NRA Files Brief in McDonald v. City of Chicago

I just received the following e-mail from the National Rifle Association. The NRA "asks the US to apply the Second Amendment to state and local governments". There is a natural right to bear arms. The Second Amendment not only guarantees the right but establishes a responsibility of all Americans to bear arms in order to secure a free state. The Second Amendment says:

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The people have the right to bear arms, but they also have an obligation to participate in a well regulated militia in order to do the necessary work of keeping the state free. The people can only do this by owning a gun capable of resisting tyranny by the state and federal governments. All Americans ought to own weapons capable of resisting military attack.

I disagree with the NRA that the Constitution ought to be applied to the states. I understand that they are focusing on the right to bear arms, and God bless them. But centralization and the federal government's threat to state sovereignty equals the government's threat to eliminate citizens' freedom and their ability to resist the federal government's authoritarian state violence. Both federalism and the right to bear arms are important.

>On November 16, the NRA filed its brief with the U.S. Supreme Court as Respondent in Support of Petitioner in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The NRA brief asks the U.S. Supreme Court to hold that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment.

>The McDonald case is one of several that were filed immediately after last year's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, in which the Court upheld the Second Amendment as an individual right and struck down Washington, D.C.'s ban on handgun possession, as well as the capital city's ban on keeping loaded, operable firearms for self-defense in the home.

>The follow-up cases were filed by NRA and other organizations against Chicago and several of its suburbs. Each of these suits was aimed at the same goal: establishing that the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments as well as the federal government.

A Message Concerning NY from The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action

New York State Senate Called Back for Special Session!

Please Contact Your State Senator!

At the urging of Senate Democratic leadership, the New York State Senate will return to Albany for a one-day session on Thursday, August 6.

While Senators are expected to take up the controversial issue of control over the New York City schools, there is the potential for other pending legislation to be acted upon as long as they are in session.

Contact your State Senator and ask him or her to oppose the following list of anti-gun bills should any come up for consideration while the Senators are in Albany.

Senate Bill 4397A and Senate Bill 6005, both micro-stamping bills, would ban the sale of all semi-automatic handguns not equipped with micro-stamping technology.

Senate Bill 4753 would prohibit the possession of concealed firearms in any park or recreational area.

Senate Bill 1598 would require five-year renewals on pistol licenses.

Senate Bill 1715 would impose new restrictions on licensed dealers and require retailers to obtain liability insurance against the possibility of a crime being committed with a firearm any time after it is legally sold.

Senate Bill 5228 would outlaw handguns ”capable” of being fired by anyone five years of age or younger, this legislation would outlaw virtually all handguns in New York.

Senate Bill 2379 would ban frangible ammunition.

Senate Bill 5489 would institute a training requirement for issuance of a pistol license.

Senate Bill 4752 would outlaw .50 caliber firearms.

Senate Bill 3098 would require the mandatory storage of firearms.

Contact information for your State Senator can be found by clicking here.

Mitchell Langbert Joins NRA

As someone born and bred in New York City, the gun control capital of the world, I never went hunting and only used firearms twice in my life in shooting lessons I took in the 1960s at a summer camp near Woodstock, NY, near where I live now.

I have just joined the National Rifle Association and I urge all Americans who are concerned about individual freedom to join me in supporting this worthy organization.