Category: Second Amendment/Self-Defense/Training

60 Days In, How Is AG Pamela Bondi Doing Defending the 2nd Amendment?

Ammoland, Inc. Posted on  by 

60 Days In, How Is AG Pamela Bondi Doing Defending the Second Amendment

What Is AG Pamela Bondi Doing? Take Our Reader Poll!

It’s been roughly 60 days since Pamela Bondi stepped up as Attorney General under President Trump, and the pro-gun community is talking.

For those of us who live and breathe the Second Amendment, a Trump appointee like Bondi comes with big expectations. Two months in, though, the word on platforms like X and in gun circles is a mixed bag. Is she the 2A defender we’ve been waiting for, or is she falling short?

Read the rundown based on what’s out there, and take our Reader Poll!

The Good: Bondi’s Pro-Gun Moves

Bondi’s made some moves that have gun folks nodding in approval. In February, she fired the ATF’s General Counsel, Pamela Hicks, with a sharp statement: “These people were targeting gun owners. Not going to happen under this administration.”

That’s a solid hit against an agency we all see as overreaching. Then, in late March, she launched a DOJ investigation into Los Angeles County’s Second Amendment practices, declaring, “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right.” Pro-gun groups have given her a thumbs-up for that, calling it a strong first step.

These actions show she’s willing to push back on anti-gun efforts, and that’s got some folks hopeful.

The Bad: What’s Happening with Adani?

Then there’s the Patrick “Tate” Adamiak case, and it’s a sore spot. This former Navy sailor’s been in prison for 30 months, facing a 20-year sentence, all tied to what Lee Williams calls fake ATF evidence—think toy guns twisted into “machineguns” by a questionable ATF tech. Federal prosecutors under Bondi’s DOJ are still fighting his appeal, sticking to the ATF’s story. Lee’s recent article laid out the details, and the pro-gun reaction was fierce. Some have asked why Bondi isn’t stepping in to stop this. Others demanded she sack the prosecutors involved.

For a guy who just wants to serve his country again, it’s tough to see her not acting. Is she too tied up, or is this not on her radar?

The Ugly: Trust Issues Hang Around

Here’s the kicker: Bondi’s got a past that doesn’t sit right with everyone. As Florida’s AG, she backed red flag laws and age restrictions for gun purchases after Parkland. That’s still fresh for a lot of gun owners—X posts from the last two months keep bringing it up, pointing to her “unconstitutional” stances. Even with her recent pro-2A actions, some see her as inconsistent. There’s grumbling that DOJ attorneys under her are still pushing anti-gun arguments in court, like in cases challenging young adults’ rights.

It feels like she’s half in the fight, half stuck in the old habits.

What’s the Buzz?

The pro-gun crowd’s divided. On X, some praise her ATF shakeup but say she needs to do more. Others argue she’s swamped fixing a messed-up system.The FBI Deputy Director, Dan Bongino, dropped a message saying, “Just because you don’t immediately see it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.” However, not everyone’s buying that excuse.

“A patriot’s losing his rights for what?” one voice shot back. There’s speculation she might not even know about Adamiak, with hopes pinned on a Trump pardon instead. Meanwhile, calls to flood her inbox and the White House with messages are gaining traction—complete with how-to guides floating around. The vibe? We’re watching closely and not staying quiet.

The Bottom Line

Bondi’s at a turning point. She’s got the power to be a Second Amendment hero, but she’s got to prove it. Firing ATF brass and probing LA County are big, but letting an innocent woman sit in jail while her team plays hardball? That’s a miss. Her past raises eyebrows, but her next moves could settle the score. Two months isn’t the whole story, but it’s enough to show where she’s leaning. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess.

What Do You Think?

This is our fight, and AG Bondi’s on the hot seat. Take a minute to hit the poll below and weigh in—your opinions matter.

What Is AG Pamela Bondi Doing? Take Our Reader Poll!

About Tred Law

Ted Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals f***ing with his right to keep and bear arms.

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, Ammoland will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Trump Order on Second Amendment Raises Hopes and Questions

Ammoland Inc. Posted on  by 
"President Trump Signs EO to Protect 2A Rights Orders DOJ to review '21-'25 actions that may infringe on 2A rights. Directs a plan to safeguard lawful gun ownership. Investigates agency overreach, firearm rules & enforcement policies. SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED." (The White House/Facebook)
“President Trump Signs EO to Protect 2A Rights Orders DOJ to review ’21-’25 actions that may infringe on 2A rights. Directs a plan to safeguard lawful gun ownership. Investigates agency overreach, firearm laws & enforcement policies. SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.” (The White House/Facebook)

“The Second Amendment is an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty.  It has preserved the right of the American people to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms since the founding of our great Nation,” President Donald Trump declared Friday in a highly anticipated executive order. “Because it is foundational to maintaining all other rights held by Americans, the right to keep and bear arms must not be infringed.”

Such a presidential action stirs the hopes of gun owners who have been wondering when Donald Trump would acknowledge the unequivocal promises he’s made to them on the campaign trail.

“Every single Biden attack on gun owners and manufacturers will be terminated on my very first week back in office, perhaps my very first day,” he pledged to an on-its-feet, approval-roaring crowd attending NRA’s Feb. 2024 Presidential Forum at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg’s Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. Yet it’s taken almost three weeks since his inauguration to even mention the Second Amendment, leading some of us, including Gun Owners of America, to ask “Why?” when he’s found time to address many priorities that, while important, could hardly be deemed “foundational to maintaining all other rights.”

Gun owners’ confidence was further tested with Trump’s selection of Pam Bondi as attorney general. Her tenure as Florida’s top law enforcer was marked by support for many of the same citizen disarmament edicts being pushed by the gun prohibition lobby, including due process-denying “red flag laws,” a gun ban for 18-20-year olds, a bump stock ban, and Florida’s unconstitutional ban on open carry. And disappointment was high when Senate Republicans didn’t even broach the Second Amendment during her confirmation hearing, leaving that line of questioning to gun-grabbing Democrats. Bondi  didn’t help by following up her assertion that “I am pro-Second Amendment. I have always been pro-Second Amendment,” with “I will follow the laws of my state of Florida and our country, of course.”

On Wednesday, Bondi issued a memorandum to Justice Department employees that, among other things, ordered:

To free up resources to address more pressing priorities, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) shall shift resources from its Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement Programs to focus on matters relating to the other priorities set forth herein. No resources shall be diverted from ATF’s regulatory responsibilities, such as federal firearms licenses and background checks.

That doesn’t sound like much relief for gun owners is planned, but it does make fair the question “What else does ‘such as’ include?”

President Trump’s executive order appears to address that, ordering Bondi, among other things, to examine all executive infringements, especially including those enacted during the Joe Biden administration, and come up with and  “work with the Domestic Policy Advisor to finalize a plan of action and establish a process for implementation.”

“This historic move sets the stage for a broader restoration of Second Amendment rights,” Gun Owners of America cheered.  “GOA is thrilled to see President Trump delivering on the promises he made to gun owners across America, starting with this executive order initiating a whole-of-government approach to restoring gun rights.”

It is a hopeful development. But – and there’s that word – it’s important to keep a realistic check on expectations, and I would be remiss not to identify some potential concerns raised in Section 4 of Trump’s order, in particular. It won’t affect executive authority and “is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States…”

That’s something to keep an eye on, because it will be shaped by Bondi’s and Trump’s inclinations, which we’ve seen from past actions and statements aren’t always the same as those of Second Amendment advocates. That can also be said for the Domestic Policy Advisor, Vince Haley, a former Newt Gingrich aide and Trump speechwriter whom the president elect named as Director of the Domestic Policy Council last November.

There’s not much relevant “gun” information on Haley except to note VoteSmart has a 2015 entry saying  he “was rated 86% by the National Rifle Association.” That does not scream “Gun Guy!” or suggest he’d be informed or invested enough to question anything Bondi brings to him, and that’s something to watch for.

What would help head off disappointments would be  for Trump to replace the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, headed by Kamala Harris and populated with leading anti-gunners, with the Office of Second Amendment Protection, chaired by Vice President JD Vance and advised by the Gun Owners for Trump coalition introduced in the presidential campaign to attract gun owner votes. Let them have the president’s ear — and us have theirs — and gun owners could help the administration avoid some of the letdowns of  the past and start making real progress.

Trump’s Second Amendment order is a good first step. It’s up to us to keep him on the path and walking in the right direction.

Pam Bondi On The 2nd Amendment Here’s What I Found

Like it or Not, Pam Bondi Will Be the Next Attorney General

For all of you who were thrilled that Matt Gaetz was going to become our next Attorney General, you are now stuck with Pam Bondi. Washington Gun Law President, William Kirk, discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of President Trump's selection for Attorney General. While many in the 2A community have been flipping out over this selection, today we slow it all down and have an objective discussion about her record so that you can arm yourself with education.

Is The Next Attorney General Pam Bondi Anti-2A?~Was formerly a Democrat!

BEST EXPLANATION! U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121

Trump Victory, Senate Majority Assures 2nd Amendment Friendly Supreme Court

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/11/trump-victory-senate-majority-assures-2a-friendly-supreme-court; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Donald Trump IMG WhiteHouse-gov
Former and future President Donald J. Trump’s return to office will assure more 2A-friendly federal court nominations and a reversal of Joe Biden’s crusade against gun rights. (Donald Trump IMG WhiteHouse-gov)

The silver lining of Donald J. Trump’s re-election as the 47th President Tuesday is that for the next two, and possibly four years, he will be able to fill federal court vacancies, including any open seats on the U.S. Supreme Court, with Second Amendment-friendly judges and justices.

It was a repudiation of the policies of anti-gun President Joe Biden and his equally anti-gun Vice President Kamala Harris. It was also a triumph over Democrats from the Biden-Harris administration on down who have waged a war against the former president beginning when he first took office in 2017 and have not relented over the past four years in an effort to prevent him from running for another term.

Gun owners should expect the new Trump administration to quickly do a couple of things:

  • Abolish the Biden-Harris White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This blatant creation of an internal administrative mini-bureaucracy whose only purpose was to lobby for stricter gun control laws was considered an open declaration of war on the Second Amendment and the nation’s gun owners.
  • Fire and replace ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. Install someone in that position who does know something about firearms, and who can tell the difference between honest American gun owners and violent criminals who belong in prison.

This person should quickly change policies regarding the regulation of traditional gun shows across the country.

Gun owners are also expecting President Trump to nominate a U.S. attorney general who directs his/her attention to prosecuting and imprisoning genuine violent criminals, rather than adopt and enforce policies designed to make criminals of law-abiding gun owners.

Here are a few suggestions for Republicans in the House and Senate:

  • Pass legislation prohibiting waiting periods for anyone with a concealed carry license or permit issued by any state.
  • Pass national reciprocity legislation, requiring states that do not already have so-called “constitutional carry” statutes to recognize carry permits/licenses issued by any other state.
  • Pass legislation allowing cross-state purchase of handguns, with enough funding to improve the FBI’s National Instant Check System (NICS). (After all, an individual who can pass a background check in his/her home state should be able to pass a background check in any state.)
  • Pass legislation requiring photo identification for voting. (People must show valid photo ID to open bank accounts, make major purchases, buy firearms and do all sorts of other things. It should be the same for voting in any election.)

It is clear gun owners in critical battleground states turned out to help move the vote for Trump and away from Harris, who could not shake her position on “mandatory buybacks” despite efforts by her campaign to walk it back.

As noted by Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, “In this election, the Democrats shot blanks and the voters buried their gun ban agenda. I bet they will double down on gun prohibition because they know that it was gun owners that removed them from power and they are gunning to get even. The fight to defend gun rights is not over and every gun owner who helped win this battle must remember that the war on gun rights is ongoing.”

One major disappointment came from the Pacific Northwest, where voters elected vehemently anti-gun Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson as the state’s next governor. He may have an awkward time of things, considering his history of filing lawsuits against the president-elect during his first term.

As noted by Fox News, Ferguson “came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority-Muslim nations.”

Ferguson reminded his supporters of his history of litigating against Trump, beginning almost immediately after the president took office in 2017.

In his victory speech, Ferguson declared, “I will lead a government that protects our core freedoms.” That may not apply to Article I, Section 24 of the state constitution, which declares “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.” Yet Ferguson has lobbied for bans on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”

The concern now will be how fast Washington lawmakers move to make the Evergreen State just like New Jersey or California. Watch for an exodus of gun owners to neighboring Idaho, or states where they will be welcomed, such as Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona or Texas.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman

Musk Offers Cash to Voters in Swing States that Support Second Amendment

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by

 

Elon Musk is offering $47 to registered voters in swing states for each signature referred to other registered voters who pledge support for the First and Second Amendments.

Presidential Candidate Donald Trump held a return rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to show his resolve in the face of two nearly successful assassination attempts. Elon Musk, a staunch supporter of the First Amendment and a genius entrepreneur, spoke in support of the First and Second Amendments. Elon made this generous offer:

In appreciation for your support, you will receive $47 for each registered voter you refer that signs this petition.

Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. The program is exclusively open to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Expires October 21.

The petition requires first and last name, email address, cell phone number (to confirm the signer’s identity only), and mailing address. Once a person has signed the petition, they can refer others to sign.

The petition is available online. For the petition to be valid, the signer must be a registered voter in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, or North Carolina. You do not need to show who referred you to sign the petition.  This correspondent has signed the petition.

Elon Musk has placed himself squarely against former President Donald Trump in this election. It is a simple act of defense of the Republic of the United States of America. Elon is a naturalized citizen of the Republic. When Elon purchased X (formerly Twitter) in order to protect free speech and to fight censorship, he placed himself, and his fortune, in extreme jeopardy.

Elon Musk has been relentlessly attacked by the Biden administration. The current administration has used their power to hinder his operation of Space X by delaying permission for his launches. When the Biden administration held a conclave of electric vehicle manufacturers, Musk owned Tesla, the foremost electric vehicle manufacturer, was not invited.  When Elon Musk proffered a low bid for rural broadband delivery with Starlink, the bid was accepted by the FCC, then rejected by the Biden administration. Leftist influencer Keith Olberman has called for the Biden administration to deport Elon Musk.

Elon Musk has seen how this authoritarian abuse of power proceeds in other countries. If a Harris administration is placed in power, the enterprises owned by Elon Musk will be either be destroyed or co-opted by the government. The Biden/Harris administration has repeatedly ignored the rule of law. They have censored the opposition and conspired to illegitimately jail opponents. They have weaponized the Department of Justice to prosecute the opposition candidate, Donald Trump. They have been the most anti-Second Amendment administration in the history of the USA.

If candidate Harris becomes president with the Democratic Party in control of Congress, the election process will be altered to make a win by a supporter of the Constitution impossible. The Supreme Court will be neutered and/or packed with far-left Harris supporters. The current censorship will be magnified many times.

The Trump administration has already shown it will allow Elon Musk to maintain control of his enterprises and will encourage him to succeed in free market competition.

This correspondent believes those who sign the petition will be encouraged to vote. If you wish to show this correspondent, who is a registered voter in Arizona, as the person who referred you, you may put the email address of isherllc@gmail.com in the referral box.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten is a peace officer and 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

Harris Talks ‘Freedom,’ Except Where Second Amendment is Concerned

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris talked about freedom and the right of Israel to defend itself during her acceptance speech. She didn’t mention the rights and freedoms of American gun owners to do likewise.

Kamala Harris delivered a powerful acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, declaring, “I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, she said no such thing about standing up for the rights of American citizens, whose votes she wants in November, to defend themselves. There was no promise to ensure American citizens would always have the ability to fight back. 

Writing at The Hill, opinion contributor Keith Naughton observed, “Funny thing is, she didn’t really say that much.”

She didn’t have to because it was clear thousands of Democrats in the United Center were mesmerized by Harris. They were giddy about her defense of abortion, and her multiple attacks on Republican Donald Trump, as affirmed by a quote from California delegate Kathy Bowler in Reuters: “She hit every single point about representing everyone, representing the country, dealing with the policy areas, foreign policy, working for the middle class.”

No, she did not. She doesn’t represent the views of 80-100 million gun owners, and never has. As California attorney general, Harris was sued by gun rights organizations at least twice.

According to a transcript of her address, she mentioned, “The freedom to live safe from gun violence—in our schools, communities, and places of worship.” (Second Amendment activists may wonder where that freedom is specified in the Constitution unless it is covered by the right of the people to keep and bear arms.)

For a primer on what Harris has said about the right to keep and bear arms, look no further than a new 15-second message posted by the Second Amendment Foundation on social media. It says everything one needs to understand about where Harris stands on gun rights. The video was posted earlier this week as Democrats were celebrating in Chicago.

 

YouTube video player

Well, actually, not all of the Democrat delegates were celebrating. A Texas man was likely scrambling to get his finances in order after being robbed at gunpoint Wednesday morning while walking along a Chicago street.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms had some bristling words for the “Party of Gun Prohibition” in the aftermath of the robbery.

“This is an objective lesson for the Democrats,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Their efforts to disarm law-abiding citizens while promoting a soft-on-crime agenda have been a massive failure, and this incident proves it. They want to make it difficult for honest citizens to own and carry guns, while they have been unwilling and unable to keep guns out of criminal hands, especially in crime centers such as Chicago, which—no surprise here—has been run by Democrats for decades.”

He noted reports that the U.S. Secret Service had warned delegates leaving the convention hall to remove their badges “because of multiple robbery attempts” this week.

“Maybe if Illinois Democrats had adopted legislation recognizing all non-resident carry permits, allowing visitors to Chicago and other Illinois cities to carry guns, this sort of brazen crime wouldn’t be happening,” Gottlieb said.

“Democrat policies have allowed repeat offenders to escape jail time and continue robbing people,” he bristled. “We’re glad nobody was hurt, but this should send a signal to Democrats about their misguided gun control and soft-on-crime efforts. The experiment has failed and it is time to try something different. But, since we’re talking about the party of gun prohibition, Democrats appear to be stuck on stupid, which is why bad guys roam the streets and good guys literally pay the price.”

The Hill’s Naughton offered a particularly brutal observation of Harris' acceptance speech. He said it was “right out of the political consultant and pollster playbook.”

“She followed the standard structure of someone introducing herself to voters for the first time — begin with the humble bio, contrasting it with your venal opponent and then hitting the main policy issues, weaving in criticisms of your opponent and, of course, de rigueur patriotic references,” Naughton wrote. 

When Harris talked about freedom, she focused on the “freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. The freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis. And the freedom that unlocks all the others. The freedom to vote.”

Where American gun owners are concerned, it’s that last freedom that could derail the Democrat's apple cart. The freedom to vote includes voting to keep Harris out of the Oval Office and electing a Second Amendment-friendly Republican majority to both houses of Congress. The opportunity will come Nov. 5.

About Dave Workman

Dave Workman

How Dems, Media Are Weaponizing Walz Against 2nd Amendment

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/how-dems-media-are-weaponizing-walz-against-2nd-amendment/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The usefulness of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the 2024 Democrat party ticket was fully illustrated by a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette which quoted Vice President Kamala Harris at a Philadelphia campaign event.

Walz, Harris told the crowd, “is a hunter and a gun owner who believes, as the majority of gun owners do, that we need reasonable gun safety laws in America.”

So far, Democrats have a perfect foil for gun owners who are supporting former President Donald J. Trump in his bid for a comeback second term. Here’s Walz, the upper Midwest hunter and gun owner who allegedly represents “the majority of gun owners” when it comes to supporting legislation designed to put a knee on the neck of their Second Amendment rights with the same effect as that Minneapolis cop had on George Floyd.

"In his role as governor, Walz “expanded background checks and increased penalties for illegal firearm sales,” Harris told the crowd.

“And together,” Harris declared, “when we win in November, we are finally going to pass universal background checks, red flag laws, and an assault weapons ban.”

Walz, as noted over the weekend by the Washington Post, represented a “rural swatch” of Minnesota when he was in Congress, and even got an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. The newspaper noted he “often proudly sported a camo hat featuring the affirmation ‘NRA ENDORSED.’”

“But,” the WaPo explained, “as he sought his party’s nomination in a state that had backed the Democratic presidential nominee since 1976, Walz was equivocal when asked about access to guns.”

The Washington Post story then quotes Rob Doar, senior vice president at the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, who recalled how Walz “tried to find a middle ground” by portraying himself as a strong Second Amendment advocate who “also supported common-sense regulation.” And here the WaPo turns Walz into the gun owner-turned-everyday-man trying to be reasonable in an often irrational battle over Second Amendment rights.

“The moment showed how Walz went about moderating his stance on guns — slowly at first, then seemingly all at once,” the WaPo reported.

In the past, Hollywood might have cast Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper in the Walz role. Today, the first choice might be Tom Hanks, since Harrison Ford is just too old for the part.

It was after the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas and the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which, according to Doar, caused Walz to go “full-bore on gun control.”

To its credit, the Post-Gazette report also quoted Trump talking to a Pennsylvania crowd back in February, promising, “When I’m back in the Oval Office, no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”

Trump has not changed his mind on the right to keep and bear arms, even after being shot at a rally in Butler, Pa. He traveled to Grand Rapids, Mich., last month to tell a big crowd, “I will fully uphold our very important but under siege Second Amendment as I did for four years, and I got the full endorsement from the NRA,” the Post-Gazette noted.

Walz, on the other hand, turned corners back in early 2018 following the Parkland High School tragedy. In an op-ed published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune at the time, Walz told readers, “I’ve never been a member of the NRA, but I know many gun-owning Minnesotans still think of the organization as it was when I was growing up: as an advocate for sportsmen and women that held gun-safety classes." Today, though, it’s the biggest single obstacle to passing the most basic measures to prevent gun violence in America — including common-sense solutions that the majority of NRA members support.”

That was a pretty big claim from a guy who said he’s never been an NRA member. How would he know what NRA members really think?

This is Tim Walz’s real value to the Democrat ticket. He’s the enlightened gun owner and hunter who says “something” must be done, and he’s “walking the walk” on that issue by running for vice president next to career anti-gunner Kamala Harris, who was sued by the Second Amendment Foundation while she was California attorney general on gun rights issues.

At some point, Walz will be challenged to define “common-sense” gun control laws—er, gun “reforms”—and it will be up to America’s grassroots Second Amendment activists to determine whether Walz’s answers make any sense at all, much less common sense.

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.Dave Workman

Despite Assassination Attempt, Trump Stands Firm on 2nd Amendment as Harris & Walz Want Confiscation

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/despite-assassination-attempt-trump-stands-firm-on-2nd-amendment-harris-walz-want-confiscation; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

 

In a recent press conference, former President Donald Trump made it abundantly clear that his commitment to the Second Amendment remains unwavering, even in the face of a personal assassination attempt that came fractions of an inch from ending his life and left him shot and bleeding from the head.

The weapon used by the now-dead would-be assassin was an AR-15, the most popular and most owned rifle in America, a rifle that has become a symbol in the debate over gun rights in America. Yet, despite the incident, Trump firmly stood his ground on our right to keep and bear arms.

His declaration underscores a critical divide in the upcoming presidential race. On one side, we have Trump, who has stood by the rights of Americans to bear arms, believing that “people need guns for protection.” On the other, we have Kamala Harris, a candidate who has spent much of her career attempting to curtail these rights and who now faces the impossible task of distancing herself from her own record.

Harris’s track record on gun control is extensive and troubling for anyone who values the Second Amendment. As a politician in California, she famously denied that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms unrelated to militia service. Even when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled otherwise, Harris clung to her interpretation, putting her at odds with mainstream American opinion.

In 2020, as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Harris openly mocked then-candidate Joe Biden’s reluctance to use executive authority to ban so-called “assault weapons.” Her stance was clear: she was willing to push for policies that even Biden admitted were unconstitutional. Today, however, as she faces the American electorate, Harris is attempting to rewrite history, downplaying her previous positions and hoping voters forget her radical past.

Adding to the ticket is Tim Walz, Harris’s running mate, whose history is equally anti-gun.

Once a pro-gun politician with an “A” rating from the NRA (for what that is worth), Walz made a sharp turn to the left when he ran for governor of Minnesota. His dramatic change of heart—some might say it was more a change of political convenience—has left many gun owners feeling betrayed. Walz went from supporting gun rights to advocating for universal background checks, opposing concealed carry reciprocity, and calling for an “assault weapons” ban.

Walz’s credibility takes another hit with accusations of stolen valor. Despite his claims of carrying “weapons of war” during his military service, records show he never served in a combat zone. Walz has also been criticized for retiring early to avoid a deployment to Iraq, which raises serious questions about his integrity and commitment to the values he professes to uphold.

The contrast between Trump and the Harris-Walz ticket could not be starker.

Trump’s steadfast defense of the Second Amendment, even after being shot by an AR-15, speaks volumes about his commitment to the rights of law-abiding Americans. Meanwhile, Harris and Walz are attempting to mask their pasts, hoping voters won’t notice their inconsistencies and their willingness to sacrifice constitutional rights for political gain.

As we approach Election Day, gun voters must remember where the candidates stand—not just where they say they stand today but where they have stood throughout their careers. Harris and Walz have shown they are willing to change their positions when it suits them and their masters, but Trump’s resolve remains firm.

For those who value the Second Amendment, the choice is clear.

Read Related: Who Is Really To Blame For The ATF Bump Stock Ban Rule?

About Tred Law

Tred Law is your everyday patriot with a deep love for this country and a no-compromise approach to the Second Amendment. He does not write articles for Ammoland every week, but when he does write, it is usually about liberals singing with his right to keep and bear arms.

Kamala Harris Desperately Running from Her Own Anti-Second Amendment Record

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/kamala-harris-desperately-running-from-her-own-anti-second-amendment-record; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Kamala Harris, the party-installed alternative to Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, is now squarely in the national spotlight. She and her handlers like to pretend this gives her the opportunity to invent her political persona out of whole cloth so that she can appeal to that decisive section of the American electorate that can be swayed in one direction or another.

In fact, Harris has a long political record, one that is now coming back to haunt her as she tries to portray herself as competent, professional, and middle-of-the-road. And if there’s one issue that has consistently defined her extreme brand of far-left politics, it is contempt for the Second Amendment. Try as she might, she cannot outrun that legacy.

We began delving into Harris’s record on Second Amendment issues last week. This included – during her time as a state and local politician in California — denying that the Second Amendment protects a right to keep and bear arms unrelated to militia service and insisting that it has no bearing on state or local gun control laws. These are not only extreme positions in 2024, after the Supreme Court had authoritatively ruled on these issues to the contrary, they were extreme positions then. A 2008 Gallup poll showed that only 20% of Americans agreed with Harris’s interpretation of the Second Amendment as applying solely to state militias, while 73% did not. In San Francisco, where she was free to be as far-left as she wanted, Harris was perfectly willing to be out of step with mainstream American thought on the Second Amendment.

Later, as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, Harris even mocked Joe Biden’s reluctance to use executive authority to “eliminate” so-called “assault weapons.” This is the term anti-gun Democrats use for America’s most popular rifles, including the AR-15. While clearly agreeable to that idea in principle, even Biden had to admit it was unconstitutional. Yet when asked for her opinion on the matter, Harris laughed in Biden’s face and quipped: “I would just say, hey, Joe, instead of saying no we can’t, let’s say, yes we can.”

Saying “yes we can” to unconstitutional executive actions to ban and confiscate America’s favorite guns now presents a problem for Harris. Her strategy to deal with that problem? Gaslight and deny it.

According to the New York Times, a reliable ally of the Democrat party, “video clips of [Kamala Harris’s] old statements and interviews are being weaponized as Republicans aim to define her as a left-wing radical who is out of step with swing voters.”

“Weaponization” is strange way to describe letting a person’s own words and professional actions define the person’s values, beliefs, and policy positions.

Even stranger is how the Harris campaign plans to respond to those who bring up what the candidate herself has said and done during her political career, according to that same article: “The Harris campaign will rebut most of Republicans’ attacks by arguing that they are exaggerating or lying about her record, said a campaign official briefed on the plans who was not authorized to discuss them publicly.”

It would be one thing for Harris to claim she was wrong then and has since come to her senses and changed her mind. However unconvincing that might be, it would at least in theory be within the realm of possibility.

But Harris and her handlers want to rewrite history itself to deny the positions she took, the things she said, and their necessary implications.

So, who are you going to believe? Kamala Harris, then? Or Kamala Harris now? What you cannot believe, we are told, is your own ears and eyes.

There is a term in American law called “declaration against interest.” It is used when judging the reliability of a statement by a person who is not available in court to answer for his or her own words. This principle holds that when a person says something that is clearly contrary to his or her own best interests, it is more likely to be true. Put another way, when people are trying to protect themselves, they lie. But when they think they can talk with impunity, they tell the truth.

In the bubbles of California, San Francisco, and a Democrat primary, where far-left opinions are fashionable and rewarded, Harris could truly speak her mind on guns. Now that she is answerable for those opinions to a wider American audience, she is – right on cue – trying to retreat from them. And, right on cue, her media collaborators are doing their best to help her deny and rewrite the historical record.

America’s gun owners, however, should neither forget nor forgive where Harris has stood on their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. We will have plenty more to say on that record – or, more precisely, we’ll tell you what Harris herself has said –in the weeks to come.

About NRA-ILA:

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the rights of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

National Rifle Association Institute For Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)

Oregon Republicans Ran & Hid From Defending Gun Owners Rights ~ Oregon Firearms Federation Won’t

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/oregon-republicans-ran-hid-from-defending-gun-owners-rights; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

As soon as Oregon House Republicans helped pass HB 2005, the ban on possession of personally made firearms, they comically and theatrically appeared on the Capitol steps with a giant fake check claiming that they would be funding a lawsuit against the bill they just helped pass.

As with most politician’s promises, this one [and the money] was quickly forgotten.

Oregon House Republicans pretend to give $25000
Oregon House Republicans

Now countless Oregon gun owners who, perfectly legally, manufactured their own personal firearms could face felony charges.

But while Oregon’s House Republicans may be committed to carrying water for the anti-gun Democrats, we’re happy to announce that the Oregon Firearms Federation [OFF] has joined with our friends at Firearms Policy Coalition to challenge this disgraceful attack in Federal Court.

For decades OFF as encouraged and relied upon grassroots gun owner activism to protect our rights in the legislature. But as House Republicans, and many Republicans in the Senate, have become nothing more than yes-men to the Democrats, we have had no choice but to move our fights from the legislature to the courtroom. We wish it were not so, but for now, it’s the hand we have been dealt.

Oregon’s elected officials from both parties are determined to strip Oregonians of their Second Amendment rights as sure as they are determined to encourage violent criminal behavior. We have no choice but to go around them. We are no fans of the Federal Courts in Oregon, but that is where the battle is.

You can view a copy of the complaint here.

Hey, OR GOP, Where is the Check?

Oregon’s House Republicans pulled a “bait and switch” and extorted money from their members with a false promise of funding a lawsuit against the bill they helped pass. Since then, they have pretended it never happened and don’t want to talk about it.

They have our address if they want to keep their word. In the meantime, we’ll just have to rely on our supporters, who do keep their word.

If you would like to help us win this latest court battle, you can do so here. Donations to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation, which pays for our lawsuits, are tax deductible.

We want to express our gratitude to the Firearms Policy Coalition for being a national leader in these fights.

Read Related: FPC Sues to Bust Oregon’s Ban On So-Called “Ghost-Guns”

About the Oregon Firearms Federation:

The Oregon Firearms Federation has proven itself to be Oregon’s only no-compromise lobbying group; OFF takes the same tough stand and serves as a vehicle for educating gun owners, promoting their rights, and, when necessary, fighting freedom haters in court. Visit: www.oregonfirearms.org

Oregon Firearms Federation

Bloomberg’s Everytown Pledges $45 Million to Elect Harris, Anti-Gun Dems

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/bloombergs-everytown-pledges-45-million-to-elect-harris-anti-gun-dems; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Michael Bloomberg's Everytown group will reportedly spend $45 million to help elect anti-gunners, including Kamala Harris, in November. iStock-1309949931
Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown group will reportedly spend $45 million to help elect anti-gunners, including Kamala Harris, in November. iStock-1309949931

The Washington Post is reporting that the “political arm of Everytown for Gun Safety…plans to spend $45 million…to elect favored candidates” in eight battleground states in order to put gun control candidates in “the White House, House, Senate and local offices.”

According to the report, the Everytown effort “will include a new student organizing drive, with plans to hire 30 new organizers for volunteer recruitment drives at 32 college and university campuses in Arizona, California, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.”

There does not appear to be any similar effort by wealthy conservative elitists—which the Far Left claims are hiding around every dark corner of the Donald Trump/’MAGA’ movement—and this age group constitutes a significant bloc of potential voters.

It’s a signal that grassroots Second Amendment activists need to get busy, and also raise a lot of money for the specific purpose of reaching and educating voters in this demographic.

The report says approximately 80 percent of the aforementioned $45 million will finance television and digital advertising, according to an anonymous source described as “a person familiar with the spending who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.” At the Washington Post 50 years ago, that individual would be nicknamed “Deep Throat.”

While the report was educational, remarks from WaPo readers provided a glimpse of just how far out in Left Field they are.

“MarkM21” commented, “I wanted Bloomberg in 2020 , was sorry he stepped down, but I’m also glad that he is using his wealth to promote just causes that have been perverted by the far right!" We would not have a gun problem, if we had gun laws, like every other democratic country!”

Another respondent, using the identity “johndavidtriopical,” declared, “I fear for America." where to start ? Gun control should have been established long age…an utterly dystopian state of affairs…so much death so much stupidity…thousands men women children murdered every year…murder murder murder bombs bombs bombs.. we have to ask What Makes A Great Country?”

Then along comes “Motor City Matt” who tells other readers to “Follow the Money. Republicans love gun violence. It drives gun sales, NRA membership, campaign contributions from gun manufacturers, and ultimately votes for Republicans.”

Presumptive Democrat nominee Kamala Harris has not publicly said a thing, but considering her past positions on gun control and “mandatory buybacks” of semiautomatic rifles—which are now being walked back by the campaign, according to the New York Times—she doesn’t need to solidify her bonafides with the Everytown crowd.

According to a Sept. 17, 2019 Fox News report, then-Sen. Harris “expressed her support for a mandatory buyback program for ‘assault weapons’” during an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The Fox story quoted Harris stating, “A buyback program is a good idea." Now we need to do it the right way.”

Critics are quick to note there is no “right way” to force someone to surrender their legally-purchased firearm, even with some sort of monetary reimbursement. It is what grassroots activists have dubbed “compensated confiscation.”

The New York Times report details many of Harris’ past positions, which her campaign is now feverishly trying to water down or deny completely by claiming she has changed her mind. This is how the NYT describes the vice president’s efforts to re-write history or re-invent herself for 2024 voters: “The Harris campaign will rebut most Republicans" attacks by arguing that they are exaggerating or lying about her record," said a campaign official briefed on the plans who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. Her campaign plans to lean into her record as a local prosecutor and state attorney general to burnish her image as a candidate with deep ties to law enforcement.” (There’s another one of those unidentified deep cover sources without any “authority” to say anything.)

The WaPo, incidentally, describes Everytown as a “gun regulation group,” which is at least a bit more honest than calling it a “gun safety” group.

At the same time, the NYT report laments about how “video clips of her old statements and interviews are being weaponized as Republicans aim to define her as a left-wing radical who is out of step with swing voters.”

America’s “gun voters” should not lose sight of the “big picture” effort being mounted by Everytown: throwing big money into down ballot races in battleground states. The WaPo article reveals that Everytown is opening new field offices in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan. The report also noted that Everytown subsidiaries—Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action—have endorsed Harris for president, which should surprise nobody.

On its website, Everytown may not be doing Harris any favors with this news release. That essentially makes Harris the owner of the Biden-Harris administration’s extremist gun ban agenda.

“Throughout her career,” says Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action, “Vice President Harris has shaped gun safety policy to protect survivors, invest in communities, and get firearms out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.”

“Vice President Kamala Harris has helped lead the strongest gun safety administration in American history, with accomplishments that include breaking the 30-year logjam on federal gun safety legislation and taking historic executive actions to combat gun trafficking and ghost guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “There’s a reason Vice President Harris was tapped to oversee the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention: She’s long been a steadfast and effective champion of common sense laws to create safer communities. The ‘guns everywhere’ agenda promoted by Trump and Vance flies in the face of both common sense and public opinion, and Everytown’s top priority will be helping Vice President Harris counter their violent vision and win in November.”

Aside from the effort to perpetuate the “guns everywhere” myth Everytown has accused the NRA and now Donald Trump and J.D. Vance of pursuing, the news release simply reminds U.S. gun owners about who are their friends, and who is their foe.

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.Dave Workman

Pro-Gun Legal Powerhouse Declares ‘We Will Defend Donald Trump’s Gun Rights!’

Ammoland Inc.Posted on by
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/06/pro-gun-legal-powerhouse-declares-we-will-defend-donald-trumps-gun-rights/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
Donald Trump Wins
Donald Trump

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has announced it will defend former President Donald Trump’s gun rights in the wake of his conviction in a New York courtroom, which could result in the confiscation of his firearms.

“If Donald Trump is further prosecuted for owning firearms,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder & Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “we will offer to defend him and challenge the law.”

The veteran gun rights advocate noted it has always been SAF’s position that “Someone should not lose his or her gun rights due to a conviction of a non-violent crime.”

“Donald Trump has no history of violent crime,” Gottlieb explained. “Under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling, which requires gun laws to have some analogous connection to historical regulation at the time the Founders wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Mr. Trump should not lose his Second Amendment rights. There is no historical nexus to deny someone, including Trump, of their gun rights over such a conviction.”

“SAF has litigated challenges in the past to restore gun rights for people convicted of non-violent crimes,” SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut recalled, “and we will do so again." In fact, we are currently litigating a challenge to the denial of carry permits for some former plaintiffs whose rights were restored due to prior SAF lawsuits.”

“The attack on Trump’s gun rights emphasizes the need to revisit existing gun control laws and change them to protect an individual’s gun rights,” Gottlieb observed. “Until that happens, we will be more than happy to meet New York State or the federal government in court.”

Gottlieb and Kraut noted the Second Amendment Foundation’s growing legal footprint in the gun rights legal arena. The foundation has nearly 60 cases currently in progress, and has won decisions all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Our motto is ‘Winning Gun Rights One Lawsuit at a Time,” Gottlieb stated. “That will include protecting and winning Donald Trump’s gun rights.”

Second Amendment Foundation

The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 720,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

Second Amendment Foundation 2024 Anniversary logo

GOA (Gun Owners of America) Condemns New Radical Anti-gun Policy at YouTube

AmmoLand Inc.Posted on by

 

Washington, D.C. — Gun Owners of America (GOA) issued the following statements after YouTube announced a formal change in their policies towards firearms related content:

“Restricting access to adults only—for content that depicts wholly legal and constitutionally-protected activity—is wrong, and it aims to push a sinister narrative to minors that firearms are evil,” said Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President. “In turn, as younger generations come of age, they will not question or push back on further violations of our Second Amendment rights.”

“Alvin Bragg and his anti-gun friends have been aggressively pressuring YouTube to censor and directly prohibit certain content related to guns for years now, and sadly they just succeeded and free speech has once again become the victim,” said Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Director of Federal Affairs. “Congress must demand answers from YouTube on how influential DA Bragg and gun control groups were in facilitating this change in policy and determine whether the Biden Administration or its White House Office of Gun Control was weaponized to force the censorship of Second Amendment content.”

Background: This week, YouTube and parent company Google announced plans to change their policy on firearms related content – effective June 18th. Under the new policy, which will be retroactive and apply to all existing content on the platform, the following will apply:

Content showing the use of homemade firearms, automatic firearms, and certain firearm accessories will be age restricted.

Content showing how to remove “safety devices” will be banned.

Firearms in movies, video games, military and police footage, and warzone footage will not categorically be age restricted—creating a double standard for Hollywood and anti-gun corporate media.

In April, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg sent a letter to YouTube CEO Neil Mohan urging him to alter their algorithms to ensure that certain firearms content is not promoted. Additionally, he urged the company to directly censor and remove certain firearms-related content.

This letter came on the heels of Media Matters publishing an anti-gun propaganda piece attacking YouTube and certain content that the biased “media” outlet deemed unfavorable. Additionally, in May of 2023, the anti-gun group Everytown published an article highlighting anti-gun research about YouTube’s firearms content from the Tech Transparency Project, which was a key citation in DA Bragg’s letter.

Anti-gun groups are continuing their crusade against online firearms content, with the hope of leveraging these efforts into censorship and lawsuits should social media companies refuse to comply. GOA—which runs a YouTube channel with over 175,000 subscribers and counting— will continue to push back.

About Gun Owners of America

Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.Gun Owners of America GOA logo

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