Free Republic

Okay, I agree, it’s an odious choice, and thanks to the media and our two-party system, we have to make a difficult decision. But your freedom and your right to bear arms are in the balance. If you stay home, or vote the way your union tells you to, or vote for “change,” you will get screwed in a place you will find very uncomfortable. Let me explain why.The two contenders are Barack Obama and John McCain. McCain has not always, admittedly, been the best friend of American gun owners.Obama, on the other hand, has a long, documented, and consistent...

Supporters of the right to keep and bear arms have long recognized the value of firearms for the defense of life, liberty and property. But in Florida, a perverse conception of the 2nd Amendment has produced the opposite effect: The cause of gun rights is being used to attack property rights. In 1987, Florida wisely affirmed personal freedom by letting law-abiding citizens get permits to carry concealed weapons. But this year, the legislature decided it was not enough to let licensees pack in public places. They also should be allowed to take their guns into private venues -- even if...

HARROLD, Texas--A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported. Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements. In order for teachers and staff to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun; must be authorized to carry by the district; must receive training in crisis...

There’s been some confusion about how the Supreme Court’s decision is to be implemented, and what it means for DC’s registration system, going forward. We’d like to clear the air. The handgun that Mr. Heller tried to register in 2002, the registration of which was ordered by the courts, is a nine-shot revolver. It is fully registerable under D.C. law as it stands today, and Mr. Heller will have it registered to him. We are not expecting the city to resist the registration of this firearm. Once the gun is registered to Mr. Heller, he can use it to defend...

An employee of a Virginia Beach pizza restaurant shot and killed a masked robber who had come in the back of the shop to rob it Saturday night, police said.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, pessimistically, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." He would probably not have been surprised to see the proliferation of gun control laws in our time. But he might not have anticipated that the water would run back uphill. Thursday's Supreme Court decision affirming that the Second Amendment recognizes an individual right to own firearms for self-defense was a vindication of those who have long argued that position. But it was an even more stunning defeat for advocates of gun control, who not so long ago seemed to...

In a very narrowly worded decision the Supreme Court, in a disturbingly slim 5-4 majority decision confirmed what any half-witted reader of the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights could have told them from the beginning, the Second Amendment to the Constitution protects the right of the individual to keep and bear arms.Having this giant leap of imagination and comprehension (somehow complex pharases like “shall not be infringed,� that most people find very straight forward, they find perplexing) they went on the limit the breadth of their decision by back pedaling as fast as they could.Apparently even Chief...

The media have been telling us to watch the gun-control case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, where we await a decision about Americans' Second Amendment rights. But the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just handed down an equally important gun decision that has additional implications against judicial supremacy. The court, which convenes in New York City, shot down the longtime liberal dream of achieving gun control by suing gun manufacturers for crimes committed by firearms. In a remarkable decision, this federal appellate court dismissed City of New York v. Beretta U.S.A. Corp. and protected gun corporations against frivolous...

Youths 18 through 20 may now legally possess handguns under a state Supreme Court ruling issued this morning. The five-member court unanimously said the state law banning those under 21 from possessing handguns violated the state constitution. The justices upheld a lower court ruling that threw out a York County indictment on that charge against Berry Scott Bolin. The ruling mirrors a new state law that lowers the minimum age for S.C. residents to own a handgun to 18. Bolin was 19 when he was charged in connection with the February 2006 shooting death of Bobby Royce Hovis III, 19....

The political “hot button” issues of guns and judges have become intertwined in this election year. The fate of both issues will be decided by the candidate we elect as president. Why? Because over a four-year term, that president will likely appoint at least two and possibly three justices to the United States Supreme Court. Simply stated, this year when we elect a president, we will also cast our ballot for the next Supreme Court. Everyone concerned about the Second Amendment and judicial accountability should heed John McCain’s speech to the NRA on May 16. The presumptive Republican nominee will...

According to the Martin County Sheriffs Office, just about everyone wants a gun, and some gun dealers in the east agree. The reason why may surprise you. One dealer says it has to do with who may win the presidency. "That's my 2nd Amendment right. I should be able to have a handgun permit,” said gun owner Dallas Barber. “That's my 2nd Amendment right." And apparently in Martin County many others feel that way. The Sheriff tells us since January 180 people have applied for a permit. Like dozens of others Dallas Barber was denied a handgun carry permit. In...

Many adults in the United States believe a specific kind of weapon should be forbidden, according to a poll by Knowledge Networks released by the Associated Press and Yahoo. 55 per cent of respondents support a law requiring a nationwide ban on semi-automatic handguns, which automatically re-load every time they are fired. In addition, 77 per cent of respondents think people in their community should be allowed to keep handguns in their homes. The U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right "to keep and bear arms." Some American states have enacted their own gun control regulations, independent of existing...

The bottom line is, I think we’re going to be OK. When Justice Kennedy flat out said he believes in an individual right under the Second Amendment, there were no gasps in the hush of the High Court, but you could tell the greatest stellar array of gun-rights experts ever assembled, all there in that one room, breathed a sigh of relief -- we had five votes to affirm the human and civil right to arms. The transcript will be a key for analysis going forward until June, when the decision is expected, and I’m working without the benefit of...

Preparing to hear oral arguments Tuesday on the extent of gun rights guaranteed by the Constitution's Second Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has before it a brief signed by Vice President Cheney opposing the Bush administration's stance. Even more remarkably, Cheney is faithfully reflecting the views of President George W. Bush. The government position filed with the Supreme Court by U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement stunned gun advocates by opposing the breadth of an appellate court affirmation of individual ownership rights. The Justice Department, not the vice president, is out of order. But if Bush agrees with Cheney, why did...

Gun owners entering churches, restaurants or public parks could take their guns with them, under a bill passed by the Georgia House on Thursday. They also could leave them in their glove compartments at work. On a 111-58 vote, the House voted to expand greatly the rights of permitted gun owners to carry their concealed weapons into places prohibited now under Georgia law. "Georgia is the most restrictive state for law-abiding citizens, with Georgia firearms-license permits, in the nation," said state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), the bill's author. "I think we've got work to do in this state, when...

Fred on the Issues (from www.Fred08.com) National Security The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. Al Qaeda is committed to attacking us here at home, and wants to use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to kill millions. We must never give them that opportunity. We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. A weakened America...

Gun rights advocates were understandably dismayed when the Bush Administration Justice Department submitted a brief in District of Columbia v. Heller, the big Second Amendent case to be argued later this term, calling for a remand of the case for reconsideration of D.C.'s gun laws under a less demanding constitutional standard. Given the Bush Administration's support for an "individual rights" view of the Second Amendment, many find it incomprehensible that the Administration would not support the D.C. Circuit decision holding D.C.'s draconian gun restrictions unconstitutional. The DoJ's brief is also a potentially unwelcome development in the Presidential race, as it...

Gullyborg finally gives up on the wretched George W. Bush (for most of the reasons I did years ago) and decides he doesn’t want to see another Bush Kompassionate Klone - or worse - in the White House. So, he’s backing…well, who else? If this is the way a Republican administration responds to a constitutional challenge of the outright ban on handguns in our nation’s capital, then the time has come to remove the blinders and return to single issue voting. If the Second Amendment fails, all our other rights become meaningless. Our next President HAS to be one who...

Is America, land of shooting massacres in schools and public places, slowly falling out of love with guns? The answer is yes, and it runs counter to popular perceptions of the United States as a country where most citizens are armed to the teeth and believe it is every American's inalienable right to buy an AK 47-style assault rifle with the minimum of bureaucratic paperwork. But in fact, gun ownership in the United States has been declining steadily over more than three decades, relegating gun owners to minority status. At the same time, support for stricter gun controls has been...

When Americans nominate their presidential candidates next year, the Second Amendment won't be the first thing on their minds. The issue didn't even appear in a recent CNN poll that found that the economy, Iraq, health care, immigration, and terrorism are the nation's biggest concerns. But in a country where 36 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Republicans have firearms in their homes, the issue is still a locked and loaded one for candidates of both parties. Republican presidential hopefuls, as expected, worked hard to win over the members of the National Rifle Association at the organization's convention in...

Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to bear arms?

Who’s going to duck and cover on the Second Amendment debate that’s really getting wound up since the Supreme Court of the United States decided to rule on District of Columbia vs. Heller, or more commonly known as the D.C. Gun Ban? It seems that the republican candidates are getting involved and are at least letting voters know how they interpret the Second Amendment. The democrats seems mum on the issue, maybe because they know that gun rights can be politically deadly. The debate hitting all the media outlets still seems to be on the interpretation of “A well-regulated militia...

Many former Iowa caucus-goes may be returning home today to find a new piece of political mail waiting in their mailbox. The first direct mail piece from the Thompson campaign (.pdf format) should be hitting Iowa mailboxes sometime today, and according to one campaign source it is going out to "a wide universe" of people likely to caucus for a Republican in January. The mailer is called "Believe," and it is seen by the campaign as an introduction to Thompson's record. At the top it says "What if…" there was a candidate who had a 100 percent pro-life voting record,...

LADSON, S.C., Nov. 24 — Joe McCormick, a burly man over six feet tall, a World War II-era Mauser rifle at his side, said he was frightened. “Giuliani scares me,” Mr. McCormick said of Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. “What does a mayor of New York know about guns?” Fred D. Thompson, who was about 30 yards away — just past the “Confederate Cutlery” collection of knives, fingering an M-1 rifle at the Land of Sky Gun Show here Saturday — was more his kind of candidate. Mr....

Here's another reason why it's important that we appoint judges who use the Constitution as more than a set of suggestions. Today [Tuesday, November 20], the Supreme Court decided to hear the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. Six plaintiffs from Washington, D.C. challenged the provisions of the D.C. Code that prohibited them from owning or carrying a handgun. They argued that the rules were an unconstitutional abridgment of their Second Amendment rights. The Second Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, provides, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of...

COLUMBIA, S.C. - When Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson walks down the aisles of a gun show Saturday in Charleston, the game he's hunting won't be hard to spot. The former senator and actor is looking to differentiate himself from rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney - and use his appeal as a "country boy from Tennessee" who knows NASCAR and hunting to portray the city slickers as out of step with this early voting state's residents. There is little doubt gun rights are a tough issue for the front of the GOP pack. Former New York Mayor Giuliani has...

Yesterday, Senator Fred Thompson issued a statement on the Supreme Court's decision to grant certiorari in the District of Columbia gun ban case. It reads, in part: I’ve always understood the Second Amendment to mean what it says – it guarantees a citizen the right to “keep and bear” firearms, and that’s why I’ve been supportive of the National Rifle Association’s efforts to have the DC law overturned. In general, lawful gun ownership is a pretty simple matter. The Founders established gun-owner rights so that citizens would possess and be able to exercise the universal right of self-defense. Guns enable...

National Security The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life. Today we face the urgent threat of radical Islamic terrorists. … We must defeat the terrorists abroad, and that begins in Iraq and Afghanistan—the central fronts in this global war. We must show the world we have the will to fight and win. Immigration I am committed to: * Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end. * Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance...

In what may turn out to be the most important Second Amendment ruling since 1939’s hideously misinterpreted Miller - and maybe the most important ruling on the Amendment in American history, the Supreme Court has granted cert to Parker v. D.C. and will be taking up the case in this session. Natch, Glenn Reynolds has tonsalinks. My first take (I have to admit I’m shaking in my boots at the negative possibilities here, given that I thought the SCOTUS would dodge this one) is that the Court will find an individual right, but do so in such a way that...

I believe I represent the average Republican voter, or at least a significant slice of the R base. My positions - in no particular order - are as follows: Immigration - Amnesty is a deal breaker. If they are here illegally and we come into contact with them, send them home. Iraq - We were winning, we are winning, and we will win. The various pitfalls and difficulties that we have had do not equal defeat. We need a President to stand firm, and to fire all the traitors(I am not using this word lightly) in the State Department and...

ISN'T IT GREAT to know that the Republican candidates for president are all hopped up about moral values? In presentations to conservative voters in Florida at the "Value Voter Summit," major presidential hopefuls Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani each sought to outscore their opponents on those matters that so exercise the hearts and minds of the evangelicals. It's intriguing to see how these anxious social conservatives (and their candidates on that day) define values. Their big four issues are abortion, gay rights, religious liberalism and gun control. These "no, no, no, no" positions that stress the...

McLean, VA - On the heels of strong grassroots showings in Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Ft. Mill, Spartanburg and Greenville, Fred Thompson is officially announcing his statewide Campaign Chair, several regional leaders and 27 county chairs and co-chairs in 19 counties across the state. Congressman Gresham Barrett (SC-03) has been named Statewide Campaign Chair and will help lead Thompson's effort in South Carolina along with Thompson's Steering Committee, chaired by Major General James E. Livingston, USMC (Retired), and Regional Chairs. "Senator Thompson is a consistent conservative leader with a solid record in supporting life, fighting illegal immigration and defending the Second...

America needs a gun ban. Yes, a ban that denies possession, transfer and ownership of firearms. I say that as a gun owner myself. I say this as a strong defender of the Second Amendment to the Constitution. I say it with the belief the Second Amendment empowers American citizens to defend their sacred honor, their homes and families and to help “defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.” It is the phrase “all enemies foreign and domestic” that leads me to endorse a gun ban. The Second Amendment is clear: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to...

One of the silliest complaints that liberals never tire of leveling against conservatives is that we’re divisive. I should hope so. God forbid that those of us on the right should ever roll over for the knuckleheads on the left. But this is a perfect example of the pot calling the kettle divisive. The truth of the matter is that it’s nearly always the folks on the left who go out of their way to promote the issues that separate Americans. For instance, consider the Second Amendment. It’s been around for well over 200 years, and for most of that...

Here's your chance to make a cameo appearance in Fred's Presidential campaign. Make a video telling us why you support Fred Thompson for President and upload it using the form below. We'll share these videos with all of our supporters on Fred08.com, and allow you, and them, to pick the best one. Here's your chance to be a star. Submit your video now. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sure, Fred Thompson is an accomplished lawyer, prosecuting criminals in Tennessee before serving as counsel on the Watergate hearings. And yes, he served the people of Tennessee as a common sense, conservative Senator for eight years....

FORT MILL -- A campaign event in a bar, in the middle of the afternoon on a Tuesday -- Fred Thompson seemed like my kind of guy. And after he spoke at Beef 'O' Brady's in Fort Mill -- which is technically a restaurant, but any place with eight beers on tap and ashtrays on the bar is a bar -- many of about 150 people who packed the place said Fred Thompson is their kind of guy, too. Especially guys like Ed Egan. From between Rock Hill and York, 63 years old, Marine Corps helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Egan...

ROCHESTER, N.H. -- Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson made his fourth visit to New Hampshire on Monday discussing his views on gun ownership and securing the borders. Talking to a group of more than 100 gun manufacturers, Thompson got plenty of applause when he talked about protecting the right to keep and bear arms. "I've been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment," Thompson said. "That's where I've been yesterday, that's where I am today and where I'll be tomorrow." Thompson made his comments after a tour of Thompson Arms Center, where he watched how hunting rifles and handguns are...

Shortly before a Republican presidential primary debate in Columbia, South Carolina, this last May, several conservative activists in the state received mysterious envelopes in the mail. The letters arrived anonymously, each one containing an eight-page document, a typewritten manifesto with a pseudo-academic title: "Mormons in Contemporary American Society: A Politically Dangerous Religion?" The letters depicted Mormonism as based on "hoaxes" and ridiculed the church's founder, Joseph Smith, as a "gold digger turned prophet." The mailing also provocatively dubbed Smith "the Mohammed of the West." "Like the prophet of Islam," it said, "Smith founded his religion upon prophecies and revelations which...

Retired Kansas policeman Ed Hayes lives a quiet life with his wife and pet poodles in a spacious suburban home near Kansas City, far from the main front line over illegal immigration along the U.S. border with Mexico. But over the last 18 months the 66-year-old grandfather has been drawn into the battle nonetheless, becoming active on a second front. He has joined many individuals, who, with state and municipal leaders, have given up waiting for federal action and are working to control illegal immigration themselves. The issue has become a priority not only for activists like Hayes but also...

Last week, Sturm, Ruger & Company (NYSE: RGR) stock took a licking in the marketplace after Ruger officials admitted their revitalization plan wasn't quite on the rails the way they had envisioned. Yesterday, Smith & Wesson Holding Company (SWHC) received a similar spanking after earnings came in below analysts' expectations of 12 cents a share. Notice there were earnings, they just weren't the earnings the market analysts expected. Rather than 12 cents, earnings were a nickel less. In exchange, Smith & Wesson Holding Company took a big tumble, losing nearly 40% (39.67) in heavy volume with more than 14 point...

A Minnesota college student was suspended and ordered to undergo "mental health evaluation" for his response to campuswide e-mails from school officials concerning the Virginia Tech massacre. The college, Hamline University, a private, liberal-arts institution affiliated with the Methodist Church, has a policy on "Freedom of Expression and Inquiry" that guarantees that Hamline students will be "free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them and to express opinions publicly or privately." With such a strong guarantee on students' "freedom from censorship and control" by the university, student Troy Scheffler's e-mail must have been horrifically bad to warrant...

An “empty holster” demonstration to promote campus firearm possession is getting a second look from East Tennessee State University administrators after they initially warned a student club that participation could result in discipline. “I was real happy to hear that they’re reconsidering that,” Jay Adkins, a vice president in ETSU’s Marksmanship Club, said Monday. “I was surprised at the reaction that I got, because right off the bat, it was a reaction of, ‘No, this can’t be done. It’s inappropriate.’” Club members had approached administrators about their intentions to don empty holsters for a national event organized by Students for...

Dear Otus, I classify myself as a proud Libratarian, and I always vote for the candidate who is the biggest gun supporter. I heard that last week Mike Huckabee spoke to an NRA convention and boasted about his gun collection. Do you have that information ? How about the other candidates ? I’ve always felt you can tell a lot about a candidate by the caliber of his gun. — Braun Werden Stuttgart Dear Braun, It was wholly a pleasure to hear from you and to add a hearty amen, brother. Nobody gets elected in this country without a healthy...

With Fred Thompson nipping at his heels in national polls, Rudy Giuliani is starting to wear out his welcome among the Republican Party's core conservative base. The latest popped thread came in a stern letter this week from Pat Toomey, president of the staunchly anti-tax group Club for Growth. Toomey said his key conservative members were "surprised and concerned" about reports that Giuliani wouldn't flatly rule out raising taxes to salvage a Social Security program headed for bankruptcy. If true, he added, it "casts doubt on your commitment to opposing all tax increases." The Giuliani camp quickly hustled out its...

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took a rare, veiled swipe at his predecessor yesterday, challenging Rudolph W. Giuliani’s assertion that a lawsuit Mr. Giuliani filed as mayor against gun manufacturers had changed so much that he may no longer support it. Saying that the case had “not changed at all” since its inception, Mr. Bloomberg told reporters at a news conference at City Hall, “We believe that it’s a good case, and we hope to win it.” Last week, Mr. Giuliani, a Republican candidate for president, told the National Rifle Association that the suit had “taken several turns and several twists...

The National Rifle Association, which did not endorse President Bush in 2000 and 2004 until just a month before the general election, is considering stepping into the presidential campaign fray early next year during the primary season, the group's chief lobbyist says. While the NRA waited until October in each of the past two presidential election years before endorsing a candidate, the group plans to take a more high-profile role early in the 2008 Republican nomination process. "Historically, we have not gotten involved in primaries. We traditionally wait until after the conventions," said Chris Cox, head lobbyist for the NRA....

The following is a summary of Thompson’s views on the issues of National Security, Federal Budget and Spending/Budgetary Reform, Tax Reform, Healthcare, Government Effectiveness, Building Strong Families, Immigration, Education, Appointment of Judges, Energy Security, and the Second Amendment. National Security In a post 9/11 world, Thompson recognizes the need for America to increase its ability to defeat its terrorist enemies. Therefore, his plans include upscaling the military, improving the missile defense system, enhancing the intelligence community, making homeland security robust enough to protect America from terrorists worldwide, giving backbone the judicial system so it will face the reality of terrorism...

Rudolph W. Giuliani will go before the rank and file of the National Rifle Association on Friday, seeking support for his Republican presidential campaign from a group he once likened to "extremists" for its efforts to repeal the ban on assault weapons. But even as the former New York mayor strives to burnish his Second Amendment credentials at the gathering in Washington, a panel of federal judges in his home town will be hearing arguments on the lawsuit that Giuliani filed seven years ago aimed at punishing the nation's gun manufacturers for violent crimes involving firearms. Announcing the lawsuit in...

On the day South Florida mourned a slain police officer, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson stopped in Miami and stuck firmly to his guns over what he says is the unnecessary call for limiting the right to bear arms. ''I do not think that abrogating Second Amendment rights is a good idea,'' the Republican said at the Versailles in Little Havana. ''The amount of violence created on the street by these kinds of weapons is very, very small,'' Thompson said. ``It's too bad. It's horrendous. Any kind -- whether it's a knife or an IED [improvised explosive device] or a...

NEW PORT RICHEY - Fred Thompson got a strong endorsement from gun control opponent Bill Bunting, who's also chairman of the Pasco County Republican Party, during a campaign stop Friday. Thompson spoke at the county party's Reagan Day fundraising dinner to a packed room at Spartan Manor in New Port Richey. Thompson, just starting out as an announced candidate in the GOP primary, appears likely to find strong support in Pasco County, some local GOP leaders said. Attorney General Bill McCollum, the Florida chairman for Thompson's competitor, Rudy Giuliani, was planned to be keynote speaker at the dinner for months,...