elect, he followed up with another statement, and in the Senate has stood in defense of the Second Amendment. In addition to that, he has voted for judges who would uphold our rights, and also stood against the court-packing schemes that some have pushed. At this point, regardless of who opposed him in the general election, he has earned a second term.

The fact is, though, his opponent makes the decision to back Tillis even easier. Cal Cunningham has the endorsement of multiple anti-Second Amendment groups, including Bloombergs Everytown and the Giffords group originally formed by Mark Kelly. You can bet that if he is elected, he will gladly work to take away your rights.

In addition, he will be a reliable vote against the types of judges who would uphold our rights, would support various campaign finance reform schemes that would silence the grassroots activism of Second Amendment supporters, and his first vote in the 117th Congress would be to make Chuck Schumer the Senate Majority Leader. Second Amendment supporters can do without a Senator like that.

While polls show Cunningham has a lead, his campaign has been staggered by scandal.

Loyal AmmoLand News readers and Second Amendment supporters check out the campaign site for Senator Tom Tillis here.

In addition, they can donate generously of both time and money to the NRAs Political Victory Fund and to Grass Roots North Carolinas Political Victory Fund to help elect pro-Second Amendment candidates for office in North Carolina and across the country.

About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics, and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.

See the rest here:
Tarheel State Second Amendment Supporters Should Trust Thom Tillis With 2nd Term - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

J.D. Prose| USA TODAY Network PA State Capitol Bureau

Six men charged in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

A team of militia operatives is charged with conspiring to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A new report says that Pennsylvania is one of five states at a high risk for activity by armed groups of civiliansaround the Nov. 3 election.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and MilitiaWatch warned about such movements leading up to and following the election in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon, especially in state capitals and surrounding towns, medium-sized cities and suburban areas.

Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American voters, the report said. Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election, these groups have become more assertive, with activities ranging from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials.

The report, titled Standing By: Right-Wing Militia Groups and the US Election, takes its name from President Donald Trumps response in a recent debate when he was asked to condemn white nationalist groups and militias. Instead, Trump told one such group, the Proud Boys, to, Stand back and stand by, which several right-wing groups took as encouragement.

Armed groups use hybrid tactics ranging from training for urban and rural combat to using public relations and propaganda to acting as security operations for events.

More: Militias in Pennsylvania say they protect everyone's rights. Critics say that's a sham.

There is an increasing narrative and trend that groups are organizing to supplement the work of law enforcement or to place themselves in a narrowly defined public protection role in parallel with police departments of a given locale, the report said.

Pennsylvania Homeland Security Director Marcus Brown said security during the election is a main topic during discussions among his agency, the Pennsylvania Department of State, state police and the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The safety and security of people going out to vote is one of the issues we discuss every week, Brown said.

Pennsylvania is an open carry state, but there must be a balance between Second Amendment rights and the rights of voters to not feel threatened or intimidated, Brown said.

The intimidation factor is the voter thats showing up, he said. Do they feel comfortable going into that polling place?

More: Trump makes campaign stops in Pa., tries to secure large turnout as race tightens

Brown acknowledged that officials are aware of the potential problems such groups might cause, but said the focus is not so much for Election Day. The concern is less leading up to the election and Election Day than it is after the election if there is disagreement as to who won the election, he said.

ACLED and MilitaWatch identified nine, large multi-state right-wing groups that could present problems to Pennsylvania and other states, including Three Percenters, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Light Foot Militia, Civilian Defense Force, American Contingency, Patriot Prayer, Boogaloo Bois and Peoples Rights.

Sam Jones, an ACLED spokesman, said his organization and MilitiaWatch have tracked more than 80 armed groups since the start of the summer, most of them right-wing groups, and identified the risks related to each, such as their propensity for violence.

"Still, these risks do not mean that violence is inevitable," Jones said. "Voters should not be intimidated. Rather, we hope people are able to use the data to evaluate their own threat environment and organize locally to stay safe, reduce polarization in their communities and, ultimately, mitigate the risk of violence."

In Pennsylvania, the report says that groups to watch include Proud Boys, Boogaloo Bois, American Contingency, Civilian Defense Force, Light Foot Militia and Mountain Top Watch, an unaffiliated group specific to Pennsylvania.

There is also the Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia, the Domestic Terrorism Response Organization, a coalition formed this summer as response to the Antifa movement, and the Carlisle Light Infantry linked to the DTRO.

The Civilian Defense Force was formed this past summer to train volunteers for potential combat, the report says, and the Mountain Top Watch Militia held a recruiting event just outside Scranton, the hometown of Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, in September.

More: Trump's Proud Boys debate shoutout energized the entire far right. The damage is done.

Armedindividuals and groupshave also frequently appeared at Black Lives Matter protests, claiming an intentto protect residents and property from possible rioting.

The report noted that armed groupsappeared at BLM events in Juniata County and Berks County in the summer and in July several gathered in Gettysburg to allegedly protect Civil War monuments after a social media hoax fueled rumors that Antifa was planning a flag-burning event there.

Brown said officials know that there has beenarmed civilianactivity across the state. We have seen this touch areas from Scranton to Erie and then in smaller, more rural areas, he said. Were going to be monitoring all of it.

See the original post:
Report warns that PA is at high risk for activity by armed groups around election - The Times

For the latest story in our Voice of the Voter series, KDKAs Ross Guidotti heads to Westmoreland County to talk to voters about what issues they think matter most.

GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) Every election on the national level, theres always a state or county that everybody is looking at as some kind of bellwether. This year, its Westmoreland County.

Why? For a county without a major population center its got votes a lot of them.

These are the numbers in Westmoreland County according to Harrisburg as of Oct. 19: 103,110 Democrats, 118,276 Republicans and 30,259 independents and others.

But those are just numbers. Its the people behind those digits that both national and local political movers and shakers are after.

At the county courthouse, voters one after another put their mail-in vote envelopes in the collection box. KDKAs Ross Guidotti asked whos got their vote, and the majority of those dropping off votes skewed toward Biden, but not exclusively.

MORE VOICE OF THE VOTER STORIES:

One thing that you notice in Westmoreland County is its giant lots of land and lots of signs on said land.

Closer to towns like Greensburg signs backing former Vice President Biden are quite apparent, unlike the last election where signs for Hillary Clinton were sparse.

In the more rural areas big and small, Trump signs are everywhere. And if Trump supporters have a mecca, its the now internationally-famous Trump house in Youngstown.

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

County resident and Trump supporter Diane Mays told us why the 45th president has her vote again: Im a Trump supporter. The main reason why is hes not a politician.

Ed Haberchak Apollo says his vote will go red: (Trump)s come through on his promise. The things he said hed do hes done, building the wall and turning the economy around.

Haberchaks wife Rose will also be casting a vote for the president, enthusiastically telling KDKAs Ross Guidotti, My man is Trump, hes taking it all the way, he supports the second amendment and thats important to us.

As Ross Guidotti spoke to Westmoreland County voters, he discovered the vitriol and anger has taken its toll on people and their friendships.

Im at odds with my family over mask-wearing and who Im voting for, who theyre voting for. Its caused a lot of divisiveness, said one Biden supporter.

Whos to blame for that? Both sides blame the other and the media.

Which leads to questions for these voices of voters: On Nov. 4, will you be able to be friends again? Is there at least some hope?

Diane Mays says shes not sure. I hope so, unfortunately I think theres going to be some issues.

Haberchak seems at least a little more optimistic telling KDKA, If it doesnt work out, can we be friends again? I dont see why not.

Meanwhile, Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli says theyre looking for last-minute judge of elections and poll workers for Election Day.

She says a judge of elections is needed for three polling places while extra poll workers are needed throughout the county.

If you want to sign up, call 724-830-3564.

Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.

See the original post here:
Voice Of The Voter: Westmoreland County Voters Divided On Candidates - CBS Pittsburgh

On Saturday, area residents gathered on the steps of Fergus Falls City Hall, displaying solidarity for U.S. President Donald Trump, law enforcement, the military, veterans, first responders, medical personnel, First and Second Amendment rights, pro-life, and respect for the national flag.

The event took two months to organize, shared the organizer, Rev. Dean Kemnitz. My first priority is to God and my family but is followed by my love for this country. This is a democracy and everyone has the right to their own ideas, but this is primarily a Republican gathering. Anyone iswelcome to attend peacefully, Kemnitz explained.

The assembly opened with a greeting and prayer by Kemnitz, which was interrupted by a bystander yelling at the group about mask wearing. The complaint was met with a response of walk in fear! by an attendee. The event continued with a sing-along to God Bless the U.S.A. and a tribute in support of law enforcement and the military, including veterans, led by local firefighter and military man, Alex Cabrera. The national anthem was led by local veteran, Jerry Covington, and the group recited the Pledge of Allegiance. A group of speakers then addressed the group, speaking about the history of religious freedom in America, the importance of the U.S. Constitution and its amendments, and the belief that the country is veering toward becoming a socialist nation.

Until I was 11 (years of age) I lived in a socialist country, shared speaker Carol Hexum. I remember going to wait in line with my mother for the food we were allowed to eat for that week or that month. The government told you everything you were allowed to do. The government told you what you were allowed to eat and what you were allowed to spend money on. They even told you how much money you were allowed to spend. They controlled everything in your life. You had no choices. It was living in tyranny. We lived in fear up until we fled socialism to a neighboring country. I came to America as a legal immigrant and became a citizen last year. I love this country and the freedom that I have to make my own choices, especially about religion. We need to stand up and stand firm for our freedom because they are trying to take that away. America needs to wake up!

The gathering was attended by many area residents, but also had attendees from the Twin Cities and the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, located near Belcourt, North Dakota.

See more here:
Peaceful gathering: The right to assemble peacefully exercised at FF City Hall - Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Its hard to describe my feelings. The great founding documents of our country seemed like theyd always be with us. When we participated in the Civil Rights Movement we thought were working for a better America. We never believed it could all disappear. We were brought up reciting the Gettysburg Address. We knew parts of the Declaration of Independence by heart. Some of us knew deals with the devil of slavery underlay the creation of the Constitution but also knew it had given us a platform to make a better world for everyone. We took it all for granted. Until the White House tenant threatened to take it all away.

I was born in New York City. Before I was four years old I knew this country was fighting with everything at its disposal to defeat Hitler and his Nazi butchers, who were exterminating Jews, Gypsies, Jehovahs Witnesses, gays, Poles, Slavic peoples, political opponents, people with disabilities and those Hitler called useless eaters in concentration camps. I felt safe in Brooklyn, and proud. I remember telling myself I lived in the greatest city in the greatest country in the world. How great is that. Kids are nave but I believed in and loved this country. I thought I knew what it stood for and what it stood for was great, admirable, and indeed the world admired us for it.

Our countrys Founders understood that people in a democratic republic must learn to share and care about each other. John Dickinson signed our Constitution, paid a fine to free slaves and wrote, "By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!" In 1782, Congress approved our national motto, "e pluribus unum," out of many one, for the Great Seal of the United States.

This country opened its arms to Christians, Jews and Muslims. Universities, founded on sectarian lines, gradually widened their welcome. The Founders repeatedly described the need for immigration. The public school movement intentionally brought rich and poor together. The 19th century Army, recruited on ethnic and linguistic lines, needed an integrated fighting force. Teddy Roosevelt told us that "the military tent, where all sleep side-by-side, will rank next to the public school among the great agents of democratization." By the end of the 2nd World War the Army played a large part in breaking down ethnic and religious barriers among us. Soldiers formed friendships with men all over the country, introduced each other to their families, often to future brides.

Corporations broke down barriers among employees so they could work together. Integration preceded Brown by centuries race was just the latest barrier to break down. It was breaking down before World War II, when African-American stars like Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson were wildly popular with national audiences on stage, screen, radio and opera. The world was changing before Jackie Robinson stepped onto Ebbets Field. National polls revealed that the public supported Brown. Martin Luther King would say, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Its pretty personal for me. I married a North Carolina girl, whose ancestry traces to the British isles, and always felt welcomed by her family.

So when Trump encourages people who celebrate Hitler and display their guns to scare and intimidate public officials, suggests they use their Second Amendment rights to lock up candidates, that there are good people among those who spawn hate crimes, and threatens not to accept the election results, he cuts the very guts out of the country I love. I don't know how to express how sad, depressed and anxious I feel. Alan Paton wrote a book about South Africa he called "Cry the Beloved Country." I stop myself from crying while there is still a chance to save it.

We all need to vote.

Steve Gottliebs latest book is Unfit for Democracy: The Roberts Court and The Breakdown of American Politics. He is the Jay and Ruth Caplan Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Albany Law School, served on the New York Civil Liberties Union board, on the New York Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

Follow this link:
Stephen Gottlieb: My Feelings About This Election - WAMC

(The Center Square) Seven days before the 2020 election, President Donald Trump visited Lansing the capital of a major battleground state and the home turf of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Hundreds of Michiganders lined up at the Capital Region International Airport starting about 8 a.m. Tuesday waiting in 32-degree weather and rain for seven hours until Trump started talking about 3 p.m.

In 2016, Trump won the state by a mere 10,704 votes.

Former First Lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won eight out of 83 counties: Genesee, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Marquette, Muskegon, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne.

A Trump campaign official estimated a crowd of 10,000 in and outside the event.

Before Trump took the stage, Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James touted himself over incumbent opponent Sen. Gary Peters.

In seven days, Michigan will choose a combat veteran instead of a career politician, James told the crowd about his race with Peters, whos also a veteran.

James said the U.S. was the only place where someone could go from slavery to a U.S senator in four generations, and where a son of a truck driver can become a U.S senator.

Whitmer and Trump have been sparring for months as the Michigan governor was one option to be Democratic candidate Joe Bidens running mate, and Trump has taken issue with Whitmers response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it a lockdown.

Get your children back in school, Trump said on Tuesday. Your governors a disaster. Theyve got to open up this state. And shes got to keep her husband away from sailing and fishing, a reference to Whitmer's husband attempting to use his clout to get his boat on the water in North Michigan in May, when the state's lockdown was at its strictest.

Michigan schools choose whether to host in-person school, virtual, or a hybrid model.

The state is largely open now, except for capacity restrictions.

Whitmer also partially blamed Trump for a kidnapping plot the feds foiled earlier this month, saying far-right groups took Trumps words about the Proud Boys as a call to action, even though the plot dated back as far as June and the designating the group as far-right is suspect.

It was our people who helped her, Trump said of a federal and state coalition that stopped the alleged kidnapping plans.

Trump accused Biden of wanting to raise Michiganders taxes and energy prices by attempting to end fossil fuels and fracking.

This election is the choice between a Trump super recovery or a Biden depression, Trump said.

Trump said a safe vaccine will end the COVID-19 pandemic and create a booming economy in the next four years.

Weve built the best economy in the world and the best is yet to come, Trump said.

Together, we will continue to protect American families, fight for American workers, support our police, and defend our Second Amendment."

Real Clear Politics polling places Biden leading the Wolverine state with a nine-point spread.

View post:
Trump touts economic recovery after vaccine and law and order at Lansing rally - Iosco County News Herald