To Keep and Bear Arms – An Official Report For the Armed Forces and the American People
These days, getting a positive message on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms from anyone at the federal government level is a difficult task. It wasn’t always that way, though.
The Big Picture video below, presented by the US Army and featuring a second video produced by the National Rifle Association, preaches the virtues of focusing efforts on promoting safety training and emphasizing adherence to basic firearms safety rules.
The idea that gun control laws do not have an impact on law abiding citizens – as they would obey the law and criminals, by their very nature, would not – is not a new one. The history of the fight to preserve our constitutionally protected individual right to keep and bear arms has not changed much over the years.
Nor is the idea that the concept of regulating an item because an individual misuses it is absurd. As the video’s narrator says: “To legislate firearms because they are occasionally misused is like outlawing automobiles for the same reason. It’s not this car, it’s this careless driver whose foot presses the pedal. That is the object of legislation which tells him not to speed.”
The narrator goes on to say that “a program that emphasizes safety procedures rather than firearms control makes it possible for a growing number of sportsmen and women to enjoy the recreation and healthful benefits of good sports and good shooting.” Developing rifle marksmanship skills through participation in shooting events such as the National Matches at Camp Perry is an endeavor that “helps develop healthy minds, self discipline, initiative and team spirit” – according to the government-endorsed video.
This is a far cry from the anti-gun banner carried by many at all levels of the anti-rights movement, including those involved in our government at the federal level. Have a look at the video below and see the message on firearms that our government used to send. Continue reading
NSSF Video: Gun Crimes Plummet Even as Gun Sales Rise
A majority of Americans say they think gun crime has increased over the past 20 years, even though it has actually fallen dramatically, a recent Pew Research Center survey shows.
Sources: DOJ, ATF AFMER & USITC, Pew Research Center, National Safety Council, Gallup
Pennsylvania Lawyer Claims ATF Determination Allows for New Machine Guns
Pennsylvania attorney Joshua Prince, Esq. is making a bold claim in his blog entry Did ATF’s Determination on NICS Checks Open the Door for Manufacture of New Machineguns for Trusts? that may be music to NFA enthusiasts’ ears.
In his post, Prince points out that, although the NFA regulations include language to include trusts under their purview, the 1968 Gun Control Act (GCA), codified in Title 18 of the United States Code, includes no such language. A 2013 inquiry by Dakota Silencer received an ATF response reading: “Unlike individuals, corporations, partnerships, and associations; unincorporated trusts do not fall within the definition of ‘person’ in the GCA.” As many already know, transfer by a person of a machine gun that was not registered before May 19, 1986 is forbidden by the Hughes Amendment to the Firearms Owners Protection ACT FOPA, which added subsection 922(0) to the law.
Prince’s conclusion is that:
[P]ursuant to 26 U.S.C. 5812 and 5822, an unincorporated trust may lawfully transfer and make machineguns, as it is not a “person” for purposes of the GCA and Section 922 only applies to “persons” as defined by the GCA.
This conclusion is Continue reading
Getting a Tax Refund? Consider Using it to Support the Second Amendment.
Income tax season is in full swing, with just over one month until the Tuesday, April 15 2014 deadline. Many employees who have overpaid on their tax burden throughout the year will be getting a refund and might be wondering what to do with the “extra” cash. Many people treat themselves to something nice that they have had their eye on for the past year which, for firearms enthusiasts, might be a new firearm, firearm accessory or maybe some ammo and a range trip. Maybe you are thinking about taking the opportunity to get your CCW permit (maybe even taking your class online). But have you considered using part of your refund to help defend the right to keep and bear those firearms?
Tax time might be the perfect time to join or renew your RKBA organization membership, give a membership as a gift or make a donation to help support the cause. There are plenty of great Second Amendment organizations out there and, with the constant attacks on gun rights from all sides, getting a financial boost in the form of a tax refund check is a great opportunity to help fight back against those attacks.
If this is something that you are interested in, you can make your tax refund dollars go further by saving $10 on NRA membership dues here.
Civil Disobedience: Tens of Thousands in CT ignoring Gun Registration Law
[T]he right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. – United States Bill of Rights, Ratified Dec 15, 1791
One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that “an unjust law is no law at all” – Martin Luther King Jr, Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963
A recent article by Hartford Connecticut’s Courant business writer Dan Haar is bringing attention to widespread disregard to the recently effected law that would require residents to register “military style” firearms. In April 2013, CT legislators passed the law (introduced, ironically, on April Fools Day even though it isn’t just a bad joke) which established the December 31st, 2013 deadline for having such firearms registered. The law, widely seen as a knee-jerk reaction to a series of murders by a deranged madman in Connecticut, also included multiple other restrictions on firearms and accessories. More sad irony for what is nicknamed “The Constitution State.”
Many may remember the infamous picture of obedient Connecticut residents queued up in long lines to register their firearms. Despite the long lines and the end-of-year deadline, Haar reports that state police had only received approximately 50,000 applications for registration – a number which includes over 2,000 incomplete (and, thus, invalid) applications. This is a figure that is estimated to be as little as 15% of so-called “assault weapons” in Continue reading
Film Details Attacks on Right to Keep and Bear Arms
We first caught wind of Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire in 2012 when the original Kickstarter campaign was making its rounds. Wildly popular amongst crowd-funders, through the original campaign and the “finishing” campaign, director Kris Koenig raised $148,737 from nearly 2,000 contributions – well over the $135K goal.
Koenig describes the goal of Assaulted as “educating the public about how their rights are under attack.” A noble goal, given the never-ending attack on the supposedly constitutionally-protected right to keep and bear arms. The film touches on a number of historical events ranging from the 1946 Battle of Athens (TN) to the LA riots of the early ’90s and gun confiscations after hurricane Katrina. Narrated by rapper Ice-T, Assaulted features appearances by Ted Nugent, Chris Cheng, Alan Gottlieb, Alan Gura and others – all rock stars in their own right.
Dead Patriot Films says Continue reading
