2A Incrementalism vs All or Nothing: Restoring Second Amendment Rights

Dean Weingarten on the steps of the Supreme Court.

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- This correspondent has been involved in the struggle to restore Second Amendment rights for more than 50 years. For much of that period, many of those who wanted the Second Amendment to be honored in the United States asked a simple question:

Why doesn’t the NRA[or any other pro 2A group] bring a case to the Supreme Court?

  • The assumption was the Supreme Court would rule in favor of the clear “shall not be infringed” words of the Second Amendment, and all those unconstitutional infringements would go away.
  • The assumption was Supreme Court justices were honorable men and women who would do their job to uphold the Constitution.

The assumption was wrong.

So our example group, the NRA, would not bring a case, because the courts had made clear they would not enforce the Constitution. The courts routinely chipped away at Constitutional checks and balances, including the Second Amendment, for decades after the revolution in the courts brought about by Progressives.

The Heller case was not brought by the NRA. It was brought by Robert A. Levy of the Cato Institute, a Libertarian think-tank. They believed the time was finally ripe for a case.

Let me be clear: The policies promoted by “Progressives” were and still are actually regressive. They worked to return us to a period where the government has unlimited power, and a small, powerful, wealthy group rules over everyone else. Still, they call themselves “Progressives”. In a way, it is fitting, as much of their policy is based on the ability to deceive.

The Progressive revolution in the courts was greatly accelerated by the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) administration. The revolution in the courts was underway in 1932, but the FDR administration made the courts a center of Progressive power. Progressives have been a majority on the Supreme Court for decades. Progressive ideology holds the Constitution has no fixed meaning.

Progressives hold that limitations on government power are bad policy.  Progressive ideology holds the ruling elite must shape public opinion to what Progressives want public policy to be.

President Reagan was able to place Justice Scalia, an originalist, to the Supreme Court in 1986, and wishy-washy Kennedy in 1988. President G.W. Bush appointed the stalwart Thomas in 1991. Chief Justice Roberts, who claims to be an originalist, was appointed in 2005.  Justice Alito, an originalist, was appointed in 2006. Those five were just enough to overturn the ban on the ownership of handguns in the District of Columbia in D.C. vs Heller in 2008.  The decision was severely restricted by the insistence of including limitations on the Second Amendment, to obtain the vote of Justice Kennedy, as engineered by Justice Stevens.

From the abajournal.com:

Stevens previously has called for repeal of the Second Amendment or a clarification saying it applies only to people serving in militias.

In the book, Stevens said he had hoped to persuade Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and Clarence Thomas to agree with him that the amendment was intended to prevent the disarmament of state militias. He circulated his dissent emphasizing historical texts supporting his view in hopes it would prove persuasive.

His only success, he said, was in getting Kennedy to persuade Justice Antonin Scalia to include language limiting the reach of his majority decision in Heller.

Here is the limiting language Justice Stevens claims to have been influential in having inserted, in trade for Justice Kennedy’s vote:

Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.

Reliance on the courts to uphold the Second Amendment was futile from 1939 until at least 2006. Even then, the Heller Decision barely squeaked past the activist Progressive justices.

Unable to restore Second Amendment rights in the Courts before 2006, Second Amendment supporters turned to the legislative branch. At the Federal level, it was primarily a defensive fight. At the state level, Second Amendment supporters started passing significant legislation in the 1980’s.

2A Incrementalism

2A Incrementalism Slow and Steady Winning Second Amendment Snail iStock-uzenzen 924361352.jpg
2A Incrementalism Slow and Steady Winning on the Second Amendment., iStock-uzenzen

A major point of disagreement among Second Amendment supporters was how to approach the problem.

One group claimed anything but full and complete recognition of Second Amendment rights was futile and counter-productive. The argument was: any lesser legislation, moving incrementally toward full Second Amendment rights, would only legitimize infringements on those rights. They were/are the “All or Nothing” group. Some called/call themselves “principled”.

The other group of Second Amendment supporters argued Second Amendment rights could be restored bit by bit. Pass legislation first, for a permit system. Keep reforming and improving the permit system. Reduce requirements, reduce fees, reduce “gun-free zones”.  Keep on incrementally improving the law, until Second Amendment rights were fully restored. They were/are the “Incrementalists”.  In the middle 1990’s it was not clear if either approach would be effective.

Twenty years later, it was clear. Second Amendment Incrementalism worked.

One of the all or nothing group was talented author Claire Wolfe, who made a splash with her book “101 Things to do  ‘Til the Revolution” #ad, published in 1999. In 2016, She wrote:

Do I now approve of the “shall issue” permits that laid the groundwork for this? Nope. No way. But even I have to admit that the grassroots “shall issue” ccw movement gave birth to the constitutional carry movement. And constitutional carry is an unreservedly good thing.

Back in the day — those dark old days of seemingly unstoppable federal overreach — I thought we’d have to fight (real “blood in the streets”) to restore our gun rights. Of course, we may yet have to fight to preserve our freedom.

But thanks to the new and expanded gun culture across the land — a culture in part built and normalized by the very activists I doubted — We the People are becoming an ever more formidable power.

Every one of the states which restored Constitutional Carry first adopted a shall-issue concealed carry permit law.

The “principled” or “all or nothing” group has the end goal correctly identified. It is important to keep the goal in mind. It is important to understand the progress which has been made, and how it was made.

It was made incrementally. Part of the incrementalism was to expand the number of people who own guns, who have real potential to become part of the gun culture.  Part of the process was/is to teach about the Second Amendment, and what reform should be aiming for.

When this correspondent taught his own concealed carry course in Arizona (before the law was changed to mandate a standard state lesson plan), the lesson plan made clear the permit was an infringement on the rights guaranteed by both the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions.

The goal of Constitutional Carry was always in mind and explained in the classroom. The permit was a lesser infringement than the complete ban on concealed carry.

The Second Amendment is a beautiful lodestone to detect which politicians take the Constitution and Bill of Rights seriously, and which do not.

Politicians tend to be accomplished liars. You have to study what they do, not just what they say.

Even voting records can be deliberately misleading. Politicians routinely cite votes which had no real effect, or which were rigged specifically for them to be able to claim to their constituents they had voted the “correct” way, in order to be re-elected.

Most politicians are not particularly interested in principles. They are interested in perks and power and being re-elected. Thus, they can be swayed and persuaded to vote, incrementally, by interested and engaged voters. There are far more interested and engaged Second Amendment supporters than there are those who wish for an unarmed population.

It is important to realize 2A incrementalism, while valuable in itself, has a goal: Full recognition and practical application of the Second Amendment, so that people in the United States can be practically and legally armed as they go about their daily lives; and they can be practically and legally armed so as to prevent tyranny by the governments they have created.

Constitutional Carry
Constitutional Carry

When Alaska became the first state to restore Constitutional Carry in 2003, a Democrat legislator in the state explained how it happened. He said carry legislation kept coming up, year after year. He was sick of it. It was popular. He did not want to deal with it anymore. Just pass Constitutional Carry, and be done with it.

Those who insist on the full implementation of Second Amendment rights, immediately, have made valuable contributions. As a practical effect, they show 2A incrementalists to be practical “moderates“.

Those who have had the most practical effect are those who insisted on the ultimate goal, while accepting incremental movement toward the goal.

When Claire Wolf made her statement praising the work of the incrementalists who had restored Constitutional Carry in 2016, eight states had restored Constitutional Carry.

Today there are eighteen states with Constitutional Carry!

Idaho moved from Constitutional Carry for residents only (a dubious Constitutional provision), to Constitutional Carry for all who can legally own guns, a year ago.

Utah and Montana became the latest members of the Constitutional Carry club early in 2021.

It is very likely one or more states will join the club before the end of 2021.

The disagreement between those who preach “all or nothing” and those who practice incrementalism to achieve the goal, will never end. It is regularly seen in reader comments on this correspondent’s articles here on AmmoLand News.

The practical effect is no longer in doubt. 2A Incrementalism works. It has worked wonders in the states. Virtually no one in 1990 would have predicted the almost miraculous results we have seen in restoring Second Amendment rights by 2021.

There are numerous Second Amendment cases in the pipeline to the Supreme Court. Today, there is hope a majority of justices will uphold their oaths of office and honor the Second Amendment.

Every victory in the states for Constitutional Carry improves the odds. Those justices read the papers. They know the state of the law in the States.  If they don’t, the amicus briefs on the cases will make sure they do.

Upholding the Second Amendment may no longer seem miraculous.

Prayer for the Justices to be guided by divine providence in their decisions, would not hurt.


About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

Dean Weingarten
Dean Weingarten
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nrringlee

I have zero confidence in our courts. I have zero confidence in our federal government. Signed, lifelong Marine. So sad for our Republic.

Henry Bowman

To paraphrase Cheech & Chong; “Republic?? What Republic? We ain’t got no stinkin’ Republic!”
This regime is 100% illegitimate and is working overtime to consolidate its power so that we may no longer have the ability to remove them, either peacefully or by force.
“-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”

Last edited 2 years ago by Henry Bowman
Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

Our form of GOVERNMENT IS the United States Constitution. IT doesn’t need to be replaced. We need to replace ANY and ALL oath breakers. THEY are the problem, not the Constitution.

I get your sentiments there, but Lysander Spooner and I would disagree with your views about the CONstitution. This CONstitution is just a goddamn piece of paper, like GW Bush said it is. I didn’t agree to it, and I know that YOU didn’t sign it either, so how is it binding upon anyone today? If you want to go in, you have to go all of the way in.

Buster

If you still have confidence in your ability to put a bullet on target, then it ain’t over yet.

Wild Bill

A two years ago comment?

Last edited 4 months ago by Wild Bill
USMC0351Grunt

It’s digital time travel, WB.

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

“our”? It hasn’t been “our” government since at least 1913 when the banksters took over.

It hasn’t been “our” government since the beginning of it all, it was set up to be a government by the elites of the time who could afford to not have to work, while others were sweating their butt off in the fields under the blazing hot sun or doing some other kind of manual labor.
Since the end of the revolution, who has really been in charge? The ones who control the “elections” have been in control of the country and its population.

Ansel Hazen

Look, we are facing a group of people that at this point have gotten up the nerve to go and raid Rudy Giuliani’s apartment at 6 am, putting on another media show just like what was done to Roger Stone. This country is fast becoming a mirror image of what would have been found in any country behind the iron curtain after WWII. Every level of our government has been compromised. Placing our trust for our future security in any part of this government or the public sector that either enabled the 2020 election fraud or stood by and allowed… Read more »

Buster

I would say line the democrats up and shoot their ass, but lining them up would take too much time.

Just shoot their ass right where you find them, and go look for another.

J.galt

Same for the republicans.

bitch mcconnel should be one of the first to be hung as a traitor but if it weren’t for republicans who would sell us out?

The people that killed kennedy are still in charge and they own every “representative” and candidate (except Trump). They are all in on the coup.

”there is no conspiracy Lyndon” …….get it!

Roland T. Gunner

Drop John Cornyn through the hatch right next to him.

TGP389

I thought that, in the interests of appearing to be fair, they’d drag out, forever, the Usurper Bidet’s cases of leaving secret documents here and there, in his garage, in his CCP-bought off at UD, beach house vet’s office, paperboy’s house, you name it. Instead, the say, “Nothing to see here, move along,” while prosecuting the greatest president since, and possibly including, George Washington for having some papers under lock and key with a video camera on the door.

That combination of investigations and prosecutorial discretion illustrate that the FIB and the DOJ are terminally compromised, and should be dismantled.

Last edited 4 months ago by TGP389
swmft

we need to work on getting rid of the bondage of fdr and hoover , neither fbi or atf is beholden to the people they are political appendages put in place by demoncrats , we need civilian oversight to policing agencies; not self???????regulating

Henry Bowman

In the federal government, there already are Inspector Generals (IG’s) that are supposed to provide oversight to the DOJ, FBI & ATF. The problem is, these agencies routinely hide and work around the watchdogs. The oversight doesn’t work. Adding additional oversight will just be more $$$$ on a government that at this point is 100% illegitimate.
“-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”

J.galt

They are all in on the coup or they wouldn’t be there

USMC0351Grunt

Or their lives and the lives of their family members have been threatened much like the M.O. of the Mexican cartels.

Logician

Ah! Truer words were never spoken! You are required to sell your ethics and morality in exchange for a government job of any kind. Name for me one that is an exception to that rule.

USMC0351Grunt

We just need to evaporate ALL “agencies” and the vast amount of “Departments of Whatever” that are not formed by The Constitution. About 90% of the Departments of Whatever are worthless and based on special interests which cause nothing more than fraud, deceit and distribution of wealth under color of law. If it’s not for the good of ALL the People, (Meaning U.S. citizens) then it doesn’t belong in federal government. Anything else can be left up to the states to squabble over.

Last edited 4 months ago by USMC0351Grunt
Logician

And ALL of those “Departments of Whatever” are held in place by the 100% corrupted legal system!! So THAT is the root of the tree of evil that we should be striking at, not the myriad of branches! Are those minions who work for the FBLie, ATF, IRS, etc. going to go out and try enforcing their whims, caprices and edicts? Of course they won’t, they don’t have the balls to do that! So they call in the jackbooted thugs of the legal system to do it for them! But the legal system is easily defeated by using its own… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

That’s all understandable, however, it’s the duty of WE, The People to be the stewards over OUR government. So, the job at hand is amongst US to get off our apathetic butts and do OUR job in cleaning up this mess. Much like pouring gasoline on Styrofoam will give me napalm.

JimQ

Thank you for another well written and insightful article. Permitting for CCW is a big help that started in Florida, but there are many states that lag far behind even that infringement on our rights. NY still doesn’t have statewide preemption, getting a permit in some counties is near impossible or near impossible and even getting a state license isn’t valid throughout the state. Imagine if that was applied to other rights or even driving licenses. NJ has absurd obstacles to owning a firearm. They outright ban it in state law then make exceptions that a person must fit into… Read more »

HLB

If you are a principled individual plugging away at the enemy on the front line, don’t look to your left or right as you will be alone.

HLB

Logician

There are MANY men and women who have principles and are fighting right alongside others, so that’s not true.

HLB

Principles do have their limits, and that is why I have found this to be mostly true, for me. Do not step beyond the incremental line, or you will be on your own.

HLB

Roland T. Gunner

You become the focus of their whack-a-mole.

Stag

I really wish people would stop making the claim that there are states with constitutional carry. There are ZERO states with constitutional carry. Some states have “permitless” carry however every single state still has laws regulating who, what, when, where, and how we are “allowed” to carry.

Referring to these states as constitutional carry while they still have restrictions on carrying is misleading and lends legitimacy to these restrictions as somehow being constitutional.

USMC0351Grunt

It’s the very same with the flagrant misuse of the words: democratic, democracy, democrat.

Roland T. Gunner

Vs. Republic

Logician

You are absolutely correct there, Stag! You just earned a seegar!

Roland T. Gunner

I woulda’ give him a chicken dinner.

Roland T. Gunner

Mr. Weingarten, I take my hat off to you. This article is the best thing I have read in modern memory. Now, tell me, how do we get incremental movememt on reppealing the NFA? And for all you naysayers, sit down, shut up, or help us get it done.

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

One way to get it done, is build a strong defense for a violation of it and become a damaged party. But who REALLY wants to go through all of the effort to do that when the cost could be imprisonment for who knows how long if you loose? And since the cards are stacked against you in a major way, most folks aren’t going to take the chance. They simply do not see it as worth it. So what would be the solution? Referred to in modern times as an individual’s right to carry and use arms for self-defense,… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

Just “WHO” would want to go through all of THAT for our freedom and liberty? ISAIAH 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Or from whichever version of whichever Bible you porefer?) Those signers of The Declaration of Independence: The British captured five signers during the war. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, and Arthur Middleton were captured at the Battle of Charleston in 1780. George Walton was wounded and captured at the Battle of Savannah. Richard Stockton of New Jersey never recovered… Read more »

Roland T. Gunner

I think we have had some good people go that route in the last couple of years. The solvent trap guy, who finally shot himself a year or so ago; the FRT companies; the autokey card guys; Cody Wilson and other home-builder promoters..

Logician

Well, Roland, for many years now I have been telling people exactly how to get out from under the heel of the boots they are complaining about stomping on their face 24/7/365, and here we still are in the exact same position, if not even worse than before! Once again, it is the 100% corrupted legal system that is forcing all of his vile tasting crap down our throat! So just cut off its legs at the hips with a chainsaw, and it won’t be able to come after us any longer! Please show me where it is written that… Read more »

Roland T. Gunner

It is not written we must suffer under Pharoah; yet under Pharoah the Lord allows us to suffer.

I dont know, so dont bother asking lol.

Hazcat

This too shall not pass. Given the political landscape and the fact that Roberts is a liberal and Gorsuch blows with the wind this case will be a 5-4 (at least) loss for us.

Count on it.

Quatermain

The same SCOTUS that said Texas (and multiple other states) had no standing in appealing the rigged election results, thereby giving us a fraudulent government, is now going to get it right on 2A?

“there is hope a majority of justices will uphold their oaths of office and honor the Second Amendment.”

Justice and preservation of the Constitution has now been reduced to a hope?

Henry Bowman

Somebody I heard once said,
“HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY”.

This regime is 100% illegitimate.

Darkman

Hope is a word often used by people who can not or will not do for themselves. They want someone else or some Deity to provide their wishes to them. Having Hope is much the same as being a Dreamer…Neither gets the Job Done.

Buster

We’d rather just pay someone (or organization) to protect our freedoms.

NRA comes to mind.

Logician

Oh PUULLEEZE there! My eyeroll could be seen from space!! The NRA stomps their feet and cries about anti-gun laws, but what has anyone over there really done about them? If the NRA really is such a bastion of liberty and freedoms, then why do so many anti-gun laws keep on getting passed?? It’s because the LIEyers over at the NRA would be out of a cushy job, if they really did what they claim to be doing! So they bloviate to no end, and that is why we’re where we are today!

USMC0351Grunt

I recall some guy that ran for President on, “Hope and Change” but nobody ever challenged him to explain exactly what he means in regards to, “Hope for WHAT” and to, “Change WHAT”? Almost exactly to the script of the Eddie Murphy movie, ‘The Distinguished Gentleman’. Come to think of it, COVID pretty much played out to the tune of the 2011 movie, ‘CONTAGION’ with Lawrence Fishburne, Matt Damon, Gwenyth Paltrow. But be careful, the left has been muddying the waters on both the movie title and the actors of CONTAGION so as to persuade people to watch something else… Read more »

Logician

NO ONE in the legal system can be counted upon to do the right thing at any time, because they are being paid and paid well to do the wrong things!!

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

The title of this is in error. We don’t HAVE 2nd Amendment Rights. We have UNALIENABLE rights as described in the Declaration of Independence. The “Bill of Rights” is a list that is telling those who administer government to LEAVE ALONE. And of course the second most of them get in office right after their oath to defend the Constitution they immediately get to work INFRINGING on those unalienable rights. Making any and all who do so TRAITORS. The PROBLEM with the 2nd amendment, is that the first 13 words are being IGNORED totally from sea to shining sea. There… Read more »

And what does that term un-a-lien-able mean? It means that which cannot be taken away from us via a lien! A lien is a superior claim to something, but if it’s a false claim, then it is as if it never existed in the first place. All that you have to do, is to expose the fraud or other crimes that someone is committing to strip them of their pretended power and authority over you! By what written law does any man or woman get to to commit crimes of any size or nature?

Boz

SCROTUS wiII screw us.

HLB

It does not matter. If the Supreme Court fails, it falls back to the people.

HLB

nrringlee

Well done. Incrementalism is how we have gotten in to this fix, a deconstructed Constitutional fix and that is how we will get out of it short of an Article V Convention of States. Incrementalism is the tactic chosen by frustrated socialists who saw the Western democracies as essentially impervious to Bolshevik revolutions because they were self-correcting political and economic systems. Freedom is resilient, they knew it and they had to find a less obvious way to steal your liberty. The Progressive Movement of the 1880’s at first took big swings at our Constitution but soon learned folks were not… Read more »

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

Which is WHY we have Communism AMERICAN Style!

Logician

But we don’t need incrementalism to get back to where we started from, we can do it in one big leap, if we just start off from a firm premise, which is that NO man nor woman is allowed to commit crimes, and NO man nor woman has a bona fide obligation to be made the victim of a crime of any kind at any time! WHY is this simple truth so hard to see?

gregs

if they would use strict scrutiny when deciding these cases history would be much different. or had they based their decisions on moral grounds of self defense. i believe the tide is changing, look at the tens of millions of people who have undergone nics and/or purchased firearms, many first time buyers. hopefully, this buffon in the white house won’t die before he is defeated in ’24.

Logician

Show me just one man or woman anywhere in the world who is completely honest and reliable, and then I will think that your “solution” has some merit to it. But the legal system is a world wide crime syndicate, and no one who makes a living from it can be counted upon to do it any amount of harm.

Jaque

Progressives are a fraud. They are in fact Communists to the core. And until every last Communist in America is destroyed, we will always live under tyranny.

Roland T. Gunner

Who is that scrofulous old buzzard standing in front of the Supreme Court?

Luv ya Mr. Weingarten!

USMC0351Grunt

Dean, THAT is a most remarkable photo of you at the U.S. Supreme Court. THAT one I would have made larger and framed for your office. It thoroughly boggles my mind as to why you and several others that have been in the trenches for decades for the freedom, rights and liberties of ALL Americans are never brought in as a “friend of the court” during the review process of the many cases decided in this building. As for the incrementalism v. All or Nothing? I have been on that fence for so long I have to put leather padding… Read more »

Logician

It’s because there are no “friends of the court” except for the ones who support its crimes against Humanity! EVERY court room in America is listed in Dun & Bradstreet because all of them are businesses that are set up to generate profits! Even the USSC/SCOTUS is listed in there! So please tell me, why do you want to do any kind of business with a corrupted and criminal business enterprise? Or do you still believe their lies about being honest and infallible? Last year, the USSC/SCOTUS finally got around to reversing Roe v. Wade after 49 long years of… Read more »

USMC0351Grunt

So you don’t believe that there is any way to bankrupt a corporation?

Roland T. Gunner

In that photo, Desn looks like he ought to be a character in an old Clint Eastwood “man with no nsme” movie. A wandering preacher named Mordechai, perhaps, with a Colt Navy under his coat.

The Crimson Pirate

The two approaches are complimentary

“Urge immediate abolition as earnestly as we may, it will alas! be gradual abolition in the end. We have never said that slavery would be overthrown by a single blow; that it ought to be we shall always contend” William Lloyd Garrison (The Liberator, August 13, 1831).

Back in the open carry movement days in PA I used to post “Thank you to the rifles OCers for making me, a mere pistol OCer, look normal and mundane.”

Old Blind Dog

Back to Mr Gunners question: I think that the Virginia counties that declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries — even to the point of creating county-level laws re-establishing local militias — point the way in which you will get movement in NFA laws. Incrementally. Incrementally, I think re-establishing local militias will be the key to dealing with the NFA, that is unless Congress decides to repeal/modify the NFA. Right now, local militias are thought of as a bygone relict of distant history; a non-functioning, non-entity OR stereotypically worse, a weird, incompetent, terrorist-like group of guys playing soldier in the woods — as an… Read more »

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

All I can say to this post is:

USMC0351Grunt

The State National Guards are pretty much set-up in this manner already, albeit there are many that are more versed on search and rescue rather than outright defense. As for the NFA firearms, THAT is WHY the State National Guard Units have armories. A secure place to store and maintain their firearms. All a state would have to do is duplicate the majority of the make-up of the State National Guards and construct the legislative intent, liabilities and direction under the governors of the state. (Or something along those lines.) As for the purchase of the NFA items, that would… Read more »

Logician

NOOOOO! Get rid of the totally corrupted legal system first, then all else will resolve itself in a fortnight!!

USMC0351Grunt

What? You would take years just to educate the populous what a “fortnight” is and then get them to use the term?

Jeff Knox

I think it’s worth looking at the model being developed by Ron DeSantis in Florida. It’s very telling that the Florida State Guard has recently become a target of the anti-rights extremist media.
https://www.thetrace.org/newsletter/florida-state-guard-stronghold-solutions-eddie-gallagher/

USMC0351Grunt

One small issue with all of this in Florida. They are attempting to lay the groundwork from the voices of a bunch of crusty old farts with a lot of fancy ribbons on their chest, a pension or two in their pockets and a LOT of, well, for the sake of argument, let’s call them, “OFFERS” from a bunch of Lobbyis, uh, er, “SALESMEN”… Whereas ANYONE that has actually served in the military knows that the military is run by the Corporals and Sergeants as it is THEY whose meat is facing where the metal comes from. THEIR MEAT, THEIR… Read more »

Last edited 4 months ago by USMC0351Grunt
Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

What needs to happen is one state governor of one red state reinstates the first 13 words of the second amendment and THEN:Referred to in modern times as an individual’s right to carry and use arms for self-defense, the Second Amendment was envisioned by the framers of the Constitution, according to College of William and Mary law professor and future U.S. District Court judge St. George Tucker in 1803 in his great work Blackstone’s Commentaries: With Notes of Reference to the Constitution and Laws of the Federal Government of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Virginia, as the… Read more »

The other Jim

Hey you guys are responding to the men who wrote the Comments 2 years ago; I think a few of them are dead now. They are not going to be responding back.

USMC0351Grunt

As if others coming along will not be reading the remarks and the replies, regardless of their age? Hmmmm… What is The U.S. Constitution for $600 Alex?

Bozz

How old is this article? There are not 18 states with constitutional carry, there are 26 states with constitutional carry.

Ope

only 25 because Florida don’t count. The morons in Florida didn’t include open carry in the legislation.

SkippingDog

At least two more cops gunned down today. Congratulations.

Courageous Lion - Hear Me Roar - Jus Meum Tuebor

But you have to ask yourself…what were they engaged in? Were they stomping all over someone’s right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? Were they involved in trying to cage someone who had done no harm? Maybe they deserved to be gunned down.

There are no good nazis

USMC0351Grunt

HEY! A LOT of cops may be fuck-ups, (And a LOT will grow and get to be better cops!) but you do NOT honor their being murdered! Maintaining your oath and duty to something is still a highly honorable choice that each and every one of them have to make, each and EVERY day that they put on their uniforms whether Law Enforcement, Military, Fire, EMS, etc. Many put on various uniforms each day and walk into the blind spots in life that MOST haven’t the balls to even look at on a TV screen and they do it on… Read more »

Last edited 4 months ago by USMC0351Grunt