bill of rights

Obama to demand gun control measures while surrounded by children

"Barack Obama is to step up pressure on Congress to act on gun violence by surrounding himself with schoolchildren from across the country when he unveils his proposals on Wednesday. While Obama can take implement some measures almost immediately through executive action, these are limited in scope. The wide-ranging proposals he is looking for require legislation but he faces opposition from Congress. By bringing schoolchildren to the White House press conference, Obama can tap into some of the emotion aroused by the Connecticut massacre in December that left 20 children and seven adults dead." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama to demand gun control measures while surrounded by children

Obama to demand gun control measures while surrounded by children

"Barack Obama is to step up pressure on Congress to act on gun violence by surrounding himself with schoolchildren from across the country when he unveils his proposals on Wednesday. While Obama can take implement some measures almost immediately through executive action, these are limited in scope. The wide-ranging proposals he is looking for require legislation but he faces opposition from Congress. By bringing schoolchildren to the White House press conference, Obama can tap into some of the emotion aroused by the Connecticut massacre in December that left 20 children and seven adults dead." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama to demand gun control measures while surrounded by children

New York passes tough new gun control laws

"The NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NY SAFE, includes a full ban on sales of military-style rifles. It reduces the maximum magazine size from 10 rounds to seven and extends the requirement for background checks to all sales, including private deals. An existing law allowing judges to order mentally ill people to get treatment was strengthened. Opponents questioned whether focusing on assault rifles was wise, given that handguns are used far more frequently in crimes. They also accused Cuomo and his allies of violating the US constitution’s guarantee of the right to bear arms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York passes tough new gun control laws

New York passes tough new gun control laws

"The NY Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NY SAFE, includes a full ban on sales of military-style rifles. It reduces the maximum magazine size from 10 rounds to seven and extends the requirement for background checks to all sales, including private deals. An existing law allowing judges to order mentally ill people to get treatment was strengthened. Opponents questioned whether focusing on assault rifles was wise, given that handguns are used far more frequently in crimes. They also accused Cuomo and his allies of violating the US constitution’s guarantee of the right to bear arms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNew York passes tough new gun control laws

Texas lawmaker wants to make federal weapons ban illegal in Texas

"Don't mess with Texans or their guns. That’s how state Rep. Steve Toth (R-Woodlands) sees it. Toth wants to make any new federal weapons ban illegal in the state of Texas. 'This is a hardened state. This isn't a good place for a criminal to show up and start shooting,' said Rep. Toth. So, he’s proposing legislation that would make any federal law banning semiautomatic firearms or limiting the size of gun magazines unenforceable in the Lone Star State. 'We want to make sure this legislation protects the Second Amendment gun rights and the Tenth Amendment which is state sovereignty rights of Texans.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas lawmaker wants to make federal weapons ban illegal in Texas

TX gun classes reporting influx of teachers

"The push to provide firearms training to teachers has taken hold in Texas, where, as NBC News reported on Tuesday, hundreds of instructors are hitting the firing ranges. KXAS-TV reported on Monday that the state’s lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst (R) will ask the state senate to consider using public funding to pay for schools to send employees to similar courses. State law allows teachers with concealed handgun permits to bring them to campus if granted permission by their district superintendents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTX gun classes reporting influx of teachers

Kentucky sheriff says federal gun laws won’t apply in his county

"He says it's his job to protect the people who elected him even if that means going against federal law. A Kentucky sheriff says he's gaining support from across the country for his stance on possible gun regulations. Jackson County Sheriff Denny Peyman says no one in his county will ever have to give up their guns. Sheriff Peyman received a round of applause from a group of almost one hundred gathered at Opal's restaurant this afternoon." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKentucky sheriff says federal gun laws won’t apply in his county

The Death of Privacy

"If the War on Drugs was an erosion of the Fourth Amendment, the 'War on Terror' sounded its death knell. The NSA’s warrantless domestic spying program has turned America into the most surveilled society in history, eclipsing conditions of East Germans under the Stasi. The government is illegally monitoring (in real time) activities not tethered to any suspicious or illegal conduct—for example, phone calls, purchases, email, text messages, Internet searches, social media communications, health information, employment history, travel, and student records—and creating dossiers on everyone (even senators, congressmen, and decorated generals)." Continue reading →

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Plead Guilty or Go to Prison for Life

"The efficient transformation of defendants into prisoners cannot be the standard by which we assess our criminal justice system. If the possibility of sending someone like Chris Williams to prison for the rest of his life is so obviously unfair, why does the law allow it, let alone mandate it?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPlead Guilty or Go to Prison for Life