Category Archives: Second Amendment

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United States -(AmmoLand.com)-With a lot of anti-Second Amendment extremists trying to get firearms registration by various back-door methods involving records from the National Instant Check System, it is worth noting that they are not the only ones pushing legislation involving NICS. To paraphrase Gandalf, there are forces at work in the halls of Congress besides those that hate the Second Amendment.

One of the bills Second Amendment supporters can turn to is S 4040, the Gun Owner Privacy Act. This was introduced by Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA). Loeffler replaced Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), a Second Amendment champion who resigned due to Parkinsons Disease. For being in office less than seven months, Loefflers already marking herself as a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights with this legislation.

When you look at the text, it carries some very strong provisions when it comes to addressing privacy concerns about NICS, especially when compared to the current text of 18 USC 922(t). Now, the current text requires the destruction of all records of transactions that dont violate the law. The reason for that is clear: Those who are lawfully exercising constitutional rights should not have the government keeping records about said rights.

The Gun Owner Privacy Act adds a new section to 18 USC 922(t), which prohibits spending federal funds on any background check system that doesnt immediately destroy records of transactions that dont violate the law. This is huge it eliminates any wiggle room for creating a back-door registration system. In fact, it is the polar opposite of Carolyn Maloney's NICS Review Act.

But there is another benefit as well. Loefflers bill also prohibits charging any fee for the use of NICS. Again, we get down to a principle people shouldnt have to pay to be able to exercise a constitutional right. In a very real sense, this is akin to charging a poll tax so that people could vote. The poll tax was emphatically rejected with the 24th Amendment.

We should also note that the objections to ensuring the privacy of law-abiding gun owners are one of the biggest tells that you can get from anti-Second Amendment extremists, and objections to prohibiting a fee for using NICS run a close second as well. It isnt just that they want to ban so-called assault weapons, they dont think owning a firearm is a right at all.

When you look at some of the more ambitious proposals from Elizabeth Warren, Sheila Jackson Lee, Cory Booker, or even Tammy Duckworth (who teamed up with Bobby Rush), that attitude is palpable in the number of hoops they want law-abiding citizens to jump through. The high crime rates in Baltimore, Chicago, and elsewhere that already have strict laws show that their agenda isnt about safety.

Second Amendment supporters ought to contact their Senators and Representative to politely urge them to support passage of S 4040. The Gun Owner Privacy Act isnt perfect, but it makes things much better for those who exercise their Second Amendment rights.

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.

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Below The Radar: Gun Owner Privacy Act - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

The Federalists Ben Domenech on Monday defendedthe Missouri couple who received pushback for brandishingfirearms as protesters gathered outside their home.

They called the cops and the cops werent coming, Domenech told Fox & Friends," adding that the couple had a "fundamental right as Americans" to use legally owned firearms to defend against armed individuals near their home.

This is exactly the scenario when you own a firearm and youre prepared to defend what you have."

MISSOURI COUPLE WHO DEFENDED HOME HAVE RIFLE SEIZED DURING POLICE SEARCH: REPORT

Domenech's comments came after 12Republicanmembers of Congress wroteto Attorney GeneralWilliam Barr, arguing in defense of theSecond Amendmentrights of aMissouricouple whose rifle and handgun are now in the possession of local authorities.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who made national headlines in late June when they took up arms to defend their home from protesters who stormed into their gatedSt. Louisneighborhood, had their rifle seized Friday when local police executed a search warrant.

Then on Saturday, a lawyer -- who represented the couple until recently surrendered to police a handgun that Patricia McCloskey held during the June incident, FOX 2 of St. Louis reported.

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Domenech recalled that New York Times' Nikole Hannah-Jones has claimed that property destruction does not qualify as "violence" within the context of rioting, but that the act of self-defensedoes constitute violence.

It is violence that is predicated on, in her view, white supremacy which is what she says the Second Amendment is founded on, Domenech said.

This is not just some reporter we are talking about. This is not just some biased media individual. This is someone who created the 1619 Project that is about to be taught in public schools across America, a falsehood about the founding of America and that is really what they come from in this perspective.

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Ben Domenech pushes back on critics of armed Missouri couple: 'The cops weren't coming' - Fox News

After a string of Texas House primary seasons featuring broad intraparty combat, the 2020 one is coming down to three runoffs Tuesday where hardline conservatives are out for a much-needed breakthrough.

A pair of incumbents, Reps. Dan Flynn of Canton and J.D. Sheffield of Gatesville, face challenges from their right, while Jon Francis and Glenn Rogers are battling to replace retiring Rep. Mike Lang, R-Granbury. Each runoff is playing out in safely red territory and pits against one another familiar intraparty factions that have been brawling for several primary cycles now.

Except this cycle, the internecine combat has been more muted than usual, and the three runoffs Tuesday give each wing a chance to have the final say before the party fully turns its attention to a challenging November election.

Voters in these communities have a choice between grassroots Republicans or the political elite, Kimberlyn Schwartz, a spokesperson for Texas Right to Life, said in a written statement. The anti-abortion group has endorsed Flynn challenger Bryan Slaton, Sheffield rival Shelby Slawson and Francis. Those candidates, Schwartz added, "will not betray Pro-Life voters."

The delayed runoff which was postponed from late May due to the coronavirus has been a relief to at least Sheffield, who finished second in his three-way March primary. He said in an interview that he has come a long way since then, citing a new team, new energy, new focus, new drive.

But perhaps nothing has re-energized Flynn, Sheffield and Rogers like the release last month of a podcast outtake showing two staffers from the hard-line conservative group Empower Texans joking about Gov. Greg Abbotts disability and criticizing him with profane language. While the two challengers and Francis condemned the comments the same day they came out, Flynn, Sheffield and Rogers have all moved aggressively to make the audio a liability for their opposition and highlight their real or perceived ties to Empower Texans.

"Special interest groups have played an outsized role in the Republican primary, often electing candidates who dont represent their district," said Jamie McWright, the president of the Associated Republicans of Texas, which is backing Flynn, Sheffield and Rogers. "As we have seen recently, these groups do so with vitriolic language and outright lies."

Francis is an especially enticing target for the anti-Empower Texans forces. He is the only candidate across the three runoffs that the group has formally endorsed, and he is the son-in-law of Farris Wilks, one of Empower Texans top allied donors. Farris Wilks and his wife, JoAnn, contributed $1.1 million out of the $1.4 million total that Francis had raised as of July 4.

After backing Flynn and Sheffield in the primary, Abbott endorsed Rogers, a Palo Pinto County rancher and veterinarian, nine days after the Empower Texans outtake surfaced last month. And the governors campaign has since put significant money behind the endorsement, making $83,000 in in-kind contributions to Rogers campaign, including for a TV ad buy featuring Abbott pitching Rogers direct-to-camera.

Abbott is playing opposite of a usual ally, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, whose 2016 presidential campaign was aided by a network of Wilks-funded super PACs that Francis helped run. Cruz endorsed Francis in the primary and is starring in a runoff TV ad for him, promising Francis will stand up to the swamp in Austin. Cruz is set to hold a get-out-the-vote Sunday for Francis in Granbury.

In a TV ad, Rogers is portraying Francis as both anti-Abbott and anti-Trump. The spot plays the least flattering parts of the Empower Texans staffer comments and brings up criticism of Trump that Francis made a few days after Cruz dropped out of the bitter 2016 primary. Francis has said he went on to support and vote for Trump in the general election and will do so again this time.

Francis TV spots, meanwhile, call Rogers just too liberal, pointing to his positions on taxpayer-funded lobbying, gun rights and abortion.

Sheffield is arguably the underdog after finishing behind Slawson in the primary, scoring 30% of the vote to her 46%. Sheffield has since picked up the endorsement of the third-place primary finisher Cody Johnson, a self-funding businessman who ran as a Trump-like outsider and has sharpened his attacks on Slawson.

The big difference between us is I represent the rural folks, mainstream conservatives, and shes backed by the dark-money, urban backers, Sheffield said. This really is a case of a small-town family practice doctor against a lawyer.

Slawson countered in an interview that the choice is between a bold, energetic, authentic conservative and the most liberal Republican in the Texas House.

Asked for examples of Slawsons urban supporters, Sheffield pointed to sources including Texas Right to Life, which is based in Houston. Its PAC sent out a faux newspaper in the district last month with a front-page headline calling Sheffield Planned Parenthoods Republican Champion.

On TV, Sheffield is making a more explicit link between Slawson and Empower Texans, airing a commercial that says her donors funded attacks on Abbott calling him evil and making fun of his wheelchair. He and his campaign have pointed out that one of Slawsons biggest backers is state Sen. Pat Fallon of Prosper, who has a history of support from Empower Texans.

Slawson has said Sheffield is grasping for straws by linking her to Empower Texans, reiterating in an email that she quickly denounced the staffers comments and has not received any endorsement or donations from the group. I have never even met or talked with them, she added.

Frankly, our folks are wise to the incumbents desperate attempt to invoke Empower Texans into this race, theyre tired of his worn-out boogeyman approach, and theyre just not falling for it, Slawson said. The only candidate seeking to involve ET has been the incumbent himself.

Flynn, who is running for a 10th term in the lower chamber, finished first in the three-way March primary, with businessman Bryan Slaton coming in second by 9 percentage points. Slaton has run for the seat twice already, nearly ousting the incumbent in 2018.

Slaton has said he champions various hardline conservative priorities that reflect the values of the district, such as property tax relief and various Second Amendment measures. Flynn, Slaton has argued on the campaign trail, is a do-nothing Republican who has not represented the district while in office.

Flynn has defended his record on anti-abortion and Second Amendment measures, at times saying Slaton is simply lying about his record on such issues. He has also criticized Slatons major financial ties to Wilks and Tim Dunn, another megadonor to Empower Texans, saying in a statement that the race "has been from the beginning a decision about whether this district is for sale to a West Texas Billionaire."

Like Rogers and Sheffiled, Flynn has capitalized on the Empower Texans anti-Abbott audio, running ads in the final weeks of the race that link Slaton to the drama.

They say money talks, and when it does, Bryan Slaton listens, a video from Flynns campaign says. Slatons taken over a $150,000 from West Texas oil billionaires the same West Texas billionaires funding vile attacks on Gov. Abbott.

(The ad refers to $75,000 donations that Slaton got from each the Wilkses and Dunn in the primary. Dunn has since contributed another $150,000.)

Slaton, who did not respond to a request for comment for this story, said after the Empower Texans audio surfaced that he condemned the staffers remarks 100%. He went on to point at Flynn for publicly defending House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, an Angleton Republican who decided to not seek reelection after being embroiled in a scandal largely of his own making.

You wont find Mr. Flynn publicly condemn the statements by those who associate with him," Slaton said in a post on Facebook. But I promise you will always know where I stand."

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Three Texas House runoffs pit warring GOP factions against each other - The Texas Tribune

I dont accept the suggestion that self-preservation is the most important act we can carry out while alive. Think of the civil rights protesters in the 1960s who knew they were taking their lives into their own hands when they marched through racist strongholds like Alabama.

Being willing to die for a cause is a far more powerful force for change than the urge to protect your own life and family and property and to heck with everyone else, which seems to be the mentality of the predominantly white gun-owning populace in this country.

It is critical to practice pacifism and not engage in the techniques of the enemy, whether it is Donald Trump supporters who, armed, storm state capitols in protest over pandemic regulations or cops who pepper spray demonstrators.

Martin Luther King Jr. said that if you havent found something you are willing to die for, you arent fit to live.

Remy Trahant

Cambridge

Bullet points, so to speak

Re Black and white Americans are embracing the Second Amendment, the following should be noted:

Peter Sexton

Cohasset

Maybe we should start embracing gun associations

Once again, Jeff Jacoby has hit the nail on the head: (Black and white Americans are embracing the Second Amendment). Here in 2020, the best way to create equity and harmony among various demographic groups in America is not through education, legislation, or even the police, but by making sure that all groups are equally armed.

I had not heard of the National African American Gun Association, which Jacoby cites, but he has given me a great idea. I need to found a Boston chapter of the National Anti-gun Progressives Gun Association, because when the bullets start flying, even the gun-averse dont want to be caught with their holsters down.

Ill leave it up to others to start their own gun association chapters, for farmers, LGBTQ Americans, Asian-Americans, etc. Why shouldnt a solution for keeping the peace that worked in 1820 also work in 2020?

Some may view this as a dystopian future for America, but according to Jeff Jacoby, this is what the Second Amendment is for.

Nathan Aronow

Newton

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Boom times for the Second Amendment, apparently - The Boston Globe

In 2015, a group called the National African American Gun Association formed with the intention to promote self-protection. Since the 2016 election, this organization has seen its membership soar, in some measure due to the concern (I would argue the fact) that the president of the United Sates is a racist who is emboldening racism in our society. The more black Americans embrace or utilize their Second Amendment rights in public, however, the more you see alarm being expressed by people who are traditionally pro-gun.

The most recent example came from Sen. Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler recently described Americans who were lawfully, and peacefully, carrying weapons as totally unacceptable and an example of mob rule. As Scott Shackford points out in his piece in Reason, it is not against the law to carry guns openly in public in Georgia, where Loeffler serves as a senator. In fact, Loeffler never accuses the armed individuals of breaking any laws, and in the very recent past, she has been an outspoken proponent of gun rights and expressed the need to protect and defend the Second Amendment. So, asks Shackford, [w]hat could possibly make a pro-gun-rights senator suddenly take such a dim view of citizens rights to bear arms? The only logical, and rather obvious answer is that in Georgia, the people legally carrying guns in public happened to be black.

It is simply stunning how the narrative around the right to bear arms can still change today, on national television no less, depending on the race of the gun owner. For example, when it was white armed Americans in Michigan who were protesting in their state capitol building, the president offered praise and a message of support. Yet, when the group is Black Lives Matter, even unarmed protests are described by this same president as hate coming down the street. Again, the inference for why there is such a difference in reaction between the two protests is absurdly obvious.

One of the most common narratives coming from pro-gun rights groups is that the only way to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun. Although I happen to agree, it must also be acknowledged that this narrative can backfire when its a good black man with a gun stopping a bad guy trying to harm others. However, as activist Michael Render (otherwise known as Killer Mike) recently argued, such instances of injustice should not dissuade black people from owning guns. In fact, according to Render, it should encourage legal ownership in order to normalize it and to defend what you care about. Moreover, gun ownership is a right and, to Render, it is imperative that black Americans embrace all of their rights to use like tools in a toolbox.

Of course, gun ownership being viewed wildly different depending on the race of the owner is nothing new. Irrational and downright bigoted fears of black Americans possessing arms to defend themselves was the primary cause of this countrys first gun control laws. Laws, it should be said, that are not applied evenly to this day. Which is why I have argued that gun laws are, as a general matter, destructive, ineffective, and unnecessary.

The good news is that American views on race are increasingly improving, and hopefully, normalization of black gun ownership can inevitably increase. But as Loeffler and the president often demonstrate, there is still a lot of work to be done in regard to viewing black gun ownership in a positive light, or even just a neutral light.

Tyler Brokers work has been published in the Gonzaga Law Review, the Albany Law Review, and is forthcoming in the University of Memphis Law Review. Feel free to email himor follow him onTwitterto discuss his column.

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Has Anyone Told Kelly Loeffler The Second Amendment Applies To Everyone? - Above the Law

#GUNVOTE

USA -(AmmoLand.com)- As the 2020 presidential election quickly approaches, many of the candidates platforms include proposals that severely threaten your Second Amendment rights.

From proposed bans on popular modern sporting rifles and ammunition to mandates for federal licensing and registration, these ill-informed proposals would strip away the rights of law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to protect public safety. It is time you make a choice and take a stand.

Visit http://www.gunvote.org then click on the 2020 presidential candidates to view their positions and quotes on Second Amendment issues.

Even between elections, target shooters, hunters, and gun owners would do well to stay informed about the issues that affect us. Becoming educated about the views, votes, and decisions of officeholders and those positioning themselves to run for office should be an ongoing concern. #GUNVOTE is here to help you to protect Americas firearms freedoms. Dont wait until election time. Become educated and keep yourself informed before its time to #GUNVOTE.

Protecting your rights has never been more important than it is today. Our national crisis has exposed the politicians who want to strip away our constitutional freedoms. Send them a message! Be a voter in the 2020 elections to protect your rights!

Help Drive Voter Registration NSSF is urging all industry businesses and activist-minded individuals to download and display NSSFs #GUNVOTE icon on their company websites and incorporate #GUNVOTE messages in their social media campaigns. Download everything you need here, and then link to gunvote.org, where visitors can find voter-registration information for their states and other helpful resources

About the National Shooting Sports Foundation

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations, and publishers. http://www.nssf.org

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Your Second Amendment Rights are in Jeopardy! Take a Stand #GUNVOTE - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Counterprotesters watch a Black Lives Matter march as curfew approaches June 15 in Bethel, Ohio. Protesters took to the streets after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck, ignoring Floyd's pleas that he could not breathe.(Photo: Albert Cesare / The Enquirer)

Thirty-three years ago, I departed small-town America to become a cadet at West Point. Both places have been in the news lately, West Point for its unique, but not unprecedented, graduation on the plain and my hometown for all the wrong reasons.

At the end of four years at West Point, the Class of 1991 swore to defend the Constitution and President George H.W. Bush handed each of us our commissions. The Cold War was over. We watched Desert Storm on CNN, but were rewarded with assignments in Mogadishu, Srebrenicaand Port-au-Prince. For those who served beyond our five-year service obligation, Iraq and Afghanistan have consumed the balance of nearly 20 years.

More: 'We need to start talking about social awareness.' Clermont County activist organizes dialogue in Bethel

More: 2nd day of protests in Bethel results in 3 arrests, police say. 'Independent investigation' to follow

I have done nothing remotely heroic, but it has been my honor to serve in the company of brave men and women. Not the kind of folks who write tell-all books, rather professionals who quietly go about their business leading other Americans and our partners in pursuit of shared national interests.

The officer in Afghanistan sporting nothing but a conservative headscarf and a 9mm tucked neatly into her fashionable clutch while she engaged with local women.

My classmate who scooped a wounded child out of harms way as if she were one of his own.

The special forces officers who bear no resemblance to what Hollywood might have you believe and nothing like the posers seen in state capitols enjoying their rights under the Second Amendment.

The heroes I know wouldnt need a gun to make their point in small-town America, nor would they feel threatened by someone holding a sign. America isnt "battlespace"any more than it is Fallujah, Ramadi, Kandaharor Kabul.

Two weeks ago, my daughter sent me text messages with articles about an incident in Bethel, Ohio, associated with a small Black Lives Matter demonstration and the larger counter-protest it incited. Im not proud of my initial "glad I dont live there anymore" reaction. My mother, no longer a resident, heard gossip that one of my teachers children had been involved in the Black Lives Matter demonstration that led to the, at times, violent counter-protest.

Why trade in gossip? I called my second-grade teacher.

Yes, her daughter had been there. Yes, the Black Lives Matter demonstrators had sought and gained permission from the local authorities to hold their signs, socially distanced in front of the Grant Memorial Building a building named for Ulysses S. Grant and fellow West Point graduate, who would look on in horror with me, were he alive, at the ubiquity of stars and bars that have, in recent years, appeared in the Land of Grant. And yes, the woman who taught me in the second grade that being an American citizen was a privilege had attended the demonstration.

Black Lives Matter protesters and a counter protesters talk, Monday, June 15, 2020, along East Plane Street in Bethel, Ohio. Protesters took to the streets following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died on Monday, May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck, ignoring Floyd's pleas that he could not breathe.(Photo: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer)

Sadly, the counter-protestors, some of whom were armed, tore her sign from her hands. Before long, she and her daughter left the demonstration fearing that physical harm might come to them if they stayed. But she didnt slink off; no, she communicated to local institutions of civil society, the most important fabric of our nation she stood before the Bethel Historical Society to explain her perspective, emailed the Catholic parish council in the same veinand spoke with media outlets whose very existence the First Amendment enshrines.

I probably know a few of the counter-protestors, though Im told many of them were from out of town. I would like to ask them this:"What about my retired, second-grade teacher holding a sign is so scary that it compels you to bring a gun to a peaceful demonstration? What about my second-grade teachers sign threatened you so much that you trampled her First Amendment rights while celebrating yours under the Second Amendment?" I dont have the luxury of picking and choosing which parts of the Constitution are worthy of defending.

More: Opinion: The Bethel I know has been mislabeled as racist

Since leaving Bethel for West Point, I have had the privilege of serving in and leading diverse organizations around the world. My leaders, peers, and subordinates have come in every color, been gay and straight, spoken a variety of languages other than English, and worshiped in ways never imagined back in Bethel. There are bad people in this world and with my teammates, I have done some small part in trying to defend our way of life from them. But to be clear, my second-grade teacher isnt an enemy.

The bullies with guns and baseball bats that showed up in Bethel probably arent either, but they can no longer be good people in my mind. They are cowards of the worst kind, people afraid of ideas who resort to the law of the jungle, not the rule of law, to make their inarticulate points. There can be no "good people on both sides"when one side is trampling on the Constitution.

Counter protesters scream at Black Lives Matter protesters, Monday, June 15, 2020, along East Plane Street in Bethel, Ohio. Protesters took to the streets following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died on Monday, May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck, ignoring Floyd's pleas that he could not breathe.(Photo: Albert Cesare / The Enquirer)

In 2006, I was blessed to watch a group of service members take the oath of U.S. citizenship in Baghdad while fighting under a flag that was not formally theirs until that day. They were already putting their lives on the line for the ongoing experiment that is our democracy. I cannot know, but strongly suspect, that they were clear on the responsibilities that come with the privilege of being a citizen, not just the rights it conveys. The violent counter-protestors need not travel as far as Iraq to learn the same lesson because I know a hero in a small town whose classroom is always open for those seeking knowledge and understanding. You wont find her lurking on social media or trolling the internet because she is too busy serving her community. She is as brave as the men and women I have met under trying circumstances abroad.

Having reflected on my initial "sure glad I dont live there anymore"reaction to the news from Bethel, I now offer a refined position: I am proud to say Bethel is my hometown because heroes like Lois Dennis, not pretend patriots, have had my back for the last four decades.

Matthew Darlington Morton lived in Bethel, Ohio, for 18 years. He is currently stationed at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, home of the United States Army War College, where he is a colonel and member of the faculty. These are his views and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Defense, United States Army, or the United States Army War College.

Matt Morton(Photo: Provided)

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Opinion: Counterprotesters among cowards of the worst kind - The Cincinnati Enquirer

President Donald Trump on Friday endorsed Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary runoff to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, three days after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz shook up the race by backing Gonzales' opponent, Raul Reyes.

"[Gonzales] will be a GREAT Congressman for Texas!" Trump tweeted. "A Navy veteran, he is Strong on the Economy, Life and the Second Amendment. We need him to defeat the Radical Left in November. Tony has my Complete and Total Endorsement!"

Gonzales welcomed Trump's endorsement, thanking him on Twitter. "Let's win in November!" Gonzales said.

Trump's backing is a dramatic intervention. Cruz endorsed Reyes on Tuesday and launched a TV ad buy for him through his leadership PAC.

Reyes and Gonzales, a former Navy cryptologist, are competing to take on Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democratic nominee for the seat, in one of the top pickup opportunities for Democrats nationwide. Jones is running again after nearly unseating Hurd in 2018.

Gonzales has the backing of Hurd as well as national GOP leaders. He has been endorsed by the top two Republicans in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, and Tom Emmer, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, has publicly promoted Gonzales.

But until Friday, Gonzales did not have the most powerful GOP endorsement of all: the president's. Gonzales had expressed hope for Trump's support in the primary, and on Monday, he teased that he would have "HUGE news to share later this week."

A day later, Cruz stepped in, saying the 23rd District "deserves strong conservative representation." His leadership PAC, the Jobs, Freedom, and Security PAC, launched a six-figure cable buy for Reyes at the same time, airing a 30-second spot with Cruz speaking to the camera.

"President Trump needs more congressmen like Col. Reyes, leaders who wont surrender our border, our sovereignty, our way of life," Cruz says in the ad.

Reyes has been campaigning as the purest Trump supporter in the runoff, pointing out that Gonzales is supported by Hurd, who has had occasional disagreements with the president. Last week, though, a Trump campaign adviser criticized Reyes for a mailer featuring the president's image superimposed alongside Reyes, calling it misleading and noting Trump had not endorsed in the runoff at that point.

While the Trump endorsement gives Gonzales a big boost in the primary runoff, it is likely less helpful for the general election. Trump lost the perennial battleground district by 4 percentage points in 2016, while Hurd carried it by 1.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee responded to the endorsement by noting that Trump could be a liability in the general election.

"This last-minute endorsement arrives too late to prevent the Republican contests turn into a bitter, vindictive and expensive mess, but just in time for Gonzales to own President Trumps losing record of raising health care costs in the general election," DCCC spokesman Avery Jaffe said in a statement. "With this toxic endorsement in a pro-Clinton and pro-Biden district, Tony Gonzales is now the overwhelming favorite to win on July 14 and lose on November 3. Congratulations, Tony!"

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Donald Trump endorses Tony Gonzales to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd - The Texas Tribune

To subscribe to The Times go to https://help.shreveporttimes.com/subscription-services Shreveport Times

After receiving mounting threats, local activistshit pause on Shreveport protests for the Fourth of July weekend, but vow to resume protests soon.

Representatives from 45 Days of Action-Shreveport, All Streets All People, Speak Up Shreveport, We The People and XPress Yourself Louisiana Artists and Creative Voices for Change were in attendance at a press conference on Saturday to discuss the cancellation and the goals of their movement.

"We felt it was more secure for us and our community to cancelthat protesttoday,'' PJ Brown-Coleman of 45 Days of Action-Shreveport. "That was a hard decision to come to. The organizers had several meetings throughout the week on what kind of contingency plans could we have. Could we beef up security? Do we have have enough manpower for what could arise? We unanimously decided that the protection and our security was more important than putting them in harm's way today.''

Others are reading: Louisiana U.S. Bill Cassidy may have misused campaign funds to join New York club

Independent activist William James said he called for the cancellation of the protest.

James' concern came following a tense situation last weekend between protesters at the Confederate Monument in Shreveport and counterprotesters.

"I live in downtown Shreveport. I work in downtown Shreveport,'' James said. "When I see grandma and grandpa walking with their grandchild toplay Pokemon Go throughout the streets of downtown Shreveport, how am I going to feel having called for a protest and being aware of all of the threats that were made?

"If you have one nervous Nellie thatdrops his pistol and doesn't put it on safety, and one round goes off and hits grandma, grandpa, (and) grandchildis just playing Pokemon Go and had nothing to do with the protests, how could I sleep at night?''

Omari Ho-Sang of All Streets All People/45 Days of Action speaks at a news conference on Saturday.(Photo: Scott Ferrell)

While organizers said they have received death threats, they also plan to resume the protests.

The Fourth of July weekend brought the additional concern of a long weekend and the possibility of out-of-town counterprotesters.

"We will continue to protest,'' Brown-Coleman said. "One of the reasons this particular protest was canceled was the Fourth of July is such an antsy holiday right now. It was imperative for us to cancel today.

Keep reading: Analysis: Masks may have prevented virus spread in protests

"We had a leadership meeting earlier in the week and someone made the statement that if a firework had popped last weekend, there would have been bloodshed... It was just the right call to make.''

When the protests resume, they will continue to press for the transformation of Shreveport.

"What does it mean to transform Shreveport?'' Omari Ho-Sang of All Streets All People/45 Days of Action asked. "One, hold those accountable for hurting our people. Thismeans law enforcement -- from the Civil Service Board down to the uniformed street police officer and to the district judges and department directors and decision makers.... Two, we will protect and provide for the needs of our communities. Way too many children are growing up in the confines of food deserts. .... Adequate education with the proper additional support to make sure that even in this pandemic that the majority of our population is not being served less than the best...

"Over 40 percent of the population in Shreveport is either working poor or straight up in poverty. That means they are one $400 emergency awayfrom complete destitution. In 2020 America, that's a product of the violence of silence. It's time to raise our voices. You want to protect your communities, it will take muchmore than the protection of your Second Amendment rights.''

More: A union under tension

Meanwhile, James will continue to push for the removal of the Confederate Monument.

He recalled growing up in Ledbetter Heights and walking with his mother down Texas Street opposite the courthouse and seeing men wearing hoods walking around the building.

He suggested the monument could be moved to the Louisiana State Museum or Oakland Cemetery.

"How can anybody who didn't fall under the approval of the Confederacy or fall in their good zone, how can we expect equal justice walking into that courthouse?'' James asked. "Whether we are the plaintiff or the defendant. How can we feel we are represented properly? The 14th amendment,at the end, it guarantees equal justice for all. For 39 years of my life, I've seen nothing but inequality. How can we expect justice for anybody going into that courtroom when you have a symbol of discrimination, a symbol of hate?''

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Shreveport protests pause 4th of July weekend, will continue in future - Shreveport Times

RICHMOND, Va. -- Dozens of people flocked to the statue to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Richmond's iconic Monument Avenue Saturday to simply hang out, take pictures next to the monument or grill and pass out free food.

"Nothing but peace and unity," Brent Holmes explained. "We're out here just enjoying each other's company. You got people over there registering people to vote -- the most important thing on the planet."

Holmes was one of many who came to Monument Avenue on Independence Day. He's been peacefully protesting daily at the monument and around the city. While many across the country celebrated the nation's 244th birthday, Holmes said it was just another day for him.

"People can enjoy what they want to enjoy but you can't tell me to enjoy a holiday that wasn't meant for black people, period," Holmes said.

Others had similar views.

"The effect of colonialism and the effect of the racism that has permeated our culture," Gregory Cater said. "It's important for us to know that we have to make a change and that change is now."

John Mock agreed.

"Until we're all free, no one is free. That's equality for everyone," Mock said.

The holiday comes as the nation continues to have a discussion about racial justice.

"I'm emotional mainly because many of my friends have succumb to the racism and the police brutality that has taken place," Carter said.

Although he sees progress locally because of the Black Lives Matter movement, Holmes believes more work still needs to be done.

"If we can get together for a common goal, such as the Second Amendment, such as a 'no-knock' warrant, such as police brutality, then why can't we dig deeper and get together as a people," Holmes pondered. "We don't want anything more than you do. All we want to do is be equal."

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'Until we are all free, no one is free,' Richmond man says on Fourth of July - wtvr.com