SCOTUS Keeps Door Open on ‘Travel Ban,’ Slams it in Faces of Gun Owners

By David Codrea

Supreme Court Continues to Reschedule Concealed Carry Case
What recourse do people have when rights are denied by politically unchallengeable legislatures and the highest court doesn’t care?
David Codrea in his natural habitat.

USA – -(Ammoland.com)- The Supreme Court kept the Trump administration’s claim of authority to limit travel from six “Muslim majority countries” alive for the time being and dashed hope for gun owners seeking redress for their right to bear arms, SCOTUSBlog reported Monday.

“The Supreme Court is letting a limited version of the Trump administration ban on travel from six mostly Muslim countries to take effect, a victory for President Donald Trump in the biggest legal controversy of his young presidency,” the Associated Press confirms. “The court said Monday the ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen could be enforced as long as they lack a ‘credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.’ The justices will hear arguments in the case in October.”

Of significance, Justice Neil Gorsuch joined Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in the opinion that “allowed the government to reinstate the ban for all travelers from the six affected countries, regardless of any personal connection that those travelers might have with the United States. Thomas complained that today’s order could prove ‘unworkable,’ requiring government officials to try to figure out whether would-be travelers have enough of an connection to the United States to come here, and could ‘invite a flood of litigation.’”

High court action, or rather, inaction, closed off gun owners’ options for redress closed off, considering political realities. The court denied certiorari, meaning it will not hear the case of Peruta v. California.

Judge Neil Gorsuch and President Trump, photo from Conservative Review
Gorsuch’s actions are starting to give hope for Trump’s promises.

Again significantly, Justice Gorsuch agreed with Justice Thomas that the case should have been heard. His actions in both cases alleviate some of the concerns expressed in this column questioning how gun owners could assume Gorsuch’s legal agreement until he clarified his thoughts on the Second Amendment.

“We are disappointed in the Court’s rejection of the appeal in Peruta v. California, which now leaves millions of law-abiding Californians with no ability to bear arms outside the home,” the National Rifle Association said in a statement following the court’s inexcusable abdication of duty. “We look forward to a future Court affirming that the right to keep and bear arms is as much a part of our Constitution as the other enumerated rights that it protects.”

And when will that be? In the mean time, those gun owners are left with two options no free citizens should be expected to choose between: Obey or refuse to comply, and decide which choice endangers life and liberty the least.

Meanwhile, they will continue to live under regimes that deny their right to keep and bear arms while simultaneously offering “sanctuary” to unvettable foreign nationals and illegal aliens.

About David Codrea:

David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating / defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament.

In addition to being a field editor/columnist at GUNS Magazine and associate editor for Oath Keepers, he blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

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David C. Telliho

At 70 yr.`s young,I was brought up to respect our country,our Constitution,and our Government. Our Government which I believed had our countries and therefore our best interests in everything they did. I was taught to respect authority,the service taught me to do as I was told. How has it come to be that I no longer believe that Our Gov. has our best interest`s in mind? Who taught me not to respect our leaders?Who caused me to worry that my gun may be illegal tomorrow,or the next day?Who reminds me continually about the ‘rule of law’,while ignoring laws themselves?Who makes… Read more »

Bob M.

I fail to understand why the American people are always so surprised at judicial tyranny. Murray Rothbard explained the workings of SCOTUS back in 1973 in a very clear, succinct, and to the point manner as follows: “It is true that, in the United States, at least, we have a constitution that imposes strict limits on some powers of government. But, as we have discovered in the past century, no constitution can interpret or enforce itself; it must be interpreted by men. And if the ultimate power to interpret a constitution is given to the government’s own Supreme Court, then… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Bob M, an excellent point from an excellent author. Time for the term limits and the right of recall on the members of the SCOTUS. We the People need new and stronger tools to control our employees.

Parnell

Could it be that Alito & Roberts, afraid that Kennedy might vote with the liberals thought it better to pass on the case at this time? I’m given to believe that there are other 2nd Amendment cases in the pipeline which could be accepted at a later time.

Vanns40

There is one avenue still open to freedom and that is a well worded National Reciprocity law. It is imperative that everyone call their Senators AND the NRA and tell them they want this legislation moved on this year, no excuses, no hemming and hawing. Tell them they and the President promised this during the campaign and if they don’t 2018 will not be a happy year for them. Time is short, don’t delay.

Todd Jaffe

Unless American citizens are willing to sacrifice for their Constitutional rights, they will lose them. I gave up half or more of my income to fight against Obamacare and an IRS being used to silence POTUS critics illegally. I am still being targeted illegally and until we eliminate the IRS, it will not stop. Move out of the state. Bankrupt California. They will change their tune.

KUETSA

This all seems to be about power. Our government seems to be very concerned about our rights as long as those rights do NOTHING to empower us. EuroSocialist alternative lifestyle rights are where they want our concerns to be. In my county it is left to be an “ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION” – The police commissioner decides WHO and under what circumstances, an American citizen can legally carry a firearm concealed. It is CUT AND DRY – ACTIVE AND RETIRED POLICE PERSONNEL are the ONLY ONES with unrestricted carry rights for self defense. Self defense is not recognized as a reason to… Read more »

MLC7
John Comeau

on the plus side, the SCOTUS’s failure to grant cert to Peruta means Charles Nichols’s open carry case can now move forward. https://blog.californiarighttocarry.org/?page_id=6922