Free Republic

“A law repugnant to the Constitution is void.” Though Chief Justice John Marshall’s decision in the landmark case Marbury vs Madison has led to 2 centuries of power-abusing mischief on the part of our federal government, he did have the premise correct—a law which is unconstitutional is not a law at all. What he did not add, but might have I suspect, is that such a “law” need not be followed and should not be enforced, especially not by those who have sworn an oath to uphold and defend that Constitution. For months the American people have been threatened with...

‘(36)(A) The term ‘junk gun’ means-- ‘(i) a handgun that is not a sporting handgun; and

SACRAMENTO — One of the most controversial gun-control bills introduced in California this year — a move to seize the 166,000 registered assault weapons grandfathered in under the state's ban — is dead, its author said Thursday. When Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, introduced AB174 in January, it was designed to declare the Legislature's intent to end all "grandfather clauses" allowing ownership of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. But on Tuesday, he gutted and amended the bill to address public-school health centers instead. Coincidentally, it was the same day that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he won't include Sen....

Benjamin M. Wassell, an Iraq War hero who, despite a traumatic brain injury from an improvised explosive device that destroyed his vehicle back in 2006, was able to lead other wounded Marines through a minefield to safety, was the first person charged in violation of the New York State Safe Act. (VIDEO AT LINK) Iraq War hero Benjamin Wassell faces seven years in prison for the violation. Wassell pleaded not guilty today. Guns.com reported: A Western New York man now faces seven years in prison for violating Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new gun control-law, the NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement...

There is a scene in the movie “A Bronx tale” where the father of a young man counsels his son not to attack another young man over a $20.00 debt which has gone unpaid for too long. The father explains this is a small price to discover that someone is not trustworthy. He tells his son to be glad he has been shown how untrustworthy the other man is in this minor matter. “Now you know not to trust him in the future in bigger things,” he says. This small lesson begs the question: Why would we trust school administrators...

Legislators and gun control advocates united Sunday afternoon to discuss and rally around state and federal gun control legislation being considered in the Illinois General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Progress Illinois was there for the unifying, and at points emotional, event. Steve Young (pictured), a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Evanston, held up a photo yesterday of his late son Andrew in front of the nearly 500 people packed inside of Chicago Sinai Congregation’s sanctuary. Andrew was shot and killed in 1996 when he was 19 years old. “He was killed by a teenager with a gun originally...

For decades I have heard gun owners claim that the government would never be able to confiscate our firearms because the government would lose too many men. The implication being, of course, that gun owners would actively resist confiscation, even to the point of shooting back. But I believe this thinking is outdated and doesn’t align very well with reality. But before you tell me how big your honor guard in Hell will be when that day comes, let’s think about how the government could really do it. Suppose, for the sake of argument, the government bans all civilian possession...

As the far left pass into law unconstitutional and unforgivable statutes by which to confiscate the firearms of the American people, a number of gun rights supporters believe the reclamation of our 2nd Amendment rights must depend upon the continued election of declared, pro-2nd Amendment Republicans. Unfortunately, such is the rose-colored-glasses thinking of individuals either too foolish, too gullible or too cowardly to recognize the perpetual treachery of elected Republicans for what it truly is— a politician’s perception of political necessity taking precedence over his duty to support the God given rights of the American people. And never mind the...

Is it possible–or even imaginable–that in the United States of America, police could go door to door and confiscate citizens’ legally owned firearms? To many, such a concern is conspiratorial and evidence of paranoia. They might be surprised to learn that not only has outright gun confiscation of legally purchased weapons already occurred in a major way in the U.S., but public officials in some areas are right now attempting to pass legislation to allow more of the same. Alas, with the national furor over multiple new gun restrictions being proposed by President Obama via “executive action,” in Congress, in...

Their official name is the Richmond County Tea Party Patriots -- and they arguably put Congressman Michael Grimm (R-NY) in office twice, first in 2010 when Tea Party supported this U.S. Marine veteran for the U.S. House, and again in 2012. Grimm won the 2010 general election for his district which covers both parts of New York City's Staten Island and Brooklyn with 51 percent of the vote. Grimm won the 2012 general election for the post-Census New York 11th District with 52.8 percent of the vote. One doubts Michael Grimm could have gotten into office in this "purple" District...

Here’s the first hard evidence we’ve seen that the big meeting of the minds on guns that the media’s been touting might be overhyped. Plain and simple, says Coburn, if Democrats demand that records of private gun sales be kept, the compromise is dead. But wait. Kept by who? By the seller, or by the federal government? A Senate aide familiar with the process said Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace erred in the question he posed to Coburn. The aides said there is no discussion of allowing the federal government to keep any records of background checks or sales,...

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke warned of a second American revolution if gun control and gun confiscation passed and said he would not enforce laws requiring confiscation in his county while speaking with Alex Jones, Infowars reported Tuesday. “First of all, to me that would be an act of tyranny," he said of the gun control measures currently under consideration. "So the people in Milwaukee County do not have to worry about me enforcing some sort of order that goes out and collects everybody’s handgun, or rifles, or any kind of firearm and makes them turn them in.” “The reason...

Lawmakers in Washington State have accidentally written a bill permitting police to invade private homes for the purpose of confiscating “illegal” guns and accessories, such as magazines which hold over 10 rounds. (1) According to Senate Bill 5737, introduced on February 13th by Democrat State Senators Murray, Kohl-Welles and Kline, no one may possess an “assault weapon” or the combination of a semi-automatic pistol or rifle capable of using a detachable magazine AND any magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammo. Happily, however, you ARE allowed to possess an UNLOADED assault weapon “…for the purpose of permanently...

What many Americans consider “common sense” efforts to curb gun violence and ownership of military-style assault rifles and high-capacity magazines is met by much criticism and the claim that it is merely the first step toward confiscation. The rhetoric sometimes seems to border on hysteria, and the “facts” and “quotes” mere fabrications to bolster an argument. There really should be a rule that if you are going to disseminate information be it a quote, a picture or a fact it should be accompanied by sufficient citation allowing the average reader to verify its veracity. Otherwise people on both sides of...

Missouri Democrats introduced an anti-gun bill which would turn law-abiding firearm owners into criminals. They will have 90 days to turn in their guns if the legislation is passed. Dana Loesch Radio reported on the new legislation being pushed by Missouri Democrats: Any person who, prior to the effective date of this law, was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine shall have ninety days from such effective date to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution. Here’s part of the Democratic proposal in Missouri: 4. Any person who, prior to the effective...

The National Rifle Association will assert that President Barack Obama’s attempt to enact new gun control laws will result in the “confiscation” of people’s firearms in a new web video scheduled to run in five states and the District of Columbia. The video will go online around the time Obama begins delivering his State of the Union address, in which he is expected to mention his effort to reduce gun violence through legislative means. NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam told CNN that the organization based its warning on what he said is a Justice Department document, “Summary of Select Firearm Violence...

On Jan. 17, I attended the Atascadero Democratic Club business meeting and informational forum at 7:30 p.m. on gun safety which had been announced in the Atascadero News calendar to include a field representative from Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office and a local emergency room doctor, Steven Sainsbury, with 25 years emergency room experience speaking on his perspective regarding gun safety. This program was planned after the Sandy Hook Elementary School killing of 20 first graders and six school personnel trying to protect them. As the gun control/safety issue heated up, the club found itself and meeting date right in the...

I. Introduction In October 1992, in Louisiana, a Japanese exchange student named Yoshihiro Hattori went into the wrong house on the way to a Halloween party. The homeowner's wife screamed for help and the homeowner drew his .44 pistol and yelled for the student to 'freeze!' Not understanding the American idiom that 'freeze!' means 'Don't move or I'll shoot', the student continued advancing towards the homeowner. The homeowner pulled the trigger and shot him dead.[1] While the incident initially attracted only brief attention in the national American press, the shooting horrified Japan; hundreds of thousands of Japanese have signed petitions...

Discussing gun control, CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Friday told a Utah sheriff that if Barack Obama issues an executive order, that order is the law and the sheriff must obey. However, jurisprudence on this topic reveals exactly the opposite. As the head of the executive branch of the federal government, a president can issue executive orders only to employees of the federal government—and only regarding implementing federal laws or programs. A governor can likewise issue executive orders to employees of his state government regarding the laws or programs of that state. Every sheriff is a county officer, elected by the...

Turk Pierce (Jan. 28) says that "guns do kill people" and that fewer guns equals fewer deaths." Since Mr. Pierce is playing the numbers game, let us continue down that road. The following is a list of countries that initiated gun control and confiscation: Turkey, Soviet Union, Germany, China, Guatemala, Uganda and Cambodia; and the result -- 55, million citizens murdered. Not on a street corner by a thug, or in a parking lot by a gang member, but by their very own government. Mr. Pierce should do a little more research as to what our founding fathers were concerned...