U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- When they write the accounts of how the battle for the Second Amendment was decided, it’s not just going to be about the court rulings. It’s also going to focus on whether those court rulings took hold, or if they got overturned down the road.
Yes, folks, the Supreme Court has been known to change its mind. In 58 years, the Supreme Court changed its mind on the legality of “separate but equal.” While Brown v. Board of Education overturning Plessy v. Ferguson was a good change, it is also a warning with regards to the Heller and McDonald rulings.
Both of those rulings were 5-4 rulings in support of the Second Amendment. But even then, it was difficult. We know now that during the Heller deliberations, then-Justice John Paul Stevens was working to water down that landmark decision, if not thwart it completely. To an extent, he succeeded in getting some throwaway lines, but those lines have been used to justify semi-auto bans by the Ninth and Fourth Circuits. So, the Supreme Court situation, while better, is still precarious. This doesn’t include calls on the Left to pack the court.
Now, carrying out such a packing is theoretically possible. There is nothing in the Constitution limiting the Supreme Court to only nine members. But to do that, there would need to be an anti-Second Amendment majority in the House, an anti-Second Amendment supermajority in the Senate, and an anti-Second Amendment President.
The first of those three requirements are already in place. The other two could very well happen by 2025. You can bet that the packing would be designed to neutralize pro-Second Amendment appointments since January 2017. Imagine, if you will, multiple new justices with the John Paul Stevens mindset on the Second Amendment, and also willing to rule in favor of laws that restrict political speech.
These would not be mere setbacks for Second Amendment supporters, these would be kill shots. Not only would a radical and onerous agenda be passed, but efforts to campaign against it could be effectively criminalized. How do we stop this?
The answer is to win elections, and right now, while Second Amendment supporters dominate in the rural areas – especially “flyover country” – they have steadily lost ground in the suburbs. As such, Bloomberg, Schumer, Feinstein, and others who seek to take away our Second Amendment rights for no good reason are closer to being able to say, “Mr. and Mrs. America, turn them in.”
Why is this the case? Well, one of the reasons has been the incessant coverage mass shootings have gained. Now, we know the facts about mass shootings, how they are rare events, that “gun-free” zones are prime locations for such events, that concealed carry helps stop them, that other countries have worse ones than the United States, and often there are numerous missed chances to prevent them long before the terrible event happens.
That’s not the picture that the media and anti-Second Amendment extremists have painted. Bloomberg has helped make that false picture stick, especially in the minds of the proverbial “soccer moms” – suburban women, usually who were also balancing their kids with careers. These women, who place the safety of their kids as a top priority, have been hit with years of claims that the NRA is a threat to their kids’ safety because of its defense of the Second Amendment.
Sadly, the NRA’s response hasn’t been as effective as it could have been. In addition, the social stigmatization of the Second Amendment has, as its purpose, to make the suburbs a bastion for Bloomberg’s agenda. The fact is, Second Amendment supporters will need ways to convince a bunch of soccer moms who have the poop scared out of them that they have been lied to. How can we do this?
The first step has to be some very smart advertising. Yes, Silicon Valley and the national media are biased, but local stations sell ad revenue, too. Run ads that get the facts out, show demonstrable lies by those who wish to take our rights away, and which humanize Second Amendment supporters. In addition, many of the techniques used to fight the social stigmatization of the Second Amendment can be used.
We can talk about the attack on our rights, and yes, fire up those in flyover country, but it is in the suburbs where the future of our Second Amendment rights will be decided.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Out gunned and out numbered. And drugs are epidemic and dealers are teaming up with pimps who kidnap children and traffick captive women. In Maine the trafficking is a 32 billion dollars hole in Maine’s economy.
In recent elections the candidates were so closely tied they had to use ranked choice voting, which l don’t like because I to the polls to vote for a particular candidate and nobody else.
Congress needs to mandate that all decisions coming down from the US Supreme Court be voted unanimously by the justices. This will assure that only constitutionalists may be seated on the court and there will be no cabal of liberals or statists.
Criminals don’t abide by the laws so how do stiffer gun restrictions help ? The new laws only effect people who follow the law. Don’t be stupid do research and find out the truth. None of the new laws do anything to protect anyone we already have background checks the politicians have there own agenda in mind not the safety of the people look at the FBI’S own data from the last assult weapon ban it did nothing to gun crime. My God just look at all the lies you see in the news everyday about all the scandals in… Read more »
Criminals, by definition, do not obey laws… they break (DIS-obey) laws. So the concept of simply enacting more laws (putting more “ink on paper”) – which criminals will disregard in exactly the same way that they have historically always disregarded laws – is useless, except as a shining example of Leftists/liberals’ ridiculously-poor (nonexistent, actually) problem-solving skills. Leftists (liberals, socialists, progressives, or whatever the hell they call themselves this week) have NO business in any position of leadership… social, religious, or political. Their happy asses need to be bounced across the parking lot, so they will go away and let sane… Read more »
The Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to keep and bear arms. The Bill of Rights is a contract between the government and the governed that inalienable rights (endowed by the Creator) will not be infringed upon. That knowledge is being eroded in our current society. Unfortunately, it will not stop, rather continue. The progressive agenda is just that insidious. The sheeple will not realize they have sold themselves into slavery and abject poverty until it’s too late. We can stem the tide, but the post modern flood waves will continue to crash against our constitution. I fear for… Read more »
wrong Jay.
part of the 2ND Amendment PLAINLY STATES, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.
there is two parts to this amendment, also remember WE THE PEOPLE ARE STILL THE MILITIA, NOT THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Correct! In the late 1700s, the only formal national guard in existence was the British government’s militia composed of Tories… loyalists to the crown, who fought against the colonists. Are Leftists truly stupid enough to claim that the 2nd Amendment applied only to those Tories???
Was told once you have to lay down to be walked on.Its past time to stand up or we won’t be able to stand.We need verifiable facts to put in the face of these gun right grabbers .
Cox and LaPierre have devolved the NRA into a mega self, perpetuating fundraising organization like AARP . I dropped my membership( which started with Obama’s election) when they started spending more to raise money than my membership cost. Then they started giving away the store. And LTC North (WTF)? I now belong to Judicial Watch and SAF. THEY ARE ACTUALLY DOING THINGS.
NRA started to setup standardization and expansion of civilian firearms training. Setting standards and instruction on being an instructor in the various types of shooting and firearms. Instead of getting into the political realm of firearms, the NRA probably should have stayed where it was originally started for, training civilians. And let others like NAGR, 2nd amend foundation, GOA, take on the political part.
Every time a party takes over they erase what the previous party did. But l don’t think guns and the 2nd A will vanish. Too much violent crime, and that’s exactly what brings more people in.The most frightened are in the cities, with the suburbs in second place and the cities have far fewer than they need. We need new laws that allow people to use their guns, especially for home defense. And perhaps more personal surveillance like the police have to film incidents from their cars and some day, from our persons while we carry on the street. Then… Read more »
Article One Section Eight of the Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate and call forward the local milita to enforce the laws of Union, among other things It is this portion of the Constitution that the Second Amendment was intended to amend. The older I get, the more convinced I become that modern day Law Enforcement is one of many subdivisions within the original meaning of the word milita and that the individual’s right to self preservation from congress’s regulatory powers over the local milita. Meaning the individual’s right to self preservation out weighs the same rights of an… Read more »
The Second Amendment is grossly misunderstood and must be repealed, updated, and partially reissued.
The most important issue that must be addressed is that there is absolutely no compelling need for civilian ownership of assault weapons.
What is an assult weapon exactly?
There is no such thing. That mythical term was coined by liberals as a scare tactic to be used on citizens who are not knowledgeable about firearms. There is such a thing as an assault rifle – such as the M16 and M4 – which the US military carefully defines (capable of fully automatic rate-of-fire, for instance) and which the military issues to its combat troops. Conversely, rifles capable of only semi-automatic rate-of-fire – such as AR15s – are strictly civilian firearms, and are NOT issued to combat troops. [No military anywhere in the world uses AR15s!] Liberals deceitfully use… Read more »
Yes, you are correct; the 2nd Amendment IS grossly misunderstood — BY THE LEFT! But I’m pretty sure that that is purely intentional on their part. (You night begin by understanding that “well regulated” refers to adjusting the sights on a firearm so that they align with the impact of the bullet at a given distance. Even if you cannot grasp that reality, you would have to realize that “well regulated” (controlled/restricted) is totally incompatible with “shall not be infringed.” Unless one is that smitten with that “special kind of stupid. (On purpose, or simply afflicted by a degenerative disorder?)
You’re correct, Charles… and the term “well-regulated” (as used in the late 1700s) did not equate to “controlled,” it simply referenced being up to military standards of the day. When the militias were called upon, each member was expected to arrive with a weapon (“suitable for war”), and enough ammunition – as well as food and clothing – to last three days or until the supply chain could resupply the unit.
Bob, I think you grossly misunderstand the 2nd Amendment. Or maybe you’re just a socialist and heart and don’t even realize what repealing the 2nd Amendment will do to your God-given freedoms in this nation…. or maybe you’re an atheist and don’t believe in anything God-given….Only Gov-given. The reasoning and logic behind the 2nd Amendment is clear. Your guns are yours. You can be part of a citizen’s militia if our borders are threatened….or to stop crime as it happens. And you don’t have a clue what an assault weapon is.
You need to look up what a assault weapon is!!
Bob, no “compelling reason”? You clearly do not understand the 2A. The 2A *guarantees* our right to keep and bear *arms*. It does not state the right to keep and bear pea shooters and sling shots, but arms. Did the privateers that attacked British shipping use bows and arrows or cannon and small arms? They were still subjects of the king at the time. Did not the militia men have similar arms to the British soldiers? Did not Washington obtain cannons for his army? Think back, he was a traitorous British subject at that time. He was, but a rebel… Read more »
Right! because eveyone knows it’s better if you’re stabbed, dismembered with a machete, or bludgeoned, than shot.
Mandatory NATIONAL firearms registration along with stiff penalties (5yrs and or $10k fine) if your gun is used in a crime and has not been reported lost or stolen: -Reduces or eliminates unregistered black market sales -Reduces # guns manufactured due to elimination of straw purchases -Severely reduces adults leaving firearms laying around for kids to access -Blows hole in NRA “they are coming for your guns” conspiracy theory -Empowers law enforcement with firearm power of vehicle owners and homeowners prior to pulling over a vehicle or serving a warrant -Black market firearms prices will increase drastically where most criminals… Read more »
I have ONE question for any law abiding gun owners! ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE FOR YOUR FREEDOOMS AND LIBERTIES? If you are, your a PATRIOT! If you are not, YOUR THE ENEMY! My Dad was a WW2 Army Veteran that died in 1960 at 47 years old. If he could come out of his grave, he’d probably say, “What did I fight for”? I’m a Viet Nam Veteran that took an OATH to defend this country from Enemies, foreign and domestic! My OATH has NEVER EXPIRED! I’m still willing to die for FREEDOMS SAKE and I’m sure others are… Read more »
stronger gun laws resume in fewer gun deaths.
support stronger gun laws.
Right! because eveyone knows it’s better if you’re stabbed, dismembered with a machete, or bludgeoned, than shot.
I would like you to give one example of gun laws preventing a criminal from breaking them. Murder has always been against the law, yet “strong laws against it” doesn’t stop it from happening, does it? Criminals by definition do not follow the law, that is why they are criminals.
Quit trying to further infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens. They are not the one’s you need to be worried about.
You must be one of the Socialistic DemoCRYBABY Leftist LibTARD Pinko Commies that is showing your Commie EduMaKation at it’s finest!
Go live in China for 1 month, and see if you’d be begging to come back to America, and hide again under your mommies skirt!
How many times do criminals follow the law so let’s make more laws that only law abiding citizens follow that will work.
Not a word of truth in what you say. I hope you are being facetious. Question 1: Who obeys laws (gun or otherwise)? Answer: Law obiding citizens. Question 2: Who disobeys laws (gun or otherwise)? Answer: Criminals. Question 3: Are people who murder, rape, steal, burgle, rob, maim with stolen guns, quid pro quo away 20% of America’s weapons grade uranium, or share over 30,000 Classified emails (in the process unmasking at least one foreign CIA operative who was promptly executed)? A) Law abiding citizens or B) Criminals? This last one is multiple choice so you have some time to… Read more »
That is not true, as an example Massachusetts has a higher per capita homicide rate with firearms than Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Why is that if those states have much laxer gun laws than Massachusetts?
Actually, you are wrong. A huge Harvard study states that is not true. You can read the study here: https://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Vol30_No2_KatesMauseronline.pdf 1) The Second Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights 2) The Bill of Rights, are an “Individual’s Rights”, 3) The Bill of Rights does not give the Government, the Military or the Police those rights. It Does NOT state it is the right of the police to keep and bear arms. It does NOT state it is the right of the Military to keep and bear arms. It does NOT state it is the right of the government… Read more »
???? Do you mean, “result” in fewer deaths? If so, you are lying – intentionally – and you are so full of manure that the whites of your eyes are turning brown!
There is no way in hell i will turn over my guns. There is no way the police or military will carry out order to get your guns. Just try to get mind
Join as many organizations as you can afford. Don’t rely solely on the NRA. Join GOA, SAF and NAGR.
EXACTLY, and communicate with NRA and other 2nd Amendment organizations when they make noises and take actions contrary to their primary mission!
The problem is those idiots like Feinstein and other people just like them in my opinion should be kicked out of the United States if they want this country like the others that have taken the rites of honest people to defend there selfs and depend on a government that won’t even help the veterans that have defended this country with there lives and limbs they have lost then go there infact now everyone should know why they have armed guards protecting them! They are stupid and power hungry to own everyone and everything once and if that takes place… Read more »
And your opinion is exactly why there is the ongoing battle.
It’s not the Wild West anymore. Grow up!
Nobody has lost a gun, and veiled threats are the ongoing reason you need to stop living in fear. Statements like this are broadcast as how unruly the and radical you are. The next shooter at a school, concert, movie theater, church, sporting event. If you own a gun you’re part of the militia which is a well regulated form of our government.
Out gunned and out numbered. And drugs are epidemic and dealers are teaming up with pimps who kidnap children and traffick captive women. In Maine the trafficking is a 32 billion dollars hole in Maine’s economy.
To change someone’s mind you need to personalize the situation. Many women say that they could never shoot someone. When you ask if that would be their answer if someone were threatening their children the answer changes. And yet when someone threatens the mother, or father, are they not also, by extension, threatening the children? The problem is that most people spend or have spent very little time in their life contemplating life itself. There was a very good add in the Oklahoma Governor’s race this year talking about the Democrat candidate’s stance on the age to buy a AR-15.… Read more »
I bought my first gun in 1977 following my first home invasion. I took it to a friend who was a police officer. The gun was brand new, unloaded, never before fired. It was in it’s original box, inside a paper bag. I was holding the bag with two fingers at the top, far away from my body, like carrying a bomb. The police department saw me and believed l was carrying a bomb! My friend recognized me, he told them he knew me and would try to talk me down. He came outside, said hello, asked me what was… Read more »
There are 300 million firearms in possession of the citizens of the United States and the only thing that really makes any other safe or well trained police departments gun reform it’s time has come
EXACTLY, and communicate with NRA and other 2nd Amendment organizations when they make noises and take actions contrary to their primary mission!
@ James f Barry I read your post several times and I always come back to the last part of the last sentence that says “gun reform it’s time has come.” I have taken that to mean you are asking for more laws to reform gun handling of the public which could lead to confiscation or universal registration. If that is what you are referring to then I call you a troll. If you are saying something in support of guns then I apologize for attacking you.
I’ve been saying for years that the future of the second amendment isn’t going to be fought in the courts, it’s a PR war. We all know we will never convince the anti-gunners and the Pro-gun people are already on our side. The fight is over the non gun owners who respect the second amendment but don’t have any skin in the game. They see the if it bleeds it leads stories and the gun control groups conflate the statistics to tell them that this is an epidemic, and all they need to do is some common sense gun legislations,… Read more »
Wouldn’t doing away with the misinterpreted 2nd amendment be a good thing? There would be fewer guns and therefore fewer children would be shot in their schools. Not to mention less crime, less murders, less suicides, and less accidental deaths by gun.
Harvard study proves your statement is patently false Ted
Ted, you are quite mistaken and/or deceitful. Jefferson stated the RKBA and self-defense is a natural right, that even without the 2A, we would still have that right. Fewer suicides, like in Japan, for example? Maybe fewer accidental deaths, but if you truly wanted that, you would ban doctors and hospitals that “accidentally” kill several hundred annually. Or ban pools and stairs that kill several thousand more annually than accidental deaths by firearm. Less crime, like in the UK that has had an increase in violent crime since they not only banned firearms, but knives? The UK rate of murder… Read more »
The NRA has, indeed not been perfect throughout it’s long history at helping to preserve a right that should never be in question in the first place. The government doesn’t give us our rights, on the contrary, the only thing they can do in regard to our rights is to take them away (in the intentional misnomer if safety, security, health, well being, etc.). But we give them permission every time we don’t vote or dont pay attention to the issues at hand or just general apathy. Most people have too much on their plate already, juggling career, family, etc.… Read more »
“Sadly, the NRA’s response hasn’t been as effective as it could have been.” You don’t say,Negotiating Rights Away has been one of capitulation from the start,1934, down the road to Infringement and continues today under La Pierre and Cox. Capitulation success of Negotiating Rights Away since 1934 History 1791: The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified. The amendment reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” After That 1871: The National Rifle Association was formed by Union Army… Read more »
You are totally correct!
So, join up. Get involved. Be active. Make your voice heard, and improve the NRA from the inside.
Many members have tried and it’s been a ongoing struggle for years to return the NRA to it’s members,much like the Feral government.
stronger gun laws result in fewer gun deaths.
Probably does decrease gun deaths, but it also vastly increases knife, bat, rock and etc deaths. Also increases hot home invasions, elder abuse, gang and other criminal organizations protection rackets. Don’t believe me? See Venezuela, jolly old England, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and on and on. No guns returns to the strong victimizing the weak without fear of retaliation. Return to that safe Middle Ages, where there were Serfs and Lords. The gun is Civilization, sorry but it is true. A 90lb 80 year old woman can protect herself from a 300lb muscular gang banger only with a gun, not… Read more »
You are a chronic idiot. Facts, of course, will not cure you.
You haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on in your strong gun control utopias around the U.S. and the rest of the world have you?
You haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on in your strong gun control utopias around the U.S. and the rest of the world have you?
False. Name one thatvhas. You can’t because it is not true.
That’s exactly why I dropped my membrrship that and they kept sending me Wayne Lapieres book spending more money asking for money than actually doing anything to guard my rights.