Free Republic

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has refused to grant a petition for an en banc hearing in the Wrenn v. D.C. Second Amendment case.The Court earlier ruled that the requirement for a “good cause” to issue a concealed carry permit was unconstitutional.In effect, this means in a week the District of Columbia will become a “shall issue” jurisdiction.  If a person meets the legal requirements for a concealed carry permit, the District of Columbia will be required to issue a permit.None of the 10 Circuit judges capable of requesting a vote for an...

Well, if peddling North Korean propaganda wasn’t bad enough, The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof had a laundry list of things he thinks could stop another mass shooting in America. He admits that there is no magic wand that can be waved to solve this supposed problem. He’s right. Yet, he lists things that would not have prevented 64-year-old Stephen Paddock from killing 58 people and wounding nearly 500 more in Las Vegas. Yet, Kristof, like other liberals, places emphasis on the cumulative effect these (ineffectual) policy suggestions would have in the long term. Government already screws up royally on...

Critics of this column will quickly point out the sheer amount of destruction caused by Stephen Paddock would not have been possible had Paddock not had access to the cadre of high-powered, fast-shooting weaponry he did. They are undeniably correct. Some terrorism is beyond the scope of individual defense. But is this a reason to trash the Second Amendment? Of course not. Progressives have never, ever answered one simple question when it comes to the notion of gun control or gun bans, to wit: How do you keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and madmen? Whatever sick motivation...

An October 5 New York Times op-ed by Bret Stephens calls for an all-out repeal of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He introduces the op-ed by claiming “more guns means more murder” and transitions from there to claim that guns were only used for “justifiable homicide” 268 times in 2015. He cites an FBI Extended Homicide Data Table for this figure but the table only tracks the number of times a private citizen shot and killed a felon during the commission of felony. Obviously a the number of times a private citizen justifiably shoots a felon is going...

The public is aware of two things: No law could have avoided the Las Vegas tragedy, and those calling for “gun control” are really calling for “citizen control.” These are usually liberal Democrats doing the shooting – and demonstrating, protesting and calling for laws. Liberal laws never free you but always restrict you. It is usually the liberals who are against the police and who support criminals. Already the conspiracy theorists are trying to find a way to blame police, government agencies and other nations. The attacker purchased multiple guns, brought them into the Mandalay Bay Casino and took days...

When House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was asked on Tuesday about the status of the “suppressor” legislation (Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act), which had passed a House committee last month and was headed for a vote on the floor, Ryan was disingenuous: “That bill is not scheduled now. I don’t know when it’s going to be scheduled.” Ryan's response was disingenuous because, as speaker of the house, he is the one responsible for scheduling such votes. RINO Representative Chris Collins (a Republican from New York with a Freedom Index rating of just 53 out of 100), agreed: “I think...

Clinton tweeted: The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots. Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get. Clinton's two-sentence remark backfired big time, though. The largest critique of them all came from a surprising place — PolitiFact. On Wednesday, PolitiFact dissected Clinton's claim. First, the publication said: Our research shows that a suppressor would not have made a difference in the Las Vegas case, because of the positioning of the weapons and because of the distance of the shooter from the crowd. Clinton's staff provided no evidence to suggest...

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told a news conference on Tuesday he's sent a letter to President Trump, asking for a meeting to discuss gun control. "I have requested of the President to call us together, Democrats and Republicans, to come up with a reasonable solution. Before he was a candidate and marched in lockstep to the NRA, Donald Trump expressed a very reasonable position on gun control," Schumer said. Schumer described the National Rifle Association, a group that supports Americans' constitutional right to keep and bear arms, as a swamp: "Look, this is, I mean, this is the...

Foster said banning individuals from carrying assault weapons in public is “absolutely not” a violation of the Second Amendment. “A well-regulated militia is completely consistent with having military-style arms put under lock-and-key in a regulated environment,” he said.

The time has come to repeal the Second Amendment, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens argued Thursday, joining the chorus of liberal voices calling for drastic action on gun control following the Las Vegas massacre. The supposedly conservative-leaning Stephens, who was hired by the NYT in April to “broaden the range” of debate appearing in the paper’s typically progressive editorial pages, said incremental gun control measures would not be enough. “Americans who claim to be outraged by gun crimes should want to do something more than tinker at the margins of a legal regime that most of the developed world...

During a portion of an interview set to air on Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” House Majority Whip Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) stated that his position on the 2nd Amendment has been “fortified” by the Las Vegas shooting and his own experience with the Congressional baseball shooting and that promoting political agendas shouldn’t be the first thought after tragedies. Anchor Martha MacCallum asked Scalise if his position on the 2nd Amendment has changed as a result of the Las Vegas shooting and his own experience. Scalise answered, “I think it’s fortified it.” He continued that when...

As I said above, this probably seems completely out of character for me, but as much as it pains me to say it and with full knowledge of the potential implications for a slippery slope, I think we need to consider a ban on both bump stocks and these automatic fire conversion kits. (I’ll give everyone a moment here to light the torches and begin painting up posters calling for my deportation.)

As seen in at least ten separate NewsBusters posts in the past two days, the left has wasted no time politicizing the mass murder at the at Route 91 country music festival in Las Vegas to push hard for "gun control" — which ultimately, as anyone who has noticed what governors in Connecticut and New York have done in the past several years knows, involves total gun confiscation. Thus, it is quite noteworthy that the Washington Post, of all places, published a Tuesday afternoon column by Leah Libresco, who asserts, based on months of time she and others spent researching...

Puerto Rico has been absolutely devastated by Hurricane Maria. The relief effort was already made difficult by the logistical nightmare of the island, but the Puerto Rican government's debt and insolvency issues have only added to the problem. The United States federal government is providing necessary resources, power, food, and other materials needed to stabilize the U.S. territory. But ultimately, in this time of crisis, local police and law enforcement cannot provide the necessary protection to its citizens. Post-Hurricane Maria should serve as a reminder to all Americans why exercising second amendment rights and owning a gun is so important...

Police spokesman Don Aaron said the usher of the church – identified as 22-year-old Robert Engle – confronted the gunman and was pistol-whipped, receiving a “significant injury to his head.” Samson was shot in the chest during his struggle with Engle. Aaron said the church usher, who has a valid carry permit, then went out to his car and retrieved his own gun, holding it on the gunman until police arrived. Police described the 6-foot-5 Engle as “extraordinarily brave.” “He’s the hero. He’s the person who stopped this madness,” Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson said during a news conference.

Virtually all of the teachers only spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity. One reason for that is that Maryland has a law prohibiting anyone (including staff) from bringing a firearm onto school property. At least one teacher admitted that she already does it anyway, keeping a 9 mm. with her at her desk. From the sound of the support that this training program is drawing, she’s not alone.

The new statue of Mikhail Kalashnikov cradling his signature AK-47 assault rifle unveiled Tuesday in Moscow commemorates one of Russia’s most renowned and reviled inventions. By some estimates, the AK-47 and its versions account for about one-fifth of the world’s firearms, the rugged and reliable weapon of choice for many armies, terror groups and drug gangs.

Most people might describe the American Dream in terms of career success, monetary wealth, or accumulation of things. For me, it is not that simple. My American Dream is to wake up one day to discover I no longer have to fight. My dream is a victorious end to the constant attacks on our Constitution and Bill of Rights by our own citizens and an out-of-control government. Our Founders envisioned this internal war that many citizens today fail to see or refuse to fight. Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a group of citizens what sort...

A gun “safety” advocate in Elmhurst, Illinois, wants assurances that concealed classes being held in her town will not involve firearms. The advocate — Kirsten Powers — spoke to the Elmhurst city council, seeking assurances that those taking the course would not be bringing firearms with them

In Houston, as in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, looting follows as floodwaters recede. Homeowners already ravaged by Hurricane Harvey are finding themselves ravaged yet again by thugs and looters. Nor is Harvey the only hazard. As we approach the height of hurricane season, Hurricane Irma threatens the Caribbean and, potentially, our Atlantic coast. Even beyond natural disasters, residents of Charlottesville, Charlotte, Baltimore, and elsewhere have suffered from America's increasing propensity for riots, looting, and property destruction. As you probably know, you may legally defend yourself using deadly force if you or your family faces a reasonable fear of imminent...