Category Archives: Second Amendment

(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.

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

To the Editor:

For all those times when someone says, I cant believe you would vote for Trump, I simply reply, Im not voting for Trump, Im voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech. Im voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family. Im voting for the next Supreme Court justice to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Im voting for the continued growth of my retirement 401(k) and the stock market. Im voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to Americas involvement in foreign conflicts. Im voting for the Electoral College and the Republic in which we live. Im voting for the police to be respected and to ensure law and order. Im voting for the continued appointment of federal judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Im voting for jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced to China, Mexico and other countries. Im voting for secure borders and legal immigration. Im voting for the military and veterans who fought for this country who gave the American people their freedoms. Im voting for the unborn babies who have a right to live, especially in the third trimester. Im voting for continued peace progress in the Middle East and in support of Israel. Im voting to fight against human/child trafficking. Im voting for freedom of religion. Im voting for the American flag that is disrespected by the Democratic Party. Im voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored. Im not just voting for one person; Im voting for the future of my country. Im voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms and their future.

What are you voting for?

Gerald Offerman

Minooka

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What am I voting for on Nov. 3? | The Herald-News - The Herald-News

KCUR | ByJim McLean

EL DORADO, Kansas The culture war issues that are polarizing national politics are also front and center in Kansas U.S. Senate contest: race, guns, abortion, climate change.

Supporters of Republican candidate Roger Marshall fear a wave of Democratic victories will trigger radical changes in the nations economy and culture; that capitalism will give way to socialism, undocumented immigrants will stream across the U.S.-Mexico border and individual liberties will be threatened.

Voters who favor Democratic candidate Barbara Bollier talk with similar alarm about what might happen if President Donald Trump wins a second term and Republicans keep their Senate majority further erosion of democratic institutions and dire consequences for failing to act on climate change and long-neglected racial issues.

No other Western democracy is remotely as polarized as America, said Mugambi Jouet, an assistant law professor at Canadas McGill University and author of the book, Exceptional America: What Divides Americans From the World and From Each Other.

A Democrat hasnt won a U.S. Senate race in Kansas since the Great Depression, butseveral recent pollssuggest this years contest could be close.

Marshall, a two-term congressman from western Kansas, is urging GOP voters to close ranks behind him, warning them that the Kansas race could determine whether Republicans keep their Senate majority.

At an early October event in El Dorado, he rallied his base by ticking through a list of radical changes that he believes Democrats would make if given the opportunity.

They want to take away our freedoms of speech, our freedoms of religion, Marshall said.

Continuing down a list of hot-button issues, he said they also want to take away our Second Amendment and lift all restrictions on late-term abortions.

But Im going up there to stop all that from happening, he said.

Bollier, a state senator from the Kansas City suburbs who switched parties in 2018, is instead hoping to capitalize on voter frustration with Washington, D.C., and promising to bridge the partisan divide.

Im not interested in the big political fights that get us nowhere, Bollier said in a speech after winning the Democratic nomination in August. Im going to roll up my sleeves, find partners across the aisle and simply find ways to get things done.

Thats easier said than done given that much of what she supports expanding the Affordable Care Act and making changes to immigration policy and police departments will likely encounter stiff opposition from Republicans.

Surveys from the Pew Research Center show divisions between Republicans and Democrats on a range of fundamental political values deepened during Trumps presidency, surpassing once-record levels reached during Barack Obamas two terms.

The vast majority of Republicans and Democrats, 81% of respondents in both parties, have unfavorable views of the other side, according to a2017 Pew report.That same survey showed Americans were increasingly less likely to interact with people who held different political views or to seek out information that challenged their beliefs.

Entrenched mindsets tied to the principles of individual liberty and religious freedom are contributing factors, said Jouet, the author of the book on polarization. They reinforce what he says is an anti-intellectual undercurrent that flows through American politics, which in recent decades has become stronger with the growth of Christian fundamentalism.

Religion plays a much more important role in American politics than in other western democracies, he said.

About 40 percent of Americans self-identify as evangelicals, according to a2018 Gallup Poll.

Hal Neukirch stood out at the Republican rally in El Dorado. Wearing a bright red Kansas for Trump hat, the retired aerospace worker said hes backing the president even though its cost him friends including one hes known for 50 years because he believes a Trump defeat would trigger a massive swing to socialism.

Some people have their heads in the sand to think that we wouldnt go that way, he said, but I truly believe we will.

At a GOP tour stop in Overland Park, Marian Stevens said she supports Trump because God chose him to save this country. His defeat, she said, would trigger the end times

It would mean this country is asking to be removed from Gods grace and he would take his arms from around us, Stevens said.

Democrats, independents and a smattering of moderate Republicans at a Bollier rally in Salina had different concerns if Trump is re-elected and Democrats dont gain enough power in Congress to check him.

I think our democracy is on the line, said Dee Williamston, a district leader for the United Methodist Church in Kansas. Hands down, this is the most important election in the 21st century.

Williamston is Black, and pushed Bollier on whether she supports the Black Lives Matter movement and efforts to change policing. And overall, Williamston said, if Trump wins a second term, she believes there would be further attacks on voting rights and policies aimed at ending racial inequities.

They have their head in the sand when it comes to issues around race, power and privilege, Williamston said, referring to the president and Republicans in Congress.

But Marshall, whose father was the police chief of El Dorado for 25 years, decries the violence that he said Black Lives Matter protests triggered in some U.S. cities. In an interview, he said systemic racism and police violence against people of color might be a problem in some parts of the country, but not in Kansas.

I dont see that, he said. I just really, really dont.

Theres yet another divisive issue, brought back into the forefront with the U.S. Supreme Court nomination hearings, and thats abortion. Pam McIntyre, a Bollier supporter from Salina, is concerned the Senate race could turn on the issue.

I have some friends that are literally one-issue voters, McIntyre said. I try so desperately to get them to see that pro-life is so much more than just birthing a baby.

Marshall, who is a retired obstetrician, and Republican political action committees are attacking Bollier in campaign ads forvoting against a 2015 measureto ban a relatively rare procedure known as a dilation and evacuation abortion.

That measure was struck down in 2019 by the Kansas Supreme Court when it ruled that Kansans have a constitutional right to an abortion. And the Kansas House narrowly rejected aproposed amendmentin the 2020 session that would have added language Constitution stating that there is no state right to abortion.

Bollier has consistently voted to protect Kansans abortion rights, saying women should be free to make their own choices in consultation with their doctors. A retired anesthesiologist, she also said it would have been malpractice for her to support an unconstitutional bill.

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter@jmcleanksor email jim (at) kcur (dot) org.

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link toksnewsservice.org.

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A fear of the other party fuels culture war in Kansas' US Senate race - Shawnee Mission Post

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / The president made three stops in Pennsylvania on Monday as he campaigns for reelection. Below, Marine One with President Trump aboard flies over the rally.

A sitting President of the United States visited Blair County for the first time in 30 years on Monday afternoon.

Marine One flew into the Altoona-Blair County Airport under gray skies late Monday afternoon. It looped once around the crowd of thousands below, then touched down. President Donald Trump stepped out of the helicopter and walked to the stage, which was decorated in red, white and blue, while God Bless the U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood played in the background.

Eight days before the election, Trump visited the area to campaign. He brought up a variety of issues, including the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court justice, foreign policy, taxes and military spending.

On health care, he said his goal is to give all Americans a free COVID-19 vaccine when it is made available, as well as amend the Affordable Care Act to reduce costs for payers.

Trump assailed Gov. Tom Wolfs response to the COVID-19 pandemic and voiced opposition to the recent state Supreme Court decisions to disallow poll watchers and allow votes in the presidential election to be counted if they are received by Nov. 6, three days after the election.

Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / President Donald Trump works the crowd during a campaign rally at the Altoona-Blair County Airport in Martinsburg.

Though he shifted between points and improvised throughout, Trump frequently returned to energy-industry jobs.

People dont realize that about Pennsylvania, but fracking is a very big deal, he said.

Trump criticized former Vice President Joe Bidens record on trade, calling him a cheerleader for NAFTA and blaming him for losses in local manufacturing and energy jobs. In contrast, he called the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took effect July 1, great.

Before the event began, Shawn and Doreen Hart of Altoona said they support the president because of his stance on fracking and coal.

Hes for the working class person, Shawn Hart said. This area was built on trains and coal, and we want to keep those jobs in Altoona.

A lot of local jobs left because of NAFTA, Doreen Hart added.

Trump received the most cheers when he mentioned the Second Amendment and while discussing his goal to stop radical indoctrination of our students and restore patriotic education to our schools.

Halfway through the speech, the president pointed out the designated area for the media at the event international, national and local outlets including the Altoona Mirror and other media outlets using the term fake news, and drawing boos from the crowd.

At the end, many in the crowd were chanting to the president, We love you.

Local leaders

Before the president arrived, local leaders and politicians spoke in support of the president and his goals.

State Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, spoke first. She praised Trump for his stances on the Second Amendment and the nomination of Barrett.

President Trump came to Blair County four years ago promising to stand with us, and he delivered, she said.

After her speech, the crowd began chanting four more years.

U.S. Congressman Glenn GT Thompson, R-15th District, took the stage afterward and called this election a crossroads.

He said his two goals between now and Nov. 3 are to reelect Donald Trump as president and fire Nancy Pelosi, which was met with loud cheering and applause.

Thompson turned his sights to state elections, saying those going to the polls can provide adult supervision for Tom Wolf by voting for the Republican candidates for state attorney general, treasurer and auditor general positions.

We need to restore checks and balances in Harrisburg, he said.

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-13th District, was the last speaker before the president arrived. He used the phrase, promises made, promises kept, arguing Trump delivered on policy aims such as increasing pay for troops and establishing energy independence for the first time in our lives.

Susan Kensinger of Bellwood said before the event that she supports the president on this point.

Hes done everything he said hed do, she said.

Joyce also commended Trump for his pro-life stance.

He is the only president who has come for the March for Life, he said.

Ken Raub of Martinsburg, 61, said he and his wife love Trump and felt the election is good versus evil.

We are Christians and against killing babies in the womb, he said.

Blair County Sheriff James Ott opened the event with prayer and Martinsburg Mayor Richard Brantner led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Trump last visited the area in 2016 when he held a rally at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona during his first presidential campaign. He is the first sitting president to visit Blair County since George H.W. Bush in 1990, according to the Blair County Historical Society.

Neither the state GOP nor Donald Trump campaign responded to a request about the number of tickets dispersed for this event.

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Crowd cries for 'four more years' of Trump - Altoona Mirror

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) Saturday, Wilmingtons American Legion hosted the Patriots, God and Country Tour, featuring fire trucks, motorcycles, and cars decked out in patriotic colors and symbols.

Locals came out to celebrate the tour, which already has covered 5,000 miles and 28 cities in five weeks.

Dave Graybill, the tours leader, says the event celebrates veterans and first responders, giving thanks for traditional American values like freedom of religion, the second amendment, and the Constitution.

If you go on the internet, if you watch the news, very seldom are we talking about how awesome everything is,Graybill says. And so, I want to talk about how awesome everything is, not about the few things that are bad. I want to talk about all the awesome things this great country provides all of us.

Theyll visit Middlesex in Nash County later today, and then make three stops in Virginia and New Jersey before ending November 3, election day, in Washington D.C.

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Patriots, God, and Country Tour stops in Wilmington - WWAY NewsChannel 3

President Trump: If I Wasn't Here You Would not Have a Second Amendment Right Now

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- On 9 September 2020 in an interview on the Shawn Hannity show on Fox news.com, President Trump made a bold assertion. He said if he were not in the office, the Second Amendment would have become essentially meaningless, because of the different judges who would have been appointed. From the transcript:

And also, Supreme Court judges or justices.

And you the whole country, it depends on these decisions, which way you go, whether you have a Second Amendment or not. I mean, the Second Amendment would be under siege.

If I wasn't here, you wouldn't have a Second Amendment right now. You wouldn't have a right to guns. You would whether you had it or it was just almost totally obliterated, but it would be in a very different form than you have right now.

I've kept it totally as it was, and it's, you know, something I'm very proud of, and people I think it's a real voting issue, Second Amendment.

Life, you look at that. So these judges are going to be making massive decisions. And the next president is going to get one, two, three, or four justices of the Supreme Court.

The President is correct in his statement. If Hillary would have become President, the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights would have been interpreted out of any significance. We already have several circuit courts who are working hard to interpret the Second Amendment as of little consequence. If a President Hillary would have appointed replacements for Justice Scalia and Kennedy, the ten Second Amendment cases the Supreme Court has refused to hear, would have been granted writs of certiorari at the Supreme Court. Second Amendment supporters would not have liked the results.

Very likely, the Supreme Court would have confirmed the Second Amendment does not apply outside the home; that bans on semi-automatic rifles are permissible; that ammunition bans are permissible; that bans on magazines are permissible; that not all commonly available handguns are protected by the Second Amendment, or, they may be covered by the Second Amendment, but the state can still regulate them out of existence.

The ban on butterfly knives in a Hawaii District Court, or the ban on semi-automatic rifles and magazines with a capacity over 10 rounds in the New York Rifle and Pistol Association, are templates for that interpretation of a toothless Second Amendment.

President Trump has appointed about 200 judges to the lower federal courts. Without Trump appointees, it is likely the three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit would have held the California magazine ban to be constitutional.

President Trump has appointed ten judges to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Ninth Circuit has 29 active judges.

President Trump is correct in saying that next to war and peace, the appointment of federal judges is the most consequential act a president can perform. President Trump has been appointing judges who respect the Constitution as written.

President Trump has done better in this regard than any other president since Calvin Coolidge. It is one of the reasons the Left in this country fear him so much. The judges he is appointing are showing a willingness to reverse decades of unconstitutional decisions by Progressive judges who have worked hard to undermine the Constitution and the rule of law.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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President Trump: If I Wasn't Here You Would not Have a Second Amendment Right Now - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

To the Editor,

2020 has been a different year to say the least. Our country is made up of two parts and COVID has swept the nation. But the world must go on, including elections. This year Kentuckys 17th district is looking to re-elect Senator Damon Thayer. Mr. Thayer is the current State Senate Majority Floor Leader and has held the office of state Senator since 2003. Thats where I give my opinion. You ask me Kentucky needs experience and expertise in times such as these. Thats why its important that we re-elect Mr. Thayer this fall.

Mr. Thayer is an accomplished business owner, well respected legislator, father, pillar of his community, equine and racing advocate, not to mention a good friend of mine. Mr. Thayer has and always will protect your civil liberties.

Damon Thayer has a proven track record of principled, conservative leadership that we can rely upon when casting a vote for our values this November. He is consistent in fighting to protect the lives of unborn Kentuckians, and is committed to preserving our second Amendment rights. Damon will never shy away from doing whats right for the citizens of the 17th Senate District. said Representative Savannah Maddox of Kentuckys 61st District.

State Senator Thayer has received the Kentucky Chamber of Commerces MVP award 6 times. One coming as recently as last week. He has received the Big Hitter award from the Kentucky League of Cities twice. The National Rifle Association awarded him the highest legislative honor, the Defender of Freedom award last year, for his work in upholding and protecting our 2nd amendment rights.

Mr. Thayer has been endorsed by Kentucky Right to Life and has an A+ rating from the NRA. Kentucky Professional Fire Fighters, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and GoPac have also endorsed Mr. Thayer before, as well as General Contractors of Kentucky.

Damon Thayer will always keep your taxes low, protect the lives of the unborn, protect your rights to speak as you will and your second amendment rights. Most importantly hell always work for you.

In times like these when experience counts, Kentuckys 17th district is honored to have Damon Thayer as their top legislator. Im proud to endorse Mr. Thayer to be re-elected once again to continue to serve the people of Kentucky and most importantly the people of the 17th district.

Jack Smith

Williamstown

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Ky needs Thayer's experience and expertise | Opinion | news-graphic.com - News- Graphic

09/14/2020

SUNY Cortlands Institute for Civic Engagement will offer two opportunities for members of the university community to participate in important conversations as part of Constitution Day.

The first, Should Cortland County became a Second Amendment sanctuary county? will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 from 4 to 5 p.m. on WebEx.

Three Cortland County towns, Cincinnatus, Solon and Truxton, have recently passed laws that prohibit town officials from enforcing state laws that limit the acquisition or use of personal firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition. This panel discussion will localize interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Second Amendment and issues of gun control and the right to bear arms.

The panelists are Stephen A. Furlin, Solon town supervisor, Ann L. Homer, Cortland County legislator and Robert Spitzer, distinguished service professor in SUNY Cortlands Political Science Department and one of the nations foremost experts on gun control.

A 20-minute question-and-answer period will follow the first 40 minutes of discussion.

To register, please contact John Suarez, director of the Institute for Civic Engagement.

The second event is a SUNY-wide deliberative dialogue that will explore the future of voting. Constitution Day: Deliberation on Voting in the United States, will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 via Zoom.

Register online through SUNYs Center for Professional Development.

Constitution Day is recognized annually on Sept. 17, the day in 1787 on which delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia, Pa.

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SUNY Cortland to hold Constitution Day events - SUNY Cortland News

Theresa Greenfield, who has yet to debate U.S. Senator Joni Ernst in Iowas U.S. Senate race, spent time discussing gun control measures withGiffords PAC.

Giffords PAC, the political action committee started by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., a victim of gun violence,held a virtual rallyfor universal background checks with Greenfield.

Giffords PAC executive director Peter Ambler asked Greenfield what message she gives to Iowans about gun control when she travels the state. Greenfield has not traveled the state and has not held a public, in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Evenher announced, virtual public campaign events are rare.

I have done over 250 events now around the state and were going to keep traveling the state as we work our way to victory on November 3, Greenfield stated.

Again, virtual events are not traveling the state.

Look, Iowans theyre a bunch of responsible gun owners, they really are. And I grew up on a farm. Thats where I learned to be responsible gun handler, eventually a gun owner, she said. Thats where I learned to shoot because Ill tell you what, filling up the freezer in the fall, thats a big deal. And it is with a lot of pride that you take your venison sausage to a winter card game or something. But I also had the responsibility as a teenager for protecting our livestock and making sure that you know the varmints didnt get our baby pigs.

They must have had quite a problem having Greenfield stand guard in the middle of the night, keeping coyotes out of their pig pens.

She also mentioned how she loved to shoot skeet with her dad, which Im sure is a great memory of her childhood.

She told Giffords PAC that she supports bipartisan background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and funding gun violence research. These are points she brought up duringa rare, in-person public event back before the primary.

Look, there is no gun show loophole. Licensed gun dealers at gun shows must do background checks just like they would if someone came to their store.

The loophole actually talks about private sales and transfers. In fact, those are the only gun sales where background checks are not required. In reality, I dont know how background checks of private gun sales and transfers would be implemented or enforced. I believe this is a trojan horse for banning private sales, something House Democratsvoted to do last year.

Its also a step toward a federal gun registry, something I vehemently oppose.

We have to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. We have to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and suspected terrorists. Absolutely. And but we have to make sure that responsible gun owners have that ability to hunt and to enjoy skeet with their children to like I grew up, Greenfield said.

So, she wants to make sure that responsible gun owners can continue to hunt and to enjoy skeet with their children.

Thats pretty telling. The Second Amendment is not about hunting and shooting skeet; its about the right to self-defense.

Giffords PAC has worked to repeal stand your ground legislation, so I think it is fair to ask, where does Greenfield stand on that?

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Vander Hart: Greenfield Doesn't Understand What Second Amendment Is About - Caffeinated Thoughts

Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown urged constituents to buy firearms and prepare for a coming war" in a Facebook post that described a chaotic end to law and order. Brown, a Republican, used the hashtags All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter as he described violence, burning churches" and looting stores in the weekend post. I hear the war drum off in the distance from a not far away place foreshadowing in whispers the haunting cadence of the coming war," he wrote, urging people to buy a firearm and ammunition and take a class now to learn how to safely use it to defend yourself and your property, know what's happening around you at all times."The post is no longer public, but Brown said on Tuesday its the Left thats beating the war drum.And they know exactly what they're doing, Brown said.Brown said the post is a message to elected officials. He blames Democratic leaders, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, for not stopping violence and supporting local protesters.Lucas, a Democrat, retweeted images of it Monday and described the message as racist and reckless. Brown said the post is not a call to violence on his part.You have a Second Amendment right that guarantees your First Amendment right, Brown said. Your Second Amendment right, you should exercise that just like you exercise your First Amendment right. It is most certainly not a call to violence.Johnson County Commission chairman Ed Eilert noted that Brown was up for election in November.The voters in his district do have a decision to make," he said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. We want our community safe. We want law enforcement to operate in a safe environment. The feedback I read, and I hear, is people looked at that post and saw indications that there was a violent note to it. We understand free speech and Second Amendment rights, but it left the opportunity for many, many people to come away with the idea that it promoted violence.Brown's commentary comes after President Donald Trump said while laying out his case for re-election that a Joe Biden presidency would give free rein to violent anarchists, a contention that Biden has disputed.Brown wrote the post following the shooting of two sheriffs deputies in California.Brown said hes received lots of positive comments from people who read his full post. He thinks people criticizing have not read the whole thing.During his term, Brown has come under fire multiple times for his Facebook posts, including in March when he wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic is a political stunt and told constituents to get a grip. In recent months, Brown has sparred with other commissioners and public health officials over COVID-19 restrictions and the mask mandate.The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown urged constituents to buy firearms and prepare for a coming war" in a Facebook post that described a chaotic end to law and order.

Brown, a Republican, used the hashtags All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter as he described violence, burning churches" and looting stores in the weekend post.

I hear the war drum off in the distance from a not far away place foreshadowing in whispers the haunting cadence of the coming war," he wrote, urging people to buy a firearm and ammunition and take a class now to learn how to safely use it to defend yourself and your property, know what's happening around you at all times."

The post is no longer public, but Brown said on Tuesday its the Left thats beating the war drum.

And they know exactly what they're doing, Brown said.

Brown said the post is a message to elected officials. He blames Democratic leaders, including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, for not stopping violence and supporting local protesters.

Lucas, a Democrat, retweeted images of it Monday and described the message as racist and reckless.

This content is imported from Twitter.You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Brown said the post is not a call to violence on his part.

You have a Second Amendment right that guarantees your First Amendment right, Brown said. Your Second Amendment right, you should exercise that just like you exercise your First Amendment right.

It is most certainly not a call to violence.

Johnson County Commission chairman Ed Eilert noted that Brown was up for election in November.

The voters in his district do have a decision to make," he said in an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. We want our community safe. We want law enforcement to operate in a safe environment. The feedback I read, and I hear, is people looked at that post and saw indications that there was a violent note to it.

We understand free speech and Second Amendment rights, but it left the opportunity for many, many people to come away with the idea that it promoted violence.

Brown's commentary comes after President Donald Trump said while laying out his case for re-election that a Joe Biden presidency would give free rein to violent anarchists, a contention that Biden has disputed.

Brown wrote the post following the shooting of two sheriffs deputies in California.

Brown said hes received lots of positive comments from people who read his full post. He thinks people criticizing have not read the whole thing.

During his term, Brown has come under fire multiple times for his Facebook posts, including in March when he wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic is a political stunt and told constituents to get a grip.

In recent months, Brown has sparred with other commissioners and public health officials over COVID-19 restrictions and the mask mandate.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Questions raised after JoCo Commissioner's post urges followers to arm themselves for 'coming war' - KMBC Kansas City