Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
The mainstream media tells us that armed citizens almost never stop bad guys with guns. The truth about how often armed citizens stop mass-murderers is much more interesting than they want the American people to understand.
Find this and other stories related to your right to keep and bear arms at A1F.com.
BUFFALO, NY – Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that United States District Judge John Sinatra, Jr. has issued a temporary restraining order against New York’s ban on guns in “any place of worship or religious observation.” The order in Hardaway v. Bruen, which is effective immediately, can be viewed at FPCLegal.org.
“The Constitution requires that individuals be permitted to use handguns for the core lawful purpose of self-defense,” wrote Judge Sinatra in his opinion. “And it protects that right outside the home and in public. Nothing in the Nation’s history or traditions presumptively closes the door on that right across every place of worship or religious observation. As in Bruen, where the Court stated that, ‘[n]othing in the Second Amendment’s text draws a home/public distinction with respect to the right to keep and bear arms,’ nothing there casts outside of its protection places of worship or religious observation. New York’s exclusion violates ‘the general right to publicly carry arms for self-defense.’ It, too, is one of the policy choices taken ‘off the table’ by the Second Amendment.”
“Today another court blocked an unconstitutional gun law, this time the ‘places of worship’ carry ban New York imposed as punishment for the Bruen decision,” said FPC Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “Today, the Court recognized what we have long argued: That no one should be forced to forgo one constitutional right in order to exercise another.” Read more
BELLEVUE, WA – A federal court judge in Buffalo, N.Y. has granted a temporary restraining order in a case filed by the Second Amendment Foundation that challenges New York State’s new concealed carry law, declaring the state’s “place of worship” restriction is unconstitutional.
“Ample Supreme Court precedent addressing the individual’s right to keep and bear arms—from Heller and McDonald to its June 22 decision in Bruen—dictates that New York’s place of worship restriction is equally unconstitutional,” wrote District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
The order is effective immediately and prohibits enforcement of this provision.
“We’re delighted with the quick action by Judge Sinatra,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We believe this law to be wholly in violation of not only the letter but the spirit of the Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.” Read more
HOUSTON, TEXAS – Primary Arms Government is sponsoring the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association 2022 SWAT Competition, which runs October 6th-9th at the Conroe/FBI Training Range in Conroe, Texas.
The TTPOA SWAT Competition is a 4-day challenge for SWAT team members and active-duty military from all across America. With stages focused on communications and team dynamics, the TTPOA SWAT Competition puts professional marksmen to the test with exciting stages that challenge their shooting skills. Teams come from all around the U.S. to compete, and to support the event, Primary Arms Government has joined as a competition sponsor.
Dedicated to supporting Law Enforcement and Military professionals, Primary Arms Government is a full-service partner for procurement, equipment support, and more. As one of Texas’ largest Law Enforcement suppliers, Primary Arms Government has expressed its pride in supporting this year’s TTPOA SWAT Competition. Read more
The Second Amendment Foundation announced today it is financially supporting a federal lawsuit filed by four Illinois residents who are challenging a ban on licensed concealed carry on Public Transportation under the state’s Firearm Concealed Carry Act.
Plaintiffs in the case are Benjamin Schoenthal, Mark Wroblewski, Joseph Vesel and Douglas Winston. They are all residents of counties in northern Illinois in the greater Chicago area. They are represented by attorney David Sigale of Wheaton, Ill. The case is known as Schoenthal v. Raoul.
Defendants are Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and State’s Attorneys Rick Amato (DeKalb County), Robert Berlin (DuPage County), Kimberly M. Foxx (Cook County) and Eric Rinehart (Lake County), all in their official capacities.
“We’re financially supporting this case because it is the right thing to do,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “All four plaintiffs in this case are law-abiding citizens who cannot exercise their fundamental rights as spelled out by three Supreme Court rulings, including SAF’s 2010 McDonald victory that nullified Chicago’s unconstitutional handgun ban. Read more
BELLEVUE, WA – More than two months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down New York State’s “proper cause” requirement that was used for generations to deny carry licenses to untolled numbers of people, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says crime victims prevented from being legally armed deserve reparations for decades of disregard for their rights.
“A law found to be unconstitutional,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “was unconstitutional all along. Crime victims who were deprived of their most important right of self-defense under color of law deserve reparations. The state should compensate them, or their surviving families.”
Since the unconstitutional requirement was in place for a century, Gottlieb said, the state should apologize to all the people who were arbitrarily denied their right to bear arms, even if that apology is posthumous.
“Instead of scrambling to perpetuate a philosophy of citizen disarmament,” he contended, “New York officials should beg forgiveness from gun owners, especially those who were victims of violent crimes because they were prevented from being armed to defend themselves. There can never be enough compensation to surviving families who lost a loved one, even if it happened decades ago.
“Instead of complying not only with the letter but the spirit of the high court’s ruling, New York residents are now being told they must disarm if their homes or businesses have been recently placed inside the boundaries of a newly-created ‘sensitive area’ like the heart of New York city,” Gottlieb said. “Empire State anti-gunners are a disgusting crowd who are determined to prevent as many people as possible from being armed and able to defend their homes, businesses and lives.
“It’s time for New York officials from Gov. Kathy Hochul on down to the lowest level bureaucrat to understand they are public servants, and their constituents are citizens, not subjects,” Gottlieb observed. “If they cannot abide by, and operate within the limitations of the constitution, they should tender their resignations and find jobs outside of government.”
With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.
Contact: Alan Gottlieb (425) 454-4911
TULSA, OK. – The DC Project, Women for Gun Rights, returned to Washington, DC, September 13-16, 2022, to deliver its core message to Congress. The group’s fifty-one delegates representing forty-eight states met with legislators from both sides of the aisle, advocating gun rights are human rights. Their effort concluded with a rally on the steps of the United States Supreme Court.
DC Project Founder Dianna Muller commented, “This was our fifth fly-in and it was the most impactful trip we have experienced.” Muller added, “We built bridges by sharing our personal and emotional stories of violence while emphasizing solutions the firearms industry is spearheading in mental health, school safety, and firearms education.”
During the trip, the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) hosted a reception. The DC Project presented its pillars and explained how legislators can partner with the group to provide armor in the attacks on the Second Amendment. “This organization of women is a game changer. For years, anti-gun women and politicians have demanded Congress strip away the rights of law-abiding gun owners; the DC Project provides a counter to their misinformation.” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) stated.
In total, the delegates not only attended more than 135 meetings but made countless impressions across the city with personal interactions with residents and tourists. The DC Project anticipates continuing the momentum at the individual state level. Read more
APPLETON, Wis. – RECOIL OFFGRID Magazine, a publication of CMG West, LLC, has released its latest issue, number 51, with an emphasis on preparing for terrorist events.
As you read this, babies born on or immediately after Sept. 11 will be old enough to have their first beer. Like most of you, I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day — and it certainly doesn’t feel like 21 years ago. In a bitterly ironic twist of timing, we’re also passing the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Afghan capital of Kabul to Taliban forces. Watching a decades-long campaign that cost close to 3,000 American lives crumble on live TV in a matter of days was a tough pill for many people to swallow — particularly those of us who spent a significant amount of time there, or who had loved ones killed or wounded. In the aftermath of such a shocking turn of events, the self-reflection that our politicians and mainstream media outlets are trying to avoid led us back to a singular question: Are we safer from terrorism now than we were on September 10, 2001?
The answer is going to be personal for each of us, but I cannot in good conscience say “yes.” When you combine this with the stark reality that many law enforcement agencies around the country have been gutted by attrition and restricted by policies resulting from the events of the last two years, we face an equally severe but more immediate question: Where does that leave you and your loved ones? It is this question on which our brand is built. Read more
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NRA School Shield Grant Program Now Accepting Applications for School Security Projects
Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association of America is pleased to announce the opening of the 2022 application period for the NRA School Shield Grant Program. Available to all accredited non-profit and public K-12 schools, including private and parochial schools, grants are provided by The NRA Foundation for school security improvements and related activities. The grant application period is open until the end of the day on August 31, 2022.
“The NRA has been at the forefront of providing training and financial resources to keep our children safe and secure in school,” said Joseph P. DeBergalis, Jr., executive director of NRA General Operations. “Many schools indicate insufficient funding as the reason for not enhancing security. Recognizing that school security is a multifaceted issue, The NRA Foundation is making it possible for educational institutions to implement necessary enhancements to keep their students safe.”
First introduced in 2012, NRA School Shield has a singular mission – to protect our Nation’s most precious resources: our children. NRA School Shield offers local law enforcement officials free training on how to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of school security. The NRA School Shield Grant Program is a key component of NRA School Shield, providing financial resources for necessary projects and activities to create a safe learning environment. During the last request period for NRA School Shield grants, over one million dollars was awarded to schools across America.
Projects and activities eligible for NRA School Shield grants include improvements to infrastructure, technology, training, and policies to enact best practices in school security. This can include, but is not limited to, perimeter fencing updates and repairs, secured visitor entry systems, surveillance equipment, improved communication systems, and emergency kits. Grants awarded by The NRA Foundation for NRA School Shield are made possible due to the generosity of NRA members, in large part through the Friends of the NRA program. The NRA Foundation is America’s largest charitable organization in support of the shooting sports and NRA programs, including NRA School Shield.
For more information about the NRA School Shield Grant Program, or to apply, visit www.nraschoolshield.org/grants/. Further information about NRA’s work to safeguard America’s schools can be found online at www.nraschoolshield.org. Read more
Faith Based Security Network 2022 Security Operations Summit
Houston, Texas –– U.S. LawShield®, industry leader in self-defense law and America’s foremost provider of educational resources on safe firearm ownership, is the presenting sponsor of the Faith Based Security Network (FBSN) 2022 Security Operations Summit to be held July 28-30 in Springfield, Missouri. This national convention brings together active first-responders and those serving in church leadership, safety and security roles for training and preparation in sanctuary security from across the country.
The Security Operations Summit is the only vetted church security event in the nation. Invitees comprise active first-responders (uniformed/credentialed officer, responder, or chaplain) or those serving a specific faith-based organization in a leadership or safety/security role.
We’re proud to sponsor FBSN, the only educational event in the nation focused on training faith-based security leaders on best practices for protectors,” said P.J. Hermosa, CEO of U.S. LawShield. “Building responsible gun ownership and safer communities is a priority and fostering FBSN and its educational undertaking fits our mission. One of our members, Jack Wilson, has protected congregations from active shooters, so this initiative really hits home for us,” he added. Read more