Gun Laws & Legislation

The Week In Gun News: Kerfluffle In Cleveland, Crossfit Glocks, CCW Applications Spike, Hillary’s NAACP Speech

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Harold Hutchison Freelance Writer
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Cops Ambushed in Baton Rouge

Three cops were killed, and three others wounded in an ambush carried out by a member of the Nation of Islam on Sunday morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The shooter in question was killed by responding officers. The heartfelt plea of one of the slain officers, posted on Facebook after the shooting of Alton Sterling, has gone viral since the deadly ambush.

Open Carry Kerfluffle in Cleveland

Ohio’s open-carry law tends to be pretty good. But the police union in Cleveland wanted it suspended for the Republican Party’s convention. However, Ohio Governor John Kasich, who has a checkered past on Second Amendment issues (notably by support for the semi-auto ban that Bill Clinton pushed through in 1994), made the right call this time. In a statement, Kasich, said, “Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested.”

Hillary Targets Second Amendment

Normally, presidential nominees keep a low profile during the other party’s convention. Hillary Clinton promised to push for more gun control during her speech at the NAACP on Monday. During the campaign, the former Secretary of State and First Lady  has called for a semi-auto ban, and for repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which ended lawsuits that tried to hold firearms manufacturers responsible for the criminal misuse of firearms.

CCW Applications Spike After Orlando Terrorist Attack

After the terrorist attack at The Pulse, a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that left 49 people dead and dozen more injured, there were many calls for gun control. However, what has happened under the radar since then is probably more important. The Florida Department of Agriculture has reported that 36,000 applications for concealed carry permits have been sent out. That is an 80% increase from the previous month. Seems like more people have realized that in a terrorist attack (or other incident), they are the real first responders.

The Facts About the AR-15

Recently, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) claimed that “even non-lawyers” know that the Second Amendment only protects muskets while arguing for a ban on certain semi-automatic firearms. In response, the NRA has released a long-form takedown of that argument, explaining why the AR-15 is today’s equivalent of the musket. Would Congresswoman Coleman argue that the First Amendment doesn’t apply to the Internet, radio, or television?

Crossfit’s Glock Controversy

Crossfit has become a huge fitness craze in recent years. Recently, the company announced that it would give the winners in each of the adult divisions of the Crossfit Games a Glock pistol. That resulted in a social media backlash, even though the company took steps to ensure that all federal, state, and local laws would be complied with. The good news, the director of the Crossfite Games didn’t back down, and the Glocks remained as prizes.

Anti-Gun Propaganda… Paid for With Your Tax Dollars

In the 1990s, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) did a lot of “research” on firearms-related injury. To be honest, it was actually thinly-veiled propaganda and some of those pushing that funding were open about their desire to ban certain firearms. Congress ended the CDC’s research in 1996. Now, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wants to end that prohibition, portraying the Second Amendment rights of Americans as a public health threat.

Gun Ban By Decree in Massachusetts

Even though Massachusetts has a ban on certain semi-automatic firearms, it’s not enough for Attorney General Martha Healey. Healey, who claimed “10,000 assault weapons were sold” in Massachusetts in 2015, sent a letter to firearms manufacturers, ordering them not to sell firearms that are legal in the state. But Healey admitted that the Massachusetts ban only focused on cosmetic features. So, what is her real end game?

NRA-PVF Endorses Paul Ryan

The National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) has endorsed Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for re-election. NRA-PVF cited Ryan’s strong opposition to semi-auto bans and other gun control schemes from President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Michael Bloomberg. Standing by friends is crucial for the protection of our Second Amendment rights.

“Choke Point” Strikes Again

When it comes to infringements on the Second Amendment, Operation “Choke Point” will rank as one of the most insidious. One such example is the case of Luke Lichterman, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Tryon, North Carolina. Lichterman reports that HomeTrust Bank demanded he answer very intrusive questions in order to be able to use an automated clearinghouse payment service. Some of the demands from HomeTrust Bank are seen as a way to get around prohibitions on creating a federal firearms registry.