Free Republic

A federal judge has struck down California’s controversial “assault weapons” ban, ruling late on Friday that the move is "unconstitutional." “This case is not about extraordinary weapons lying at the outer limits of Second Amendment protection,” Judge Roger T. Benitez of the Southern District of California wrote.

A federal judge in San Diego on Friday overturned California’s three-decade ban on assault weapons, saying it violates the Second Amendment."Under no level of heightened scrutiny can the law survive," U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez said before issuing a permanent injunction that takes effect in 30 days. Benitez argued the state’s definition of illegal military-style rifles bans firearms allowed in other states, depriving California gun owners of their rights.He compared the AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife, saying it’s "a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle."

China is often described as the next superpower to top America within the next few decades. At first glance, such an assertion makes sense. The country’s vast geography, natural resources, rich history, and tech-savvy populace puts it in a position to thrive in the 21st century. However, China’s rise as a superpower is not one of an overnight success, nor is it filled with pretty rainbows. Indeed, China is one of the world’s longest lasting civilizations, with cultural and political traditions that have been passed down to succeeding generations effortlessly. With such a vast history, China had gone through its...

No, that is not David Chipman standing in the ruins of the burnt-out Waco compound, site of the 1993 slaughter of members of the Branch Davidian religious group led by David Koresh. He was too busy back at the office helping to manufacture and disseminating lies about what went on at the compound to justify a brutal, murderous, and unnecessary assault. The animus he exhibited in his tenure at ATF towards gun owners and gun rights, to the point of using violence as a gun-control tactic, reflects a view he holds today and shares with the likes of Biden “gun...

It may be too soon to suggest that the novel coronavirus pandemic is truly over, but life is returning to normal. As mask mandates and social distancing requirements are being relaxed, sporting events are seeing bigger crowds, people are packing airplanes and people are (begrudgingly) returning to the office. However, the pandemic drove the sales – even hoarding – of some products and that isn’t likely to change just yet. As for firearms, the pandemic certainly created a buying spree, yet the return to “normal” hasn’t resulted in a sales slowdown. If anything sales of firearms has remained steady.

A good guy with a gun stopped a bad guy. Miami Houstan of Texas shared a video on Instagram that shows him encountering a burglar when he returned home Memorial Day weekend. The brave man wrote this caption: I grew up in the hood …i made bad choices in my life i’m not proud of …i was given a second chance in life by a judge by joining the army where i started my career as a cop to make a difference in my community from the inside out …with everything happening in this world with my own race the...

A few potentially bad apples could spoil the bunch. That is essentially the logic that David Chipman, President Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE or ATF) apparently believes. During his Senate confirmation hearings, Chipman testified that he believes that some “law-abiding” gun owners could potentially become violent, and therefore further restrictions on all gun owners should be deemed necessary. Chipman, who served in the ATF for twenty-five years, has since been a policy advisor for multiple gun control groups including Everytown for Gun Safety and most recently at the Giffords Law...

Additional details began to emerge on Thursday, less than a day after the San Jose shooting claimed nine lives. The suspect was identified as 57-year-old Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) employee Sam James Cassidy. He reportedly had two semi-automatic handguns, but the exact models have not been disclosed. He also reportedly had eleven loaded magazines, while law enforcement officials said a fire in his house began around the same time he began his shooting spree – suggesting he had some way to set it off either remotely or via a timer. “What we’re operating under now, and I’m not...

For decades, gun control advocates constantly claim that Right-to-Carry laws would lead to disaster. But when disasters don’t occur they move on to the next prediction of disaster. We have to keep track of these predictions if only to judge how much weight to give to their erroneous predictions. Montana is the latest state to let people carry concealed handguns on college campuses, and the state Board of Regents for the university system demanded an emergency stay from the state Supreme Court because “serious harm is threatened” if the law goes into effect on June 1. The Regents took a...

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will no longer search for or release records stemming from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests surrounding Hunter Biden and his firearms. According to the Bureau, there are “substantial privacy interests” surrounding the requests. Reports broke in October about “… the widow of Beau Biden, Hallie Biden, allegedly took Hunter Biden’s firearm and threw it in a dumpster behind a Delaware grocery store. Police investigated out of concern the gun could be used in a crime, particularly because the grocery store was in close proximity to a school,” The Daily Wire...

Kids chanting to a bloodthirsty deity or getting secret sex changes? The Golden State says why notSACRAMENTO -- The state capitol has been overwhelmed this year with the number of harmful bills being introduced by California legislators. The California Family Council opposes 19 bills that either threaten the unborn, parental rights, freedom of speech and religion, or encourage racism, drug abuse, sex trafficking and assisted suicide. The bills that the CFC supported this year to promote religious liberty, provide sex education transparency and protect children from sex abusers are dead or pushed off until next year. Most of the 19...

During a moment of silence meant to honor fallen Officer Chris Oberheim on the floor of the Illinois House, state Rep. Carol Ammons (D) spoke about the felon, Darion Lafayette, who died after shooting and killing Oberheim. Ammons cosponsored a resolution meant to honor Oberheim and create a moment of silence exclusively for the fallen officer. Ammons said, “Gun violence has plagued our community for far too long. And, this morning, we are standing in recognition of the loss of life of Officer Chris Oberheim.” She immediately followed up: But we also have to call to the family who also...

A Second Amendment patriot came to the rescue of a Jewish family after they fell victim to an anti-Semitic attack in Florida this week, according to reports.cPolice are investigating the Miami-area incident involving the Orgen family from New Jersey who received help from a gun owner who witnessed the assault as it was unfolding.

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old accused of shooting and killing two people and wounding another during protests last year, made his first in-person court appearance Friday morning in Kenosha, Wis. The defense and prosecution said the November trial could take up to two weeks. Friday was Rittenhouse's first in-person appearance as previous legal proceedings were held virtually due to the pandemic. Rittenhouse faces multiple felony counts of reckless homicide and reckless endangerment, as well as a misdemeanor count of being a minor in possession of a firearm. Attorneys have agreed to send questionnaires to potential jurors to quiz them on their...

The Texas House and Senate have reached an agreement on a permitless carry bill, lawmakers announced Friday. Both chambers passed versions the “constitutional carry” bill that would allow Texans 21 and older to carry a handgun without a license as long as they’re not otherwise prohibited from having a firearm. But changes made to House Bill 1927 in the Senate were not agreeable to the House, and a committee made up of representatives and senators was formed to come up with a compromise bill. The bill’s author Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, announced that a deal had been reached on Friday afternoon...

Things are already heating up between Ken Paxton and George P. Bush over the potential Texas Attorney General GOP primary challenge. -snip- Paxton said of Bush. "I know for a fact that he's told people that he was either going to run for governor, lieutenant governor or against me." Paxton said that Bush "hates being land commissioner" and won't challenge Patrick or Abbott because they have too much cash to support their campaign. Paxton speculated Bush is "settling" for the AG run because he doesn't have as much money. "He's not going to run against me on the issues because...

Texas Second Amendment supporters have been working hard to pass Constitutional Carry in Texas for several years. The leadership of the Texas Republicans has been hostile to the idea, even though Constitutional Carry was one of the top planks in the Texas Republican Party platform. Changes in leadership, by resignation or removal in primaries, made passage plausible in 2021. A new Republican Party Chairman, Allen West, pushed hard for passage. Speaker of the House, Dade Phelan supported it. It passed the house, 84 to 56 in mid-April. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (who controls the Texas Senate) and Governor Greg Abbot...

Carey McWilliams is a gun owner, a successful small and big game hunter, holding concealed carry permits for 20 years. He has been turned down for a Minnesota permit because he is blind. He has applied for a second time.It is blatant discrimination based on a disability. It probably violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Update: The Minnesota Sheriff, confronted with the evidence, and with the possibility of an ADA lawsuit, has issued Carey a Minnesota Carry permit.The initial thought of blind people carrying firearms causes many to do a double-take. Consider the concept more closely and you will see...

Image screenshot from Rep. Shane Stringer’s Facebook, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten On 14 May, 2021, Alabama Representative Shane Stringer was fired by Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran because Representative Stringer is a strong proponent of Constitutional Carry in Alabama. From policetribune.com:But Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran and Capt. Stringer have clashed politically since he joined the department.Mobile County Sheriff’s Department Spokeswoman Lori Myles said that Capt. Stringer’s political views ran afoul of Sheriff Cochran’s beliefs, AL.com reported.Sheriff Cochran disagreed with Capt. Stringer’s sponsorship of constitutional-carry legislation, Myles said.Representative Shane Stringer was a Captain in the Mobile County Sheriff’s...

Did you hear that Joe Biden’s Department of Justice wanted the Supreme Court to rule that police could search Americans’ homes for firearms — and confiscate them — without a warrant?In the case of Caniglia vs. Strom, this issue was in play. Had SCOTUS ruled that police could do that, your Second Amendment rights would have been in grave jeopardy.In March, Biden’s DoJ filed a brief with the Supreme Court in this case. It said:In its first amicus brief before the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice argued the actions taken by law enforcement to confiscate the petitioner’s firearms without...