Free Republic

Former U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who successfully ran for Congress in 1996 as a crusader for gun control after a mass shooting on a New York commuter train left her husband dead and her son severely wounded, has died. She was 81. News of her death was shared Thursday by several elected officials on her native Long Island and by Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. Details about her death were not immediately available. McCarthy went from political novice to one of the nation’s leading advocates for gun control legislation in the aftermath of the 1993...

Rhode Island’s Democratic-controlled state House on Friday approved legislation that would ban the sale and manufacturing of many semiautomatic rifles commonly referred to as assault weapons. The proposal now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Dan McKee, who said in a post on the social platform X on Friday evening that he plans to sign the bill into law. If that happens, Rhode Island will join 10 states that have some sort of prohibition on high-powered firearms that were once banned nationwide and are now largely the weapon of choice among those responsible for most of the country’s devastating...

The AR-15 is the most popular civilian rifle in America and is used by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans for lawful reasons.. Total bans on AR-15s are a flagrant violation of the Second Amendment. Today, the Department of Justice filed an amicus brief telling the Seventh Circuit that Illinois’ law banning AR-15s is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. ... Some states and federal courts have a bad habit of treating the Second Amendment like a second-class right, especially in AR-15 cases. But to quote Justice Thomas: “The overwhelming majority of citizens who own and use AR-style rifles do so...

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) claims that suppressors make mass public shootings more deadly. Between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2024, there were 104 mass public shootings, but only two of those involved suppressors (Virginia Beach, Virginia in 2019 and Milwaukee in 2020). The average number of casualties from mass public shootings with suppressors is actually lower than the average without (11 v. 19.8), though the average number of people murdered is exactly the same as (8.5 v. 8.5). Senator Murphy also claims that suppressors will make it so that “no one will be able to hear the gun shots.”...

Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), who was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the United States Senate, is the latest Republican to back Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, Politico learned Sunday. Pressler, who said that in addition to casting an absentee ballot for Obama he'd donated $500 to the Illinois senator's campaign, cited the Democrat's response to the financial crisis as the primary reason for his decision. "I just got the feeling that Obama will be able to handle this financial crisis better, and I like his financial team of [former Treasury Secretary Robert] Rubin and [former Federal Reserve...

A former Republican senator is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president after the mass shooting in Orlando, citing her support for gun control. Former Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) called for universal background checks on all gun sales and an assault weapons ban Monday in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. "I can't believe I'm endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, but I am," said Pressler, who spoke with The Hill on Monday after endorsing Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in a statement issued over the weekend.... He said he feels disenfranchised by Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican...

In a unanimous decision the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 Thursday that the government of Mexico cannot hold American gun manufacturers accountable for criminal activity. More specifically, cartel violence south of the border. "The Government of Mexico sued seven American gun manufacturers, alleging that the companies aided and abetted unlawful gun sales that routed firearms to Mexican drug cartels," the order states. "Mexico focuses on production of 'military style' assault weapons, but these products are widely legal and purchased by ordinary consumers. Manufacturers cannot be charged with assisting criminal acts simply because Mexican cartel members also prefer these guns. The same...

Citigroup announced Tuesday that it’s ending its policy restricting banking services to businesses selling firearms, citing “regulatory developments, recent executive orders and federal legislation.” The policy, which required retailers to limit gun sales to people over 21, was originally implemented in 2018 after a 19-year-old shot and killed 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. However, in a statement released Tuesday, the bank indicated it will “no longer have a specific policy regarding firearms.” “The policy was intended to promote the adoption of best sales practices as prudent risk management and didn’t address the manufacturing of...

No, Jamie Dimon isn't predicting an invasion of or civil war in the United States, but during his wide-ranging discussion at the Reagan National Economic Forum, he did issue some dire warnings about how American policymakers have made some very poor decisions in recent years that threaten economic turmoil in the near term and our long-term dominance in the medium term. Dimon, as you likely know, is CEO of JP Morgan Chase and the most powerful banker in the world, making him one of the powerful people in the world. While Dimon is not a magician, it would be stupid...

Vote Coming to Confirm Anti-gun Radical -- "Guns Kill Civil Society," says State Department Nominee Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scheduled a Wednesday vote on a State Department nominee who supports gun control on a global scale. While advocates of the Second Amendment have come to expect that appointees of President Barack Obama would be hostile to the rights of gun owners, the president's nominee for legal advisor to the State Department reaches a whole new level of anti-gun extremism. Harold Hongju Koh, who served at the State Department under the Clinton administration, is a...

Does the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms apply to fully automatic machine guns? The US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee is poised to rule on the matter. Jaquan Bridges pleaded guilty to possessing a machine gun after engaging in a 2023 shootout with police officers on a Tennessee highway. Courthouse News reported that Bridges “was arrested with a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an attachment that converted the handgun into a machine gun, but fought to dismiss the charge on constitutional grounds.” He claimed the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in New York State...

At least nine people have been killed after an SUV rammed through a packed street festival in Vancouver on Saturday night. The vehicle rammed through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day event at around 8pm local time, leaving multiple people dead and scores more injured. Detectives said a 30-year-old man, from the city and 'known to police', was 'taken into custody by people in the crowd' before being arrested at the scene following the 'mass casualty incident'. Issuing an update on the death toll early on Sunday morning, Vancouver Police said: 'As of now, we can confirm nine people...

The Democrat Party is on an impressive losing streak. The Dems comprehensively lost the 2024 presidential election, they're obsessively focused on being on the 20 side of the 80-20 transgender athletes issue, and then they elected David Hogg as the Democratic National Committee's Vice Chair. Hogg, not known as one of the country's brightest thinkers, is using his newfound importance as vice chair to make media appearances and demonstrate in exact detail why he was a terrific choice to lead the party. If you're a Republican. In a CBS News appearance this week, Hogg said in an interview that his...

The FBI tracks active shooting cases-where individuals attempt to kill people in public places, excluding those tied to robberies or gang violence. This study is the first to systematically compare how uniformed police and civilians with concealed handgun permits perform in stopping these attacks. Civilians with permits stopped the attacks more frequently and faced a lower risk of being killed or injured than police. Officers who intervened during the attacks were far more likely to be killed or injured than those who apprehended the attackers later.

The Supreme Court declined Monday to decide whether a New York law that requires residents to have “good moral character” to carry a handgun is constitutional, leaving in place most of the state’s ban on carrying weapons in “sensitive places,” such as schools, parks and theaters. The decision is a victory for New York officials and gun control groups, who have been attempting to approve or defend gun prohibitions in the wake of a blockbuster 2022 Supreme Court precedent that widely expanded the ability of Americans to carry guns in public. The New York law in question in the case...

Everytown for Gun Safety is also trying to swing the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The radical anti-gun rights group is spending $600,000 on an advertisement targeting former attorney general and Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel—a staunch defender of the Second Amendment. Guess who backs them? Mega donor Michael Bloomberg. WI, please, I need you to go out and vote. We cannot afford to lose two house seats.

(The Center Square) – A controversial gun control bill has cleared the Colorado General Assembly and now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Senate Bill 25-003, when introduced, initially outright banned the sale or purchase of most semi-automatic rifles or shotguns that take detachable magazines and exempted firearms with “permanently fixed” magazines. The bill was later amended to allow purchases if an individual secures a “firearms safety course eligibility card” from their local sheriff department and then completes a qualifying firearm education course. SB 25-003 passed a concurrent vote of 19-15-1 in the upper chamber on...

42 U.S. Code § 1983 - Civil action for deprivation of rights Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer...

You’d never know it from watching television, but civilians stop more active shooters than police and do so with fewer mistakes, according to new research from the Crime Prevention Research Center, where I serve as president. In non-gun-free zones, where civilians are legally able to carry guns, concealed carry permit holders stopped 51.5% of active shootings, compared to 44.6% stopped by police, CPRC found in a deep dive into active shooter scenarios between 2014-2023. Not only do permit holders succeed in stopping active shooters at a higher rate, but law enforcement officers face significantly greater risks when intervening. Our research...

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon appeals court on Wednesday found that a gun control law approved by voters over two years ago is constitutional, reversing a lower court ruling from a state judge who had kept it on hold. The law, one of the toughest in the nation, requires people to undergo a criminal background check and complete a gun safety training course in order to obtain a permit to buy a firearm. It also bans high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Measure 114 has been tied up in state and federal court since it was narrowly approved...