Free Republic

“Should we amend the Second Amendment?” Paul M. Barrett of Bloomberg Businessweek asks in a Thursday hit piece designed to legitimize an edit proposed by retired “hero of the political left” Justice John Paul Stevens. Stevens, who was a voice of dissent in both the Heller and McDonald cases, meaning he does not think Americans should have a right to keep and bear arms, wants to add a restrictive qualifier.

Beretta -Moving to Tennessee from Maryland Colt- "Expanding" manufacturing operations in Florida Ruger- "Expanding" manufacturing in Arizona Magpul-Moving from Colorado to Wyoming and Texas HiViz- Moving from Colorado to Wyoming Shield Tactical- Moving from California to Texas Kahr- Moving from New York to Pike County, Pennsylvania American Tactical Imports- Moving from New York to South Carolina Stag Arms- Moving from Connecticut to Texas or South Carolina PTR Industries (H&K)-Moving from Connecticut to South Carolina Ithaca Gun Company- Moving "expansion" from Ithaca, New York to South Carolina Remington Outdoor -Expansion into Huntsville, Alabama

On February 20, gun control proponents gathered outside Visa's Washington offices to pressure the credit card giant to cut ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA).

On Wednesday, Washington Post opinion writer E.J. Dionne Jr. used the Michael Dunn conviction as “proof” that we need to repeal “stand your ground” laws. (Briefly: Michael Dunn was found guilty of three charges of attempted second-degree murder. After ordering the victims to turn down their “loud music,” Dunn shot into their vehicle, killing one. Dunn claimed self-defense, saying he thought they were going to attack him.)

The first so-called “smart gun” has hit the shelves at U.S. retail outlets, including one of the biggest firearms stores in California, according to the Washington Post. The Smart System iP1, a .22-caliber pistol made by the German gun-maker Armatix GmbH, can only function with an accompanying wristwatch, which is sold separately. When the RFID-equipped watch is activated by a PIN number and placed near the gun — like when a shooter grips the handle — it sends a signal to unlock the gun and a light on the back of the weapon turns green, according to the report. Otherwise,...

Gov. Jerry Brown made it clear Wednesday that attempts by Oakland leaders to put another gun-control bill on his desk will not be fruitful, saying a new law would not curb the violence plaguing the streets of Oakland. “I know the problem and I live in the streets of Oakland … what’s needed is good police work, support by the City Council, neighborhood watch and leadership with clarity and vision on how to make Oakland as safe as possible,” Brown said Wednesday when asked what Oakland city leaders can seek to address gun violence.

Emily Miller, Washington Times columnist and author of “Emily Gets Her Gun,” will host a new weekly radio show starting Mar. 3. The show will cover the latest policy debates in Washington, D.C., according to a release from the Times.

U.S. gun makers led by Sturm Ruger & Co. and Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. (SWHC) churned out a record number of firearms in 2012, government data show, continuing a trend of robust production during Democratic presidencies.

Today, PoliceOne.com released the findings from last month’s Gun Policy & Law Enforcement survey, which drew more than 15,000 completed responses from verified law enforcement professionals. Covering a broad range of topics related to the gun control debate in our country, the survey found that the overall attitude of law enforcement is strongly anti-gun legislation and pro-gun rights, with the belief that an armed citizenry is effective in stopping crime.

Huffington Post writer Monica Bauer claims that she has “A New Argument for Gun Control,” but sounds like the same old worn-out lies to me.

Gun control supporters have lately used the 20th anniversary of Bill Clinton's signing of the Brady Act into law as an excuse to repeat their demand for "universal" background checks. Even though most people who commit crimes with guns defeat the Brady Act by getting their guns by theft, on the black market, or from straw purchasers, anti-gunners have portrayed the law as having saved countless lives. Nevertheless, the gun ban movement is altogether ignoring two other significant anniversaries associated with its efforts.

The study, from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, found the murder rate in Missouri jumped 16 percent—an additional 55 to 63 murders a year—after the repeal in 2007 of a state law that required anyone purchasing a handgun to obtain a permit showing they had passed a background check. (Though federal law mandates background checks by licensed dealers, private dealers don’t have to perform them in all but 14 states.) "This study provides compelling confirmation that weaknesses in firearm laws lead to deaths from gun violence," said Daniel Webster, the study’s lead author, in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey is planning to unveil a new gun control bill he says will help reduce firearm violence. The bill will focus in part on requiring handgun technology designed to increase safety. Markey is also planning to call for more federal funding for gun violence research.

If you haven’t heard of the Aspen meeting, it’s one of those gatherings of the high and mighty around the world, UN heavyweights and Hollywood nitwits and politicians with big government causes, like Giffords. Here’s the text from that screenshot:

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in American (MDA) and Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) are pushing a report that claims "44 school shootings" took place between December 15, 2012--the day after the heinous crime at Sandy Hook Elementary--and February 10, 2014.

A gun-rights advocacy group announced Monday the formation of a political action committee that hopes to unseat a state senator who failed in his push to require background checks for gun purchases. Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, was the primary sponsor of SB221 that was passed by the 2013 Legislature and vetoed by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval.

I’m virtually certain that David Frum was simply trolling Twitter (a popular pastime) when he tweeted on Saturday: “Hypothesis: the people who most want to carry are the very last people on earth who should be allowed to carry.” In the remote chance that an otherwise-thoughtful person was actually arguing that the people who most want to exercise a constitutional right are the “very last people on earth” who should be allowed to exercise that right, I thought I’d take a moment to explain why a person carries.

What started as a slow trickle when American Tactical Imports (ATI) and PTR moved from the northeast to South Carolina, has now become an all out surge with Magpul Industries leaving Colorado, Beretta leaving Maryland for Tennessee, and Remington acquiring a 500,000 square ft. facility in Alabama.

The TTAG tipster who alerted us to PepsiCo’s financial support of Gabrielle Giffords’ 2013 civilian disarmament gabfest entered “pepsico” into the search bar at aspenideas.org. (Fiendishly clever, eh?) Up popped Brad Jakeman, President, Global Beverage Group, PepsiCo, Inc., right below none other than Gabrielle Giffords, the doyenne of disarmament. Being the seasoned journalist I am I Googled Mr. Jakeman’s name and the festival and found the YouTubery above. According to Mr. Jakeman’s full official bio the Aussie was the marketing maven behind Activision’s gun-intensive Call of Duty video game (“There’s a soldier in all of us”). Here he is below...

Researchers claim a new study provides some of the most compelling evidence yet for tighter gun controls in the US. The team followed the consequences of the State of Missouri repealing its permit-to-purchase handgun law in 2007. The law had required purchasers to be vetted by the local sheriff and to receive a licence before buying a gun. Reporting soon in the Journal of Urban Health, the researchers will say that the repeal resulted in an immediate spike in gun violence and murders. The study links the abandonment of the background check to an additional 60 or so murders occurring...