Normally, I make appearances on the Russ Clark Show, a local radio show with a national audience, once a week in the studio. One morning, after finishing the drive-time radio show, I walked out to my vehicle, ready to take on the rest of the day. As I approached my vehicle, I saw a Yuma City Police vehicle approaching in the parking lot of the radio station.
I opened my vehicle door and reached inside for a camera, as I thought pictures of such a police car might be useful for future articles. As I was half inside the vehicle, I noticed the police car pull up in front of me with the window rolled down. The officer said, “Are you Mr. Weingarten?” I said I was.
They said: I was listening to you on the radio. I could not call in because I was on duty. I would really like for you to bring up the Hughes Amendment on the radio show.
The Hughes Amendment was passed under dubious circumstances as part of the passage of the Firearms Owners Protection Act in 1986. Second Amendment supporters, particularly in the NRA, had been working for years to reform the more odious overreach of the 1968 Gun Control Act. The leadership in the Congress, controlled by Democrats, was opposed, even though a majority of the Congress was willing to vote in the reforms.
The NRA was able to invoke a seldom used rule, a discharge petition. If a majority of House members would sign a petition to bring the reform bill to a vote, the leadership could be overruled.
Police who know of the Hughes Amendment are deep into the gun culture.
The Hughes Amendment has been interpreted to forbid sales of full-auto firearms to ordinary citizens if the firearms did not have a tax stamp prior to 1986, with some relatively minor and expensive exceptions (such as a license to manufacture).
I told the officer I was aware of the Hughes Amendment. I had listened to the original, crucial, and seeming underhanded vote in the House, and I would probably discuss it on the radio at some time. It appears the vote was done legally if done with a dubious voice vote. Here is a video of the debate and the Amendment:
The officer assured me many officers were strong proponents of the Second Amendment and hated seeing infringements such as the Hughes Amendment.
Several police officers have communicated similar comments. They are a minority of officers, but they are not irrelevant.
Some officers have complained of being used as political props during debates about Second Amendment issues, for example, being ordered to attend City Council meetings as a show of support when restrictive gun measures are being debated.
They are usually required, by their jobs, not to voice political opinions while on duty. Their politically appointed bosses, as police chiefs, are not so restricted. Police chief voices nearly universally reflect the political preferences of the politicians who hired or appointed them.
This is why it is much more common to see Sheriffs support the Second Amendment than police chiefs. Sheriffs are elected directly by the people. They are more accountable.
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.
All I can say is the Hughes Amendment, Brady Bill, and anything to do with the “NFA” as well as the NFA all need to be “eviscerated and abolished” once and for all.
Well stated. Uniformed public servants have often been used as props by politicians. This is where the retired ranks come in to play. After uniformed Marines were used as a backdrop for the Harris/Biden regimes satanic declaration of war speech (on the American citizen) thousands of us hit the social media and airwaves to declare foul. We have a voice and often that voice is the best defense for those muzzled by the UCMJ and the public law. The Border Patrol union stands out as one fine example of public servants informing the public when government bureaucrats and politicians lie.
I always found other cops to be very pro-second amendment. The ones campaigning against gun rights were typically highly political guys in democrat areas, trying to enhance their careers. But the cops who regularly go to clean up the messes of violence against innocent people quickly begin thinking, “if only this victim had been armed.”
You won’t find many Liberals in the FRONT seat of a patrol car.
They do seem to enjoy the back seat as lots get themselves put into it.
Well said. I saw many opinions change from people sitting in that particular seat.
This is an interesting topic:
You go to a senior LE person, ask for an opinion impacting the 2A, and the answers / responses you get apparently differ on the basis of whether the official was elected or appointed…….
reminder that the NRA helped write all 3 big Gun restrictions, the NFA, GCA and the hughes amendment
imagine what each of those would have been without the NRA’s input.
Imagine what each of those would have been had the NRA fought against them instead of advocating for them.
I did not bother to watch the video, as I have seen it many times. It is obvious that it did NOT pass by voice vot, but that clockshucker Rangel “passed” it anyway. Where was the public face of NRA? Where were our representatives?
They were calling for a recorded vote but were ignored by the senate leadership.
Police Chiefs are just as accountable to the voters as are Sheriffs……just that the voters vote scum directly into politician positions to then duplicate themselves into the Chief positions. I don’t fear politicians and Police Chiefs nearly as much as I do the Free-Shit Addicted Useful Idiot Government Plantation Dwellers en masse that vote them into office.
Watch that video. I believe Charlie Rangle (D) was later thrown out of office for criminal activity of some sort or maybe it was for a history of sexual misconduct or both. Aside from that, it is clearly shown how party bias of the ruling party has circumvented lawful actions/votes and processes in the House. It’s amazing that, in that atmosphere, they get anything done. And, don’t think things have gotten any better today!
Charlie was found guilty on 11 of 13 ethics charges. SURPRISED???
Functionally, the People are the ultimate word on this matter.
HLB
What really burns my butt is when congress pass a law and it smells unconstitutional but becomes law and it never is challenged in court and becomes so ingrained in society that the supreme courts never even review it and rule whether it is constitutional or unconstitutional. All those laws that were passed by congress on gun control were “feel good laws” that would not be constitutional if they had been brought up and challenged in the Supreme Court. 1968 gun control laws was one feel good law that the democrats passed after JFK was killed and that lard ass… Read more »
I too watched this in the early days cable tv, a sad day for us all. and in any moment, haters of the NRA will chime in claiming they supported the passage of Hughes… which they never did.
This doesn’t make the NRA and their corrupt hierarchy our allies.
But blaming them for something they were not at fault is not helpful also.
And not knowing the real story almost 37 years later is on you.
NRA most certainly DID have a hand in passing Hughes; Wayne LePew personally hammered out that compromise with Chuck Rangel.
Im really tired of NRA apologist deniers.
Would you rather that Rangel wrote it all by himself?