U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- A billionaire-backed gun prohibition lobbying group, the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, has launched an all-out crusade to prevent confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, declaring in a hysteria-laden email blast the nominee has “confirmed her reckless and extreme Second Amendment views.”
Only a day earlier, anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety released its own email swipe at Judge Barrett, asserting “Over 37,000 people have told their U.S. Senators to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett… If our U.S. Senators make her a Supreme Court Justice, it’ll be a dream come true for the NRA, and hundreds of gun safety laws across the country will be at risk.” (Bold face in original.) And on Thursday, Everytown was claiming more than 48,000 “gun sense supporters” have contacted the Senate, demanding no confirmation vote before the inauguration.
Nothing more clearly exhibits the gun ban lobby’s vehemence toward the Second Amendment than these desperate messages, nor their fears about the dismantling of their gun prohibition agenda, while Judge Barrett has been scoring high marks for her performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Fox News has been keeping a running account of the hearings.
The Alliance message acknowledged, “We are working harder than ever to oppose Barrett’s nomination but we know that we must also focus on protecting our progress. That means fighting to elect leaders who have the courage to take bold action to stop gun violence and working to defeat the gun lobby’s bogus challenges to Initiative 1639.”
I-1639 is a gun control initiative passed by Washington State voters in 2018. It stripped young adults in the 18-20-year age group of the right to purchase any semi-automatic rifle, which the measure described as “semiautomatic assault rifles.” The definition applies to any self-loading rifle, including .22-caliber target and hunting rifles. It is being challenged in federal court on constitutional grounds by the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment Foundation, two firearm retailers and three individuals in the affected age group.
The Alliance is making the most of Judge Barrett’s dissent in the case of Kanter v. Barr, a Second Amendment case in which Rickey Kanter, a convicted felon in Wisconsin, contended his crime shouldn’t disqualify him from owning a firearm. Kanter pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud in 2011, a non-violent felony. He completed his prison sentence, paid restitution and applied to the attorney general for relief from disability in order to regain his Second Amendment rights.
The case may be read here, with Judge Barrett’s dissent beginning on Page 27. She maintained:
“18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and Wisconsin Statute § 941.29(1m) would stand on solid footing if their categorical bans were tailored to serve the governments’ undeniably compelling interest in protecting the public from gun violence. But their dispossession of all felons—both violent and nonviolent—is unconstitutional as applied to Kanter, who was convicted of mail fraud for falsely representing that his company’s therapeutic shoe inserts were Medicare-approved and billing Medicare accordingly. Neither Wisconsin nor the United States has introduced data sufficient to show that disarming all nonviolent felons substantially advances its interest in keeping the public safe. Nor have they otherwise demonstrated that Kanter himself shows a proclivity for violence. Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk, permanently disqualifying Kanter from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment.”
The Alliance email argued, “This position goes against nearly every single federal appeals court decision on the issue. If it weren’t already clear…Judge Barrett confirmed that she is the gun lobby’s dream justice.”
Restoration of rights is not unheard of. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives used to conduct “relief from disabilities” investigations for non-violent felonies until funding was cut for that program.
The full depth of the anti-gun lobby’s fears about a Barrett confirmation come in this sentence, which was also printed in bold face in their email: “If Judge Barrett is confirmed, virtually all of our progress on gun violence prevention is at stake.”
Translation: Decades of restrictive, perhaps even unconstitutional, gun control laws might be challenged successfully with a pro-Second Amendment majority on the high court, which could be made possible by Judge Barrett’s confirmation.
The strongest evidence that anti-gunners know these laws might fail constitutional muster came in the scramble to change New York City’s overbearing handgun transport ordinance when the high court accepted the challenge of that restriction by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association early last year. To avoid a Supreme Court review of that ordinance, it was hastily changed after the court accepted the case but before it could hold a full hearing.
The city’s awareness their gun law was in violation was revealed by the mad scramble to remove the restriction before the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional, many gun rights activists maintain. That would have opened a door to challenges of other restrictive measures at the municipal, county or state level around the country, the very last thing gun prohibitionists want.
During questioning Wednesday, Judge Barrett’s dissent became a point of contention because Democrats tried to make it appear she wanted convicted felons to have guns more than wanted them to vote. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) took Sen. Dick Durbin (D-OH) to task for his questioning here.
If Judge Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court, her presence there could be a key part of Donald Trump’s legacy, whether he wins in November or is replaced by Democrat Joe Biden. If her presence does open the door to more high court consideration of Second Amendment cases, any decisions supporting and strengthening the individual right—especially carry outside the home or a ruling that semi-auto modern sporting rifles are protected—would be strong evidence for those arguing that gun control laws in general infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.
RELATED:
Antis Alarmed That ACB Confirmation Could Be ‘Huge Setback for Gun Safety’
Amy Coney Barrett: A Proven Pro-Second Amendment Jurist
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
What was formerly known as the democrat party now the party of Marxists is a clear and present danger to the republic, vote accordingly.
November is going to be a bloody month of riots, looting, burning and who knows what else, as left-wing democrats refuse to accept the election results, again.
Hell, what else is new? They refused to accept the 2016 Election Results and any thing else that is Constitutional
wow! there is no more clear differentiation between a Constitutionalist judge, someone who reads and understands the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and a group or individual that is insanely wants their feelings validated and adhered to but doesn’t care what is written.
the video was great.
there is no restrictions on the Second Amendment. it is clear to anyone who can read at a 6th grade level.
I take it you mean “sixth grade level” of forty or more years ago.
Tadaes um six like graydurs you know now bearlee like read at like whut YOOOSED ta ya know be like uhm, you know sekind grade like if they be smart.and stuff
(OOOHH that hurt to write that)
And let’s not go take a look at the fifth grade Mc Duffy Reader from the 1910’s. Most of today’s kawlidge stoont would struggle with that. They don’t use many big words in their “studies” classes.
T- it was McGuffey Readers 🙂 and no I ain’t ‘quite’ old enough to have used them. Otherwise your comment is on target.
Mr.Workman, Thank you for a very well written and informative article. The Democrats are scared because Judge Barrett will follow the Constitution as it is written. The liberal, progressive ,socialist ,American hating democrats continue to push their anti gun agenda along with the anti gun groups. Who are they (anti gun groups) to decide or determine who gets appointed or not to the U.S Supreme Court? The anti gun politicians and groups are only concerned with further restricting a God Given Right, the 2nd Amendment into a privilege. Hopefully Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed without any problems.. The… Read more »
You’re behind enemy lines!
Thx for reading and sharing Ammoland News!
The Second Amendment will be on even more strong footing after President Trump names more pro 2A justices to SCOTUS during his second term.
THAT is going to require some serious voting effort! Make sure everyone you know casts a ballot.
Thanks for reading and sharing AmmoLand News!
I’m with you brother. I saw a joke the other day that said it all. It showed a woman holding her head in her hands obviously distraught and she says, “I just learned my dad is voting democrat… he never would have done that when he was alive.”
Yeah, and the dog ate my ballot.
“Watch the Skies.”
My college history prof quoted a 19th century saying: “Just because a Democrat is dead does not mean he should stop voting.”
That’s an old joke but there is still a lot of validity to it.
HA! Oldvet, I wouldn’t take that bet for all the bourbon in Tennessee.
Thanks so much for being a faithful AmmoLand reader!
And make sure you vote!
mm – that sounds like a good strategery to me! Be sure to get video of them putting 3 boxes in the trunk and taking 5 out. Or more boxes coming out of any unauthorized stops. We know they are cheating but they don’t seem to care if they get caught as they will claim that we are suppressing votes…….
Will,
if you want a breakdown of the over-registration, take a look at today’s Judicial Watch article.
There appeared to have been a computer glitch that caused the weirdness with the @wjd. Apparently it got fixed. Since breaking the @ from the letters didn’t have the same result, we figured it was code related.
My county election official already has my absentee ballot. A straight GOP ticket except for Sheriff where I wrote-in my nephew, a first time voter.
In my family I voted for Trump, next brother wrote-in himself, and the youngest one voted Biden.
Old – the total ‘might’ not be quite that high but it will surely far exceed the total from last election. The dems admit that they are sending out 150 million mail in ballots – that is around 25 million more than votes were cast last time. You can bet that the vast majority of them will be for the ‘d’ candidates. Never mind all of us that plan on voting in person or by legitimate absentee ballots. No telling how great of an impact those will have on the down ballot counts as well.
Even bette,r he wkll continue to appoint judges of high integrity to the Circuit and District Courts. So far he’s done an amazing job at this. Barret is one of his earlier apppointees. He’s just shifting her from the lower tier to the top. Haveing watched a recording of a talk she gave at Hillsdale College a year or so into her present position, I’m VERY impressed wiht her.
TNX
It is time that we have judges on the supreme court who will follow the constitution and live up to the oath they take.
Confirm her yesterday!
if they dont like her ,that’s just who we want in
Pretty sure I’m not the only one here who finds leftists screeching to be music to their ears.
Judge Barrett has more intelligence and understanding of the law than that anti American A-Hole bloomberg ever wished to have. Same for the gun lobby. They spend their time sitting around smoking their dope instead of supporting America.
Of course the liberal left doesn’t want a Constitutional judge on the Supreme Court. Only anti-American zealots would be against anything truth, justice and the American way.
The neo-fascists of the anti liberty movement, aka the New Left Progressives, Socialists and Progressives view judges not as interpreters of the Constitution and statutes but as drafters of the same. They view judges very much in the same way as the Iranians of the Islamic Republic of Iran view the Council of Experts. These folks are the final authority and speak for God. In our case the American leftist God they speak for is the God of the State. Conservatives, liberals (real, not leftist) and libertarians view courts and judges as interpreters of law and engineers using clearly defined… Read more »
The thing that scares the daylights out of the left is the fact that she is way smarter than any of them is. They only want someone in that seat that hates this country as much as they do. The left never learned that the communism they want is a destroyer, not the utopia they have been deceived into believing it is. Furthermore it is an eternal state of war, just like another religion they are allied with, there is no such thing as peace. Having a Constitutional Judge on the court is a threat to the criminal ideology of… Read more »
Of course she doesn’t belong on the Court ! She just might support the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment in particular ! A real bunch of AH,s they are, starting with Bloomberg !!
Over 37,000 people have told their U.S. Senators to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett
and every one that did is a damn commie POS
If the anti’s had their way they’d nominate one of their own buffoons who’s unable to interpret the U.S. Constitution or BoR especially the 2nd Amendment. Eff’em.
Get – they certainly tried with Garland……………………..;-(
The democrats are beside themselves with the idea of a supreme court judge who would follow the original intent of the constitution and rule in such a manner that is against all of the democrats demands.
They will do anything they can to try and turn the court into a farce if they take the senate by adding extra liberals to the court.