Month: May 2023

Mass killings across America have prompted calls for the banning of assault weapons designed to cause multiple casualties. This issue once again is in the spotlight after a gunman opened fire with what officials said was an AR-15-style rifle at a popular shopping center in the Dallas suburb of Allen, Texas, last Saturday, where he

A man holds up a sign denouncing gun violence during a memorial for victims of a mass shooting at Monterey Park City Hall, California, the United States, on Jan. 23, 2023. Hundreds of people gathered at the Monterey Park City Hall Monday evening for a memorial for the loss of the shooting which killed 11

For decades, pro-gun activists have held new safety restrictions at bay with the argument that they would unfairly punish law-abiding citizens who responsibly own firearms. Advocates promote anecdotes of guns being used to thwart home invasions and protect residents in the critical time before police arrive. They argue that the underlying cause of mass shootings

If politics had the equivalent of archaeologists, they would marvel at the discovery of discarded polling relics and non-4K-television clips of political figures addressing a forgotten tribe of people: swing voters. A plague of political partisanship swept through the country sometime in the early 21st century. In this divided nation, those who became infected could

On Friday, the Legislature adjourned sine die from its 2023 legislative session. During this eventful session, lawmakers passed NRA-backed constitutional carry. Gov. DeSantis then promptly signed it into law to make Florida the 26th constitutional carry state. Afterwards, the House continued to work to defend the rights of law-abiding citizens by passing House Bill 1543,

Debate about the state’s gun laws resumed in Augusta Monday, with lawmakers hearing arguments for competing bills that would either strengthen the rights of firearm owners or restrict access. It’s a perennial topic at the State House, but the debate this spring comes after several deadly weeks in the U.S., with mass shootings in Texas,

Today, the House Committee on Community Safety reported out House Bill 2744, legislation which restricts the Second Amendment rights of young adults aged 18-20 by prohibiting them from purchasing most semi-automatic rifles. At age 18, citizens are eligible to vote, be drafted, serve in the military, serve on a jury, enter into contracts, sue and be sued, get married and own property. Restricting

Folks! The 2024 presidential election is getting closer every day (quite literally). The race seems likely to come down to President Joe Biden vs. former president Donald Trump—but, hey, anything could happen, and there are other candidates throwing their hats into the ring. If you’re having a hard time keeping track of who’s in, who’s

Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Anthony Romero ’87 discussed the importance of the First Amendment at the final Princeton Progressive Law Society (PPLS) event of the 2022-23 academic year. This is the second major event that the group has hosted recently emphasizing the importance of free speech. University President Christopher L.

The shooting massacre in suburban Texas is yet another occasion to say that the country desperately needs more and better gun laws. (Eight people are dead, including the shooter, after he rampaged an outlet mall in Allen.) It’s an occasion to examine why our gun laws are so feeble and dangerous. Liberals tend to blame

Having traveled across the United States for a decade to campaign against the ceaseless round of shootings that have claimed thousands of lives, Shannon Watts believes she has heard a very clear message. “Americans want the gun violence to stop,” she said during a recent stop in Washington. One of the country’s most prominent faces

For years now, after one massacre or another, I have written some version of the same article, explaining that the nation’s current gun free-for-all is not traditional but, rather, is a symptom of the takeover of our nation by a radical extremist minority. The idea that massacres are “the price of freedom,” as right-wing personality

LANSING, Mich. — Karen Kobylik knew her daughter should not have a gun. She had repeatedly called the police since her daughter turned 21, pleading with them to take her firearms because of the risk she posed to herself and others. Karen Kobylik and her husband, Michael Kobylik, hold funeral programs for Karen’s children Ruby

On April 25, 2023, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed HB1240 into law. The legislation is a sweeping, and flagrantly unconstitutional ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. The law prohibits a host of rifles by name, including America’s most popular rifle, the AR-15, “in all forms.” The prohibition also targets centerfire rifles capable of accepting a

Late last month, federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino announced “the first phase” of the federal government’s gun confiscation (“buyback”) program, part of the May 2020 ban on “assault weapons.” The Canadian press reports this initial step is a contract with the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association (CSAAA), a group representing Canada’s hunting and