Washington, DC (June 3, 2023) – The People have spoken. The biggest abuser of civil liberties in the Administrative State is Attorney General Merrick Garland. After a weeks-long public vote as part of the New Civil Liberties Alliance’s Third Annual “King George III Prize,” Garland garnered the most votes among overreaching bureaucrats in a bracket campaign that ran on NCLA’s social media sites. Garland prevailed out of a “Flagrant Four” finalists that included California Governor Gavin Newsom, student loan cancellation architect Richard Cordray, and FBI agent (and social media censor) Elvis Chan. The award was announced Thursday night at an event in Washington, DC.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland received the Prize for presiding over the reckless and corrosive politicization of the Department of Justice, trampling the First Amendment and other civil rights in the process. NCLA is currently suing over the government’s attempts to use private companies like Twitter to circumvent the Constitution’s ban on censorship. NCLA also recently won a case against Garland over ATF’s unlawful bump stock ban. Whether to protect the government’s Covid-19 narrative or tamper with electoral outcomes, Garland’s DOJ has worked to silence and control Americans. Cartoonist Tom Stiglich curated a special cartoon for Thursday’s occasion, illustrating the Attorney General’s seeming disregard for constitutional rights.

In addition to the KGIII Prize, the New Civil Liberties Alliance awarded charter boat Captain Allen Walburn the George Washington Award for Client Bravery. Capt. Walburn was a named plaintiff in NCLA’s successful class-action lawsuit, Mexican Gulf Fishing Company v. NOAA, challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Final Rule requiring charter boats in the Gulf of Mexico to buy and install a vessel monitoring system that federal authorities would use to track them 24/7. Capt. Walburn and over 1,300 other charter boat captains won before an en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which set the regulation aside in February.

NCLA also presented attorney and First Amendment legend Floyd Abrams with the George Washington Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service, while Nicolas Morgan and his Paul Hastings LLP team took home the Ally Award for Best Amicus Curiae Brief. Finally, NCLA recognized the winner of its Student Note Competition, Justin Marks of Ohio Northern University Law School, who earned a $10,000 prize to be split with the Ohio Northern University Law Review for his insightful publication entitled: “Fighting a Foreseeable Fauci ‘Fourth’: A Fourth Amendment Take on Hypothetical ‘Lock-Down’ Orders.” Read more

Editor’s Note: Sometimes, the words of a mere editor aren’t enough to convey the true meaning of our national holidays. We’re thankful for our friend Mark Oliva’s service and words as we prepare for the Memorial Day holiday. It’s not just the “unofficial start of summer.”

 By Mark Oliva

Memorial Day is soon upon us and for some, it’s the kickoff of summer. Vacations are planned, backyard grilling and warm days with friends and family are in the works. It’s also a day of honoring those who gave their lives in service to our nation so we can enjoy our freedoms.

We, the firearm industry, pause to honor these men and women. We also rededicate ourselves to living lives worthy of their sacrifice. We mourn the loss but we celebrate that we had men and women such as these among us, even if it was for a short time. For those of us in the firearm industry that served in uniform, we’re especially touched that we had the opportunity to serve alongside them.

The firearm industry has unique connection to our military and the veterans who swore oaths to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. These are men and women who carried the firearms our industry produces that aid in the defense of the United States and our way of life. The rifles, handguns and ammunition produced by manufacturers across this nation were carried into war by these Americans. Our industry is the “great arsenal for democracy.”

Celebrate Freedom

Their loss on the battlefields in far-flung places around the globe steels our resolve that we should be worthy beneficiaries of their sacrifice. These patriots didn’t seek martyrdom but stood in the gap knowing the cost that may be called. They answered that call willingly. They are the best of us. Their absence reminds us of the charge to honor their memory and preserve the freedoms for which they gave their lives.

This Memorial Day is, indeed, a celebration. There should be beach volleyball games and barbecues. Friends and family should celebrate their freedom to gather in safety. That could even include a day at gun range, swinging a shotgun at sporting clays range or honing marksmanship skills at long-range targets. Those are our freedoms too.

Memorial Day is a reminder to pause. Some will head to local national cemeteries to place flags and flowers at the headstones of those we honor. These were sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. For those us who served in uniform, some of them were closer than brothers and sisters. These are people connected to our souls.

Remember the Cost

It’s why we remember. It’s why we ask our nation to remember. Reflect on them and lives they lived and the freedoms they loved. They are men and women like Master Sgt. Aaron Torian, from Paducah, Kentucky. I served alongside him in Iraq. Maj. Megan McClung was a vibrant woman, a long-distance runner who organized a satellite Marine Corps Marathon in Iraq. We also served together in Iraq’s Al Anbar Provice. Maj. Doug Zembiec was called the “Lion of Fallujah” who extolled the virtues of his Marines. He was legendary and now is among Marine legends.

Those we owe a debt too aren’t just of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They’re also the jungles of Vietnam, where Navy Lt. Vincent Capodanno, a Roman Catholic priest serving as a chaplain for Marines. He dragged Marines to safety in the din of battle, administered last rites to mortally wounded Marines, ignoring wounds to his own body. Marines in the battled attested that Father Capodanno placed himself between enemy fire to protect wounded Marines when lost his own life. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard DeWert was a hospital corpsman serving with Marines in Korea just north of the 38th Parallel when his unit found itself in a pitched battle against Chinese Communists. Four Marines from a lead element were wounded and Petty Officer DeWert rushed to their aid, sustaining gunshot wounds as he dragged Marines to safety. He was gunned down by enemy fire attempting to rescue the last wounded Marine. Petty Officer DeWert was the second Navy sailor to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the Korean War.

In WWII, Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone was already awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on Guadalcanal. He was featured in “Life” magazine but ultimately returned to combat with his Marines, leading them ashore in the Iwo Jima invasion when he fell to Japanese artillery.

These men and women are the reasons we celebrate – and should celebrate. They seem larger than life but the reality is they make our lives larger. They are also the reasons we pause. NSSF is awed and humbled that Americans like these walked among us. The firearm industry honors their sacrifice and is inspired to protect the freedoms for which they gave their lives.

Mark Oliva is NSSF’s Managing Director of Public Affairs. the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industries. He is a retired Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant with 25 years of service, including tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Albania, and Zaire.

Now on A1F.com: As the U.S. Department of Defense weighs whether to take privately owned guns from contractors and members of the U.S. Armed Forces, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend and an Army combat veteran, has a lot to say about what is happening and what needs to happen to help our military members.

Find this and other stories related to your right to keep and bear arms at A1F.com.

To help boost awareness of changing conditions at Great Lakes beaches and save lives, double red warning flags are now in place at state-designated swim beaches along the Great Lakes in Michigan state parks.

It’s a change to the Great Lakes flag warning system that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources began integrating last year at several state parks, and for good reason.

“We actively reevaluate our safety measures and public education efforts, especially when it comes to Great Lakes safety,” said Ron Olson, DNR Parks and Recreation chief. “Many people underestimate the power of the Great Lakes and don’t always understand how quickly even the most experienced swimmer can get into a life-threatening situation and swept away. That’s why the DNR is committed to making beach safety and public education a top priority.” Read more

Minden, LA – Lightweight yet durable, the Highland 30 from Mammoth Coolers is perfectly convenient for the demands of daily outings or long trips.

Constructed of high-density nylon with thick TPU lamination, the puncture- and tear-resistant cooler features an EVA molded bottom for added durability and stability. Premium closed-cell foam keeps contents cold, while the waterproof and leakproof zipper creates an air-tight closure. The Highland 30’s antimicrobial liner resists mold and mildew, creating hygienic storage for food and drinks.

Measuring 18? x 10? x 22?, the 30-quart soft cooler can accommodate 24 cans and boasts 2-3+ days of ice retention. The Highlander 30 is available in sportsman tan or light gray for $239.99. Read more

Beginning this week, personnel from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will renew a ground search for the source of an unregulated water supply near a roadside access point in Greenland Township.

In April, the DNR said it would begin its new search for the water source once springtime weather conditions allowed.

The water has been used for drinking water and other needs for decades. The roadside access is located along the Bill Nichols Rail-Trail, off M-38 at the former site of Lake Mine, a historic mining community.

A group of state, county and local entities, including the DNR, is working cooperatively to find the source of the water to try to ensure it is a safe supply for drinking. The water source is believed to be on land administered by the DNR.

The DNR is under and order from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to disable the makeshift drinking spigot along the roadside and close off access to the water. Read more