Weekly Spotlight 8/22/24 – 8/29/24
The Harris-Walz Anti-Gun Platform Should Concern Law-Abiding Gun Owners
As the Democratic Party coalesced around its ticket at its convention this week, it is worth calling attention to the official Democratic National Committee (DNC) official platform. This formal set of principles, goals and policy positions that the party seeks to adopt will guide its actions and communicate its values to the public. The blueprint is vehemently anti-gun, and is troubling for many reasons. In the name of so-called “gun safety”, the party has put forth measures that should raise significant concerns for gun owners and Second Amendment advocates alike.
One of the most troubling aspects of the DNC platform is the push for national universal background checks and so-called “red flag” laws. While these may sound like common-sense, and even reasonable measures on the surface, they pose serious risks to our constitutional rights. Universal background checks would create a de facto gun registry, making it easier for the government to track – and potentially confiscate – firearms from law-abiding citizens.
So-called “red flag” laws, on the other hand, allow for the confiscation of firearms based on accusations rather than convictions, stripping individuals of their Second Amendment rights without due process. Both policies set dangerous precedents that could lead to widespread abuse and unjust targeting of responsible gun owners who follow the law.
The Democratic party’s governing agenda also calls for a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines. Banning these firearms would not make communities safer but would instead disarm law-abiding citizens who rely on these tools for self-defense.
Among other policies that should concern gun owners is the continual backing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was passed in June 2022. This legislation is heralded by the DNC as a milestone in gun control legislation, but it introduces a series of measures that could severely restrict lawful gun ownership.
The DNC’s platform represents a significant threat to the rights of gun owners and the principles of freedom and personal responsibility that underpin the Second Amendment. That is why the USCCA For Saving Lives Action Fund launched a new voter registration effort, 2A Voter HQ, to appeal directly to responsible gun owners ahead of the November elections. The new online get-out-the-vote tool aims to have Second Amendment proponents get more involved in the political process.
For more information on how to get involved and make plans to vote, click here.
For more information on the USCCA’s training and educational resources, click here.
Join us in advocating for sensible legislative solutions that
protect our freedoms and help save lives!
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
FOX News (Minnesota): Gun Control Bill Signed By Gov. Walz Amid Crime Wave Struck Down As Second Amendment Advocates Sound Off
Stepheny Price
A federal appeals court ruled that Minnesota’s law that bans people ages 18 to 20 from obtaining permits to carry guns is unconstitutional, prompting criticism over Governor Tim Walz’s stance on the Second Amendment. … Since Walz took office as governor of Minnesota in 2019, violent crime has been on the rise. Data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reviewed by Fox News Digital shows that in 2018, the year before Walz took office, the state recorded 104 murders, a figure that increased by more than 12% in 2019, when the state recorded 117 murders. Murders in the state in 2020, when violent crimes spiked nationwide, skyrocketed to 185. In 2021, the state recorded 201 murders, 182 in 2022, and 172 last year.
The Reload: Analysis: Will Any Biden Gun Restrictions Survive The Courts?
Stephen Gutowski
The Biden Administration’s gun record has hit another snag. Last Friday, a three-judge panel on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the administration’s reclassification of pistol-brace-equipped firearms as unregistered short-barrel rifles. It was just the latest in a series of setbacks for President Joe Biden’s aggressive policy of using federal rulemaking to unilaterally expand gun restrictions. It also extended those court losses to a new federal circuit.
CBS News: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Threatens Lawsuit Over State Fair Of Texas Gun Policy
Matthew Davisson, Nicole Nielson
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent a notice to the City of Dallas, threatening a lawsuit over the State Fair of Texas’ new gun policy. Paxton said the State Fair of Texas policy, announced earlier this month, violates state law which permits licensed gun owners to lawfully carry in places owned or leased by governmental entities. Fair Park, where the annual State Fair of Texas is held, is owned by the City of Dallas.
Washington Examiner: Judge Orders ATF To Return Last ‘Legal’ Bump Stock
Paul Bedard
The last “legal” bump stock is set to be given back to the owner this month after the Biden administration lost on its latest gun control effort. A federal district court judge, reacting to a Supreme Court decision knocking down a ban on the device from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, ordered it returned to Clark Aposhian, the Utah resident who took on the agency and won.
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