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Academic Researchers Claim Gun Rights Advocates Are Racist

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Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have published a study that claims “racially biased conservative Whites” support the Second Amendment right to bear arms because they identify gun ownership with good citizenship and suggests mass shootings “may be a symptom of the country’s enduring legacy of racism.”

This analysis was published in the Washington Post by associate professor of political science Alexandra Filindra, Ph.D. student in political science Beyza Buyuker, and clinical assistant professor of political science Noah J. Kaplan of the University of Illinois at Chicago. They published their findings in the Post after two mass shootings occurred within one week of each other in Georgia and Colorado and amid a renewed national debate over gun control.

These researchers wanted to find out why “gun rights supporters are highly politically organized and unwavering on their views, while gun regulation supporters are not.”

“Our research found a reason for this difference: racial differences in rates of gun ownership and beliefs about guns,” the researchers wrote. “White Americans are far more likely than any other group to own firearms and oppose gun regulations. To them, guns are potent political symbols. For many people, especially White Americans, guns are integral to who they are as citizens and what it means to be a good citizen.”

On the other hand, gun control advocates “tend to think about guns in terms of preventing violence and the harms that guns can inflict,” the researchers state. Because “racially conservative Whites” — who are defined as scoring high on measures of anti-black prejudice — associate gun ownership with good citizenship, they “interpret attempts to restrict access to guns not as an effort to prevent gun violence but as an attack on their ability to express their patriotism.” (Read more from “Academic Researchers Claim Gun Rights Advocates Are Racist” HERE)

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Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Trump-Era Bump Stock Ban, Says Ban Is Likely Unconstitutional

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Former President Donald Trump’s controversial ban on bump stocks was placed on hold last week by a federal appeals court that determined the ban is probably unconstitutional. . .

The group Gun Owners of America and others sued the government, arguing the bump stock ban violated the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause, the 14th Amendment’s right to due process, and the Administrative Procedure Act, according to Bloomberg Law.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that a federal district court should have granted the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction against the ban because they could likely prove the ban is unlawful.

In fact, the court explained the question of bump stock lawfulness should be answered — but not by unaccountable executives.

Whether ownership of a bump-stock device should be criminally punished is a question for our society. Indeed, the Las Vegas shooting sparked an intense national debate on the benefits and risks of bump-stock ownership. And because criminal laws are rooted in the community, the people determine for themselves—through their legislators—what is right or wrong. The executive enforces those determinations. It is not the role of the executive— particularly the unelected administrative state—to dictate to the public what is right and what is wrong.

(Read more from “Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Trump-Era Bump Stock Ban, Says Ban Is Likely Unconstitutional” HERE)

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Dictator Joe: Biden Promises Executive Action on Guns

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President Joe Biden said he plans to take aggressive action to implement new gun-control measures through both executive orders and by proposing legislation on Thursday.

When asked whether he plans to unilaterally enact new restrictions on homemade firearms, provide funding for state and local gun-control efforts, or propose legislation making gun manufacturers liable for criminal misuse of their products, Biden said he does.

“All the above,” he said. “It’s a matter of timing.” . . .

This is the second time in a week Biden has promised to institute new gun-control policies either by legislation or executive action. In response to the mass shooting in Colorado on Monday, Biden gave a short speech calling on the Senate to take up the two House gun-control bills as well as pass a ban on popular firearms such as the AR-15. (Read more from “Dictator Joe: Biden Promises Executive Action on Guns” HERE)

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Army Veteran Vows To Take Open Carry Fight To the Supreme Court

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The U.S. Army veteran challenging Hawaii’s restrictive open-carry laws has vowed to take his case to the Supreme Court after losing in the Ninth Circuit this week, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

Alan Beck, the lawyer representing native Hawaiian plaintiff George Young, told the outlet, “We’re planning on filing for a writ of certiorari. We’re not letting this lie.”

Beck’s statement came in response to a ruling passed down on Wednesday by the full 11-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit, in which the court rejected his challenge, choosing to uphold a Hawaii law that effectively terminates his right to bear arms outside the home.

According to the Firearms Policy Coalition, the law Young is challenging “requires that residents seeking a license to openly carry a firearm demonstrate good moral character, that he or she will be ‘engaged in the protection of life and property,’ and ‘the urgency or the need’ to carry a firearm.”

The gun-rights group noted that “in practice, virtually nobody ever demonstrates a strong enough urgency or need to be issued a license, so the licensing requirement operates as a prohibition.” (Read more from “Army Veteran Vows To Take Open Carry Fight To the Supreme Court” HERE)

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LIAR, LIAR: Harris Claims No One Is Taking Away Guns While Dems Gear Up To Do Just That; 9th Circuit Rules: No Constitutional Right to Open Carry

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By The Federalist. Vice President Kamala Harris said no one is “trying to come after your guns” as President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats prepare to do exactly that. . .

Harris’s comments come as Biden and his allies in Congress are calling for a federal ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, restricting gun access for even law-abiding citizens after multiple deadly shootings in the last two weeks.

“We can ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again,” Biden said shortly after the shooting in Boulder, Colorado. “I got that done when I was a senator. It passed. It was the law for the longest time. And it brought down these mass killings. We should do it again.”

Biden also urged legislators to pass bills expanding a background check system for firearm sales, a change that some senators on the left side of the aisle think could garner enough Republican support to bypass the filibuster, which multiple members are trying to abolish. (Read more from “LIAR, LIAR: Harris Claims No One Is Taking Away Guns While Dems Gear Up To Do Just That (VIDEO)” HERE)

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Carrying Guns in Public Is Not a Constitutional Right, Ninth Circuit Rules

By Court House News. Americans have no right to carry guns in public, a divided en banc Ninth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday, reversing a prior Ninth Circuit decision that struck down a Hawaii firearm restriction as unconstitutional.

“There is no right to carry arms openly in public; nor is any such right within the scope of the Second Amendment,” U.S. Circuit Judge Jay Bybee, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote for the majority of an 11-judge panel in a 127-page opinion. . .

Plaintiff George Young sued Hawaii in 2012 for denying his applications for permits to carry a concealed or openly visible handgun. A Hawaii state law requires a license to carry a gun in public.

Under a Hawaii County regulation, the police chief may only grant such licenses to those who need a gun for their job or who show “reason to fear injury” to their “person or property.” No one other than a security guard has ever obtained an open-carry license in Hawaii, lawyers for the county acknowledged during a Ninth Circuit hearing in 2018. (Read more from “Carrying Guns in Public Is Not a Constitutional Right, Ninth Circuit Rules” HERE)

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Colorado Is One of Few U.S. States with Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases

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Colorado is one of the few states in the Union that has the Democrats’ highly desired universal background check gun controls.

Gabby Giffords’ gun control group describes Colorado’s background check gun control as “universal background checks,” which means private sales require the same background check as a retail sale.

Moreover, firearm dealers “may charge a fee of up to $10 for conducting a background check” on a private sale.

Colorado adopted universal background checks in 2013, just months after the heinous attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School. . .

Despite universal backgroud checks, suspect Ahmad Alissa, 21 of Arvada, CO, allegedly opened fire on customers at a Boulder grocery store Monday. (Read more from “Colorado Is One of Few U.S. States with Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases” HERE)

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House Passes Two Radical Gun Control Bills

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On Thursday, the House passed two controversial bills aimed at enacting background checks for all gun sales and transfers, including private sales between neighbors, as well as closing the so-called “Charleston Loophole” to extend the waiting period the government may take if a background check is not completed in a timely fashion.

H.R. 8, The Bipartisan Background Checks Act, passed 227-203. Eight GOP House members broke ranks and voted in favor of the legislation. This includes Reps. Vern Buchanan of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Maria Salazar of Florida, Chris Smith of New Jersey, and Fred Upton of Michigan. Salazar, Gimenez, and Garbarino are all freshman members. . .

As explained by gun expert Ryan Cleckner, this bill would not stop criminals from getting guns. Nor would it have stopped none of the recent mass murders, most of which were obtained with illegal guns.

(Read more from “House Passes Two Radical Gun Control Bills” HERE)

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U.S. House Passes Bill To Criminalize All Unlicensed Private Firearm Transfers

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed an expansive gun control bill that would criminalize firearm sales, gifts, or loans between unlicensed private persons.

On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 8, the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021,” a bill that expands universal background checks for private firearm transactions, requires all private firearms transactions to go through a licensed dealer, effectively bans persons age 18-20 from purchasing handguns, and contains only limited exemptions for self-defense. The bill passed 227 to 203, with eight Republicans voting with the Democratic majority in favor.

Democrats and gun control advocates praised the bill’s passage, arguing the expanded background checks will help save lives. . .

However, opponents of the bill warn it would infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms and criminalize lending or gifting a firearm to family members or friends without government approval.

“This bill would criminalize every transfer of a firearm unless it first goes through a government screening process — aka, gun owner registration — or unless the transfer fulfills one of the very few exemptions in the legislation,” Gun Owners of America said. “NOTE: Because ‘transfer’ is not defined, even handing a gun to a neighbor could be severely punished.” (Read more from “U.s. House Passes Bill To Criminalize All Unlicensed Private Firearm Transfers” HERE)

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Officials Sued for Denying Residents Gun Rights

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The heads of the Illinois State Police and the state’s Firearms Services Bureau are being sued for allegedly denying residents their Second Amendment gun rights.

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by the Second Amendment Foundation on behalf of the Illinois State Rifle Association and four individuals.

It names as defendants Brendan F. Kelly, the director of the state police, and Jarod Ingebrigtsen of the Firearms Services agency.

“Illinois was the last state in the country to establish a licensed concealed carry program because we sued them in federal court and won,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb.

“The legislature passed a law requiring the ISP to either approve or deny an application within 90 days if the applicant supplies fingerprints, or 120 days if fingerprints are not submitted.” (Read more from “Officials Sued for Denying Residents Gun Rights” HERE)

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Dems Move to Mandate Background Checks for Gun Sales

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Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Rep. Mike Thompson of California reintroduced legislation Tuesday to expand federal background checks on gun sales, the Hill reported.

The Background Check Expansion Act, if passed, would require a background check of all gun sales and purchases between all unlicensed sellers and buyers. The background checks would not apply to law enforcement officers, loaning firearms for hunting, temporary transfers for self-defense, or receiving a firearm as a gift from a family member, the Hill reported.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and 43 Senate Democrats, the Hill reported. Thompson, who reintroduced the legislation to the House of Representatives, is the chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

“For years, the bipartisan House-passed background checks bill languished in the Senate under Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Now, with Senate Democrats in the Majority, we have the opportunity to act on this overwhelmingly popular, lifesaving legislation to protect American communities,” Schumer said in a press release, according to The Hill.

(Read more from “Dems Move to Mandate Background Checks for Gun Sales” HERE)

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