Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

LA: Louisiana Set to Become 28th State to Embrace Constitutional Carry as Bill Heads to Governor�s Desk
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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Louisiana is on the brink of becoming the 28th state to embrace constitutional carry, marking a monumental triumph for the Second Amendment and the rights of its law-abiding citizens. The Louisiana House has resoundingly passed Senate Bill 1 with a vote of 75-28, a move that not only exemplifies the state�s commitment to the fundamental right of self-defense but also aligns it with a growing list of states that recognize the importance of constitutional carry. This bill, ardently supported by the NRA, is a testament to the enduring spirit of freedom and individual rights that defines Louisiana.

Biden Is Destroying the Firearm's Industry
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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The Biden administration is driving gun dealers out of business and radically transforming the firearms industry. Unfortunately, President Biden is only getting started, and four more years of these policies will have truly detrimental impacts on the ability of people to buy guns for self-defense.

Biden sold his �zero tolerance� policy as going after �rogue gun dealers� who �knowingly� sell guns to violent criminals. Of course, no one wants dealers secretly selling guns to criminals out of the back of their stores. But Biden�s zero-tolerance policy isn't about that. Instead, it makes trivial and inconsequential paperwork errors into grounds for losing one�s license and going out of business.

When domestic abuse victims turn violent, the law should protect them
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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By the time Deven Grey shot her boyfriend in 2017, he had been isolating and abusing her for years. The night she killed him at their home in rural Alabama, he had fired a gun at her, pistol-whipped her and strangled her with a hose. In court, she filed a �stand your ground� self-defense claim � which she was denied because she had shot her abuser five minutes after he had lain on the couch. �I just didn�t want it to be me,� she said.

She took a guilty plea for manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

For years, I have interviewed women around the world who resorted to violence to survive.

FL: Self-defense testimony wins man acquittal in murder trial, four years after his arrest
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Anderson Arthur testified that he acted in self-defense in firing the shot that killed 29-year-old Emmanuel Phillipe during a confrontation between the men outside a Boynton Beach-area home in 2019.

The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office argued that Phillipe's death was a criminal act and sought to convict Arthur on a second-degree murder charge. On Feb. 22, more than four years after Arthur's arrest, a jury found him not guilty of the charge.

Defense attorney Franklin Prince said what bolstered Arthur's case was the inability of state witnesses to counter the self-defense claim.

TX: Man claims self-defense in fatal shooting at North Austin business park, police say
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A man told police he had fatally shot another man in self-defense at a North Austin business park after the latter slashed his tires and threatened him with a knife, according to a press release.

Christopher Hernandez, 34, was pronounced dead at the business park, located at 7801 N. Lamar Blvd., at 2:34 p.m. Saturday, after life-saving efforts failed. Police responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call from an unidentified person who said he'd shot Hernandez in self-defense, the press release said.

OK: Lawman Tactical offering course to teach women about gun safety and self-defense
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Lawman Tactical Guntry Club is holding a new event to teach women about gun safety and self-defense.

The series, called �Women�s Wednesday,� launched last week. The next session begins on March 13th. Women who attended the first session last week will spend the next couple of weeks practicing in the shooting range.

�I think that just knowing that I am capable as a woman of protecting myself and learning the correct way, when, how, and what to do is super important,� says Ginger Whitler.

LA: What will Louisiana's concealed carry gun expansion mean for law-abiding adults, criminals?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Louisiana's law-abiding adults soon will be able to legally carry concealed handguns without permits or training after the Legislature gave final passage to a bill that will expand gun rights in the state.

Senate Bill 1 by Republican New Iberia Sen. Blake Miguez cleared the House Wednesday on a 75-28 vote. The Senate already passed the bill.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry will sign the bill into law. It was one of Landry's priorities for the Special Session designed to crack down on criminals in an effort to reduce crime.

MO: Could Missouri's 'stand your ground' law apply to the Super Bowl parade shooters?
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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The man accused of firing the first shots at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally told authorities he felt threatened, while a second man said he pulled the trigger because someone was shooting at him, according to court documents.

Experts say that even though the shooting left one bystander dead and roughly two dozen people injured, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller might have good cases for self-defense through the state�s �stand your ground� law.

LA: Permit-less concealed carry bill continues advance
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A House committee passed a bill Monday that would allow individuals 18 and over to carry a concealed handgun without a permit as long as they are not prohibited from owning a firearm under state or federal law. The House Administration of Criminal Justice voted 10-3 to advance the bill despite opposition from New Orleans officials, who expressed concern about the safety of police officers and tourists visiting the city.

FL: Man shot to death in Marion Oaks. No arrest so far; investigation ongoing.
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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When they arrived, they found the victim. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Sheriff's officials would not say how many times Davis had been shot, nor did they discuss a possible motive or what led up to the shooting.

They did say that the shooter was interviewed and there was a claim of self-defense. Both the victim and the shooter were working at the location, officials said.

TN: Nashville Rideshare Driver Uses Gun to Stop His Own Kidnapping
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A Music City rideshare driver got more than his typical fare when a man wanting a ride to some nearby projects became agitated in his car and began making threats. As the rider�s anger grew for unknown reasons, he pulled a gun on the driver in an effort to kidnap him.

The 44-year-old driver, Dalvin Campbell, attempted a call to 911, telling the dispatcher he was being kidnapped at gunpoint.

�Campbell first called 911 around 10 p.m. Monday from the 1100 block of Broadway. The call disconnected before the dispatcher was able to obtain additional information,� according to WZTV Nashville reported.

AZ: Arizona Republicans Push Bill to Legalize Killing Trespassing Migrants Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
In a move sparking debate, Arizona Republicans are advocating for changes to the existing Castle Doctrine law, which currently permits deadly force against individuals breaking into homes. Rep. Justin Heap introduced HB2843, aiming to extend this legal protection to include individuals found on a property, regardless of their location.

Ghana: Efia Odo reacts to court ruling in death row case
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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According to reports, Ms. Sulemana and her friend were involved in a heated argument when her friend attacked her with a knife.

In an attempt to defend herself, Sulemana managed to gain control of the knife and unfortunately stabbed her to death.

She was arrested, put before court and sentenced to death despite pleas for mercy.

Reacting to the ruling, a livid Efia Odo questioned the logic behind sentencing someone to death for acting in self-defense.

In her view, it is absurd to punish individuals who defend themselves against imminent threats.

MO: Missouri urges court to uphold act declaring federal gun laws �invalid� after KC shooting
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Missouri officials recently defended in court a far-reaching state law that declares some federal firearms laws �invalid,� a stark demonstration of how far the state has gone to thwart restrictions on guns. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey�s Office urged the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the state�s Second Amendment Preservation Act or SAPA during oral arguments last Friday. The 2021 law, signed by Gov. Mike Parson, spurred confusion among law enforcement when it went into effect.

CA: Federal judge reverses himself, rules that California�s ban on billy clubs is unconstitutional
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Benitez declared in Sept. 2021 that California�s ban on such weapons qualified as �longstanding� and therefore did not violate the Second Amendment. But while that ruling was under appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that altered the legal analysis for Second Amendment regulations.

The billy club case was sent back to Benitez to review under the new Bruen analysis. He decided that Attorney General Rob Bonta�s office, which is defending the case, failed to provide evidence of any historically similar prohibitions.

Bonta said the judge's decision �defies logic� and the state has filed an appeal.

NJ: Second Amendment rights raised at Wall police town hall
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Wall Township Police Chief Sean O�Halloran, while addressing recent crime at a town hall last week, said he fully supports residents� right to bear arms.

Attendees of the third department-run forum asked the chief about their rights to defend themselves in the case of residential break-ins. Occurrences of individuals entering homes to steal car key fobs have increased since last year, police said at the town hall meeting on Nov. 29.

�In my personal opinion, do whatever you think you can do to save your life and the lives of your loved ones,� said the chief. �� If you�re a lawfully licensed gun owner � you need to safeguard you and your family.�

Supreme Court hears challenge to Trump-era ban on bump stocks in a major gun control case
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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For Michael Cargill, the thorny dispute over bump stocks is only partly about the controversial devices themselves.

It's also about what Cargill views as government overreach.

"It's the principle of it," said the 54-year-old Texas gun store owner who six years ago sued over a federal ban on the devices, which allow people to fire semi-automatic rifles far more rapidly. "We definitely never should have opened those floodgates in the first place."

CA: Federal judge rips California for denying gun purchases to ex-felons
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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A federal judge ruled Wednesday that California violated the Second Amendment rights of three men when it denied them the right to own or purchase firearms even though their prior felony convictions were vacated and their rights restored.

Chad Linton, Paul McKinley Stewart, and Kendall Jones were convicted of nonviolent felonies in separate states decades ago. Each of the plaintiffs had their convictions vacated, set aside or dismissed, and their rights to possess firearms restored by the jurisdiction in which they were convicted.

Supreme Court hears challenge to Trump-era ban on bump stocks for guns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Yet another gun case at the Supreme Court Wednesday. This time the Second Amendment right to bear arms is nowhere in sight. Rather, the question is the legality of a federal regulation banning devices that modify semiautomatic weapons to speed the firing mechanism.

The regulation wasn't created by the Biden administration. It was created by President Trump in 2018 after a single gunman in Las Vegas, using multiple guns modified by so-called bump stock devices, killed 60 people and wounded 400 more � all in the space of 11 minutes.

NY: Urinalysis Requirement for Gun Carry Permit Likely Unconstitutional
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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Antonyuk held (among other things) that "requiring applicants to disclose even pseudonymous names under which they post online imposes an impermissible infringement on Second Amendment rights that is unsupported by analogues in the historical record and moreover presents serious First Amendment concerns." The Kamenshchik court held that, though Antonyuk upheld some modest discretionary judgment on the government's part, "particularly in the area of good moral character or dangerousness, and in the nature of following-up on other information provided," that didn't extend to the urinalysis requirement.

CA: Billy clubs? Butterfly knives? Legal shift on Second Amendment affects more than just guns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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In 2021, U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez ruled that a 100-year-old California ban on stick-like weapons known as "billy clubs" was constitutional precisely because it was so "longstanding."

Last week, Benitez, reviewing the case for a second time, ruled the opposite: The ban is unconstitutional because it isn't old enough.

"What is different today," the judge wrote, "is that a statute enacted in 1923 is no longer given a pass for being 'longstanding.'"

Benitez's reversal was the latest example of the rapidly shifting landscape for Second Amendment law in the country � not just for firearms, but all sorts of other weapons.

The Second Amendment Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
In my time on this earth (almost 80 years) I have witnessed several factions attempt to twist the clear and unambiguous language of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The people specifically mentioned are the same people mentioned in the First and Fourth Amendments, NAMELY THE GENERAL POPULATION OF LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS.

A Forgotten Legacy: The Role of the Second Amendment in Black History
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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But let�s not forget the role that this [2nd] amendment has played in securing the rights and liberties of not just African Americans, but all Americans. From the Civil War through the civil rights movement and even until today, the Second Amendment has been a powerful tool in the hands of those who have fought for justice and equality.

But unfortunately, as with most things in Black history, this topic has been silenced and overshadowed. The harsh reality is that laws were put in place to keep slaves and freed Black men from obtaining firearms. And even after the Civil War, many states passed what�s known as Black Codes, intentionally designed to restrict African Americans from exercising their right to keep and bear arms.

Ernst Works to Protect Lawful Gun Dealers from ATF
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is leading legislation to protect gun dealers� Second Amendment rights in the face of the Biden Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives� (ATF) punishing �zero tolerance� crackdown.

After the Biden administration instituted an approach that puts Federal Firearm License (FFL) holders at risk of having their licenses revoked for a single, minor, clerical error, Ernst�s Fighting Irrational Regulatory Enforcement to Avert Retailers� Misfortune (FIREARM) Actfights the Biden ATF�s �zero tolerance� policy by creating a safe harbor for lawful gun dealers at risk of having their FFLs stripped. This leads them to report violations without the fear of losing their ability to do business.

NY: Sheriff looks to speed up pistol permit process
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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St. Lawrence County�s sheriff says it�s taking too long for someone who can legally get a pistol permit to get one. He hopes to speed up the process while the county attorney continues to be involved in challenging the state�s Concealed Carry Improvement Act.

Sheriff Rick Engle says his department has taken over pistol permit background checks for county residents. In the past, it was being done by a combination of village police, state police, and the sheriff�s office.

�The background investigations that the sheriff�s office has done in the past, the people received their permit usually within three months and other people that were being done by different agencies could be up to 18 months to two years,� said Engle.

CA: Federal Judge Strikes Down Billy Club Law
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com

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The law was challenged by two veterans who said they were trained to use billy clubs in the military. Courts have defined a billy as any kind of stick, bat, or baton that is intended to be used as a weapon�even common items like a baseball bat or table leg could qualify if it is meant to cause harm. "It is a simple weapon that most anybody between the ages of 8 and 80 can fashion from a wooden stick, or a clothes pole, or a dowel rod," Benitez wrote, per the San Francisco Chronicle. "One can easily imagine countless citizens carrying these weapons on daily walks and hikes to defend themselves against attacks by humans and animals."