Swirling Array Of Gun Constitutional Issues At The Federal And State Levels Overwhelm The Senses
Pennsylvania –-(AmmoLand.com)- First and foremost we finally have some clarity from the United States Supreme Court on the Second Amendment and an individual citizen’s right to bear arms!
The decision in the McDonald case regarding the Chicago handgun ban that has been in effect since 1982 is, make no mistake about it, a landmark decision that will transform the issue of gun ownership. In addition, the coupling of this decision with the Heller decision from two years ago regarding the Washington DC ban provides for an amazing level of clarity on such a controversial issue.
If for no other reason, it will be amusing to watch the American Civil Liberties Union try to wiggle out of being involved in cases wherein citizens are denied 2nd Amendment rights now that it is a recognized constitutional freedom (civil right).
As is usual, the anti-gun spin doctors were out within minutes trying to minimize the impact of this decision on the gun control movement. Unfortunately, for Sarah Brady, Josh Sugarman and the rest of their ilk, the lies they have told incessantly for the last 40 years regarding the Constitution, our heritage and the basis of the freedoms protected therein have finally been exposed for the duplicitous and self-centered ramblings of individuals who are unwilling to retrace their steps or admit they are wrong!
Disclosure Bill – H.R. 5175
Hot on the heels of the McDonald decision is the effort, by the Obama administration and the Leaders in the House of Representatives, to enact what is called the “disclosure bill”. This is an attempt to reinstitute the limitations that the Supreme Court (Citizens United case) said were unconstitutional in the McCain/Feingold legislation. Even more to the point, this is a naked attempt to silence the American citizens who have expressed their growing resentment towards a government and an administration that is increasingly oblivious to their voices and their concerns.
In fact this Disclosure Bill has direct ‘historical’ connections going back well over 200 years to the widely reviled President John Adams statute known as the “Alien and Sedition Acts”! All one has to do is read history to realize that some in government (especially the Federalists at the time) have always chafed at the unbridled criticism of Americans who feel that their freedom of speech guarantees them the ability to criticize government where they believe they are wrong. Now desperate incumbents are singling out citizens and most organizations (under 500,000 members) for legal duct taping of their 1st amendment rights. This is ALL about control and protecting incumbents against the growing resentment of the American people to an isolationist federal legislature who have forgotten who they ‘work’ for!
Pennsylvania Gun Rights Issues
Throughout the last 7 1/2 years and, in particular, the last three years Pennsylvania has been squarely under the microscope of the anti-gun organizations at the national level and within the state on a variety of issues. The main reasoning behind this is the desire not to lose Pennsylvania to the conservative movement that is sweeping across the country in a political sense thus bringing power politics from the national level and to gun rights issues and others. The real loser here are the citizens of this commonwealth who desperately need changes to the gun laws in this state if they are to avoid becoming a prosecutorial and political ping-pong ball!
Issues such as House Bill 2536, which is representative Lentz’s so-called license to carry a concealed firearm loophole bill that is nothing but a facade for his congressional aspirations. Or Rep. Kessler who is also a supervisor of Oley Township that enacted an ordinance violating Pennsylvania preemption law, which bans firearms on Township property (you would think a state representative would know that this was illegal)!
Another hot button ticket item is the continuing pressure of Cease-Fire Pennsylvania to enact local ordinances that also violate Pennsylvania preemption law. Of course Joe Grace of Cease-Fire PA refuses to admit that this is a violation but clearly the Philadelphia legislators to core operating with this anti-gun organization fully understand the import and reasoning by virtue of what Rep. Thomas said at a May 25 Judiciary Committee hearing. At this hearing Rep. Thomas admitted that the enactment of local ordinances was a case of civil disobedience clearly indicating that these anti-gun state representatives and Cease-Fire PA were conspiring to break in violate Pennsylvania law. These individuals are not ones to let ethics or reality get in the way of a good public relations spectacle since not one of these laws or ordinances have resulted in anyone or any individual being prosecuted for violating them.
Thus giving lie to the true intentions and reasons for these efforts, which are to manipulate state law and the state legislature and advance the gun control agenda for political purposes.
As you can see there are many, many more issues before us but in the end result we must not be distracted from the importance of the upcoming general election and the need to be involved in redirecting our government by enacting legislators who understand the importance of our Constitution and the limitations of government.
About:
The Firearm Owners Against Crime (FOAC) is non-partisan, non-connected Political Action Committee organized to empower ‘all’ gun owners, outdoors enthusiasts and supporters of the 2nd Amendment to the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution Visit: www.foac-pac.org
The title wave is coming and the anti-gunners will be powerless to stop it. Thank God we have 5 members of the SCOTUS that understand the Constitution. Even if we do get Kagan, it will not change the 5-4 balance. here in PA we have to put Conservatives into office. It was great when we were finally able to put the traitor, Arlen Specter out to pasture. Now we need to do the same with Sestak.