Chicago Mayor Has Lost Control of Her City

I have mentioned in previous newsletters that one of my pet peeves is when people of influence, such as the journalists, celebrities, politicians and even law enforcement, speak about firearms when they don’t know anything about firearms.   Case in point is Lori Lightfoot, the mayor of Chicago.  She wants to blame the increase in violence in Chicago on other states.   "We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons," she said.  "That is hurting cities like Chicago.  That is the thing that, if the president really wanted to help, that and the other things I identified in my letter, he could do today, tomorrow."   But this isn’t true.   First, there are no states that have “virtually no gun control."  Some states do have less gun control than others, but they all, at a minimum, must comply with federal gun control laws.  Illinois has draconian gun control laws, but obviously it isn’t doing much good.   Second, there are no states that don’t require background checks.  Again, some states, or even local municipalities, might have a local background system that is used, but all states must use the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  If you have certain credentials, such as being a licensed concealed weapons holder, you can utilize those credentials in lieu of a background check.  This is because you have already been through a background check to get that license.   The mayor then talks about a ban on assault weapons.  I would challenge her first to define an assault weapon, which she won’t be able to do because there is no such thing as an “assault weapon."     Also, rifles or "assault weapons"  are not used in most crimes and are not responsible for most of the violent crimes being experienced in Chicago.   It sounds like the mayor is implying that Illinois citizens are crossing into other states and purchasing firearms because they have fewer restrictions.  The issue with that theory is that since we have already shown most of these guns are handguns, you can only purchase a handgun within the state that you are a resident.   The problem Mayor Lightfoot has is with guns obtained illegally.  They were either stolen, part of a straw purchase or purchased with the intent of selling to criminals. More gun control will not stop these actions from happening, but that isn’t a story the Left wants to tell.

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What's Happening

A Month Long Celebration of the 2nd Amendment August is National Shooting Sports Month, and one organization is helping gun enthusiasts find out where activities are taking place. Joe Biden's Ridiculous Gun Control Agenda Since joining the 2020 Democratic presidential field, Biden’s positions have gotten more extreme. Candidate Biden has endorsed everything from gun-owner licensing to confiscation of commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and handgun bans. Black gun-rights groups have started open-carry marches at anti-racism protests More than 300 heavily armed Black protesters marched in formation through Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, demanding progress on the slow investigation of the police killing of Breonna Taylor. The same group, the Not F---ing Around Coalition (NFAC), had recently marched in Stone Mountain, Georgia, wearing black and carrying their semi-automatic rifles, protesting the Atlanta suburb's namesake monument depicting Confederate generals, and a separate armed Black group marched in Oklahoma City in June to mark President Trump's Tulsa rally.

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The McCloskeys Show How We Can Lose Our 2nd Amendment Rights Without Changing the Constitution

A few weeks ago I encouraged everyone to get out and vote in your primaries. In that post I argued that the lower level elections are as important if not more important than elections for president and congress.  In today’s environment it is governors, mayors, county judges and even city councils that are threatening our freedoms.   These offices are shutting down our economy by forcing shut downs, restricting religious liberty by preventing churches from worshiping, keeping our kids from going to schools, forcing everyone to wear masks and on and on.  And so many of the things they do is purely arbitrary with no fact or logic driving the decision.  It has become more apparent that these offices wield more power than previously imagined.   For example, The McCloskey case in St. Louis is a direct attack on our 2nd Amendment rights.     To recap the story, at the end of June, a large group of “peaceful” protestors tore through a security gate and ignored a sign that said access was limited to residents in order to protest outside the mayor of St. Louis’ house.  On the way to the mayor’s house they had to pass by the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey.  In weeks leading up to this, these “peaceful” protestors had burned down police stations and restaurants, looted stores and taken over an entire part of a city downtown area.     So a reasonable person may be fearful of their intentions.  The McCloskeys, being legal gun owners and within their right to defend themselves, confronted the protestors and warned them not to attempt anything malicious.    For their efforts of defending themselves, the McCloskeys have been charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon.  Missouri has open carry laws as well as castle doctrine with a right to stand their ground.     What is the basis of the charge?  It is purely political activism from far left Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.  She has received $77000 in campaign donations from George Soros.  Why is George Soros interested in the election of a Circuit Attorney in St. Louis?  Because he knows the power these lower level offices wield.   If Gardner successfully prosecutes the McCloskeys, she has eliminated the 2nd Amendment.  It doesn’t matter what the Constitution says if people are afraid to exercise their 2nd amendment rights because local officials can bypass it and have them arrested.   This is the same as what we are seeing regarding our religious freedoms.  John Roberts and the Supreme Court disappointed again by ruling that localities can have different rules regarding congregating versus secular locations.   These battles are not going away and we need to make sure we put the right people in all levels of government.   The below video is Ben Shapiro discussing the McCloskeys.

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What's Happening

St. Louis Home Defender Mark McCloskey updates "Watters' World on possible charges. Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis resident who along with his wife made headlines in late June for holding their legally owned firearms outside their home while protesters invaded their gated community, said Saturday he expects to be indicted for bringing out the weapons. Dealers Report Surge in Gun Ownership Among Blacks African Americans have been a major driver of 2020's record-setting growth in new gun ownership, according to an industry survey.   Bloomberg's Gun Control Group Pours $15 Million Into Races in 8 State Michael Bloomberg’s gun control organization will focus its political advertising spending this fall on eight states where it aims to help Democrats flip three Senate seats, wrest control of state legislatures and lift former Vice President Joe Biden to victory in Florida.

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Help Me With A Quick Survey

I am in a hotel in Houston this weekend with my son who is participating in a baseball tournament.  For this reason, this will be a limited post but hopefully you will find some value in the linked articles.   Sales of guns are at record levels and many of those buyers are first time gun owners.   As an FFL, I am seeing the spike in first time buyers first hand.  In the past few months, I would guess at least 30% of my transfers have been to first time buyers.  I receive almost a message a day from someone saying this is his/her first time buying a gun and asking me to explain the process.  I love this, and I love helping new buyers.   My goal as an FFL has been to try and make the transfer process as easy as possible and price it reasonably.  I really want to support and enable all to practice their 2nd Amendment right.   I want to find other ways to make the firearm buying process easier, so I have created a short survey.  It only takes 2 minutes, and I would appreciate your time filling it out.  Also, feel free to email with any additional comments or suggestions.   Survey   And, just for fun, let's end the week with some mind bombs from AOC. See video below.

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What's Happening

Gun Control’s Black Lives Matter Problem For decades, gun-control advocates promoted greater police power as well as known practices of institutional racism within police firearms-licensing divisions. Now that there are calls to “defund the police,” many leaders of the gun-control lobby, who are mostly white, should rightly fear that their history of siding with the police and promoting policies now deemed racist by progressives may make them the next casualty of cancel culture. Do Safe Storage Gun Laws Prevent Gun Violence?Media & Anti’s Painfully  Left unsecured, guns can be dangerous. While many experts suggest that storing firearms locked away and separate from ammunition can save lives, there is no federal law requiring gun owners to do so.   Biden’s gun control plan is terrible for working class firearm owners To the dismay of firearm enthusiasts on the left, Biden is still coming for some people’s guns. It’s now just a matter of who’s going to have them snatched — and who isn’t.

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It Is Time to Fight For Our Country

It is time to fight.  This country is at a crossroads, and this isn't a battle we can afford to lose.  I say that assuming that you are a freedom-loving, liberty-supporting patriot.     The left has been rewriting our history for the last 40 years.  They have taken over our educational institutions and replaced our textbooks to tell a story that they want told.  A story where America is the reason for all the world's problems and until America becomes like every other country, we will continue to be the problem.   Major corporations are sending money to the organization Black Lives Matter.  Do they understand what BLM's mission is?  You can read what their website says, but their actions and founders indicate they are a socialist-terrorist group.  They are self-admitted Marxists who don't care about black lives.   Our 2nd Amendment rights will be the first to fall because they know they can't get total submission with an armed public.  Then all of our civil liberties will begin to go.   We have to take our country back from the crazy, woke, leftist, mob.      Get out and vote, and get everyone we know to vote.   I am not just talking about making sure we vote for President Trump, but we have to vote in local elections, like city council and school board. In fact, these lower level elections can have more of an impact than the higher level ones.  It is the local officials behind the "de-fund the police" movement, allowing Black Lives Matter to operate within their cities and allowing mob rule. Make sure your voice is heard.  Don't stand on the sideline.  Make sure to vote.  Here is a link to an article with information about voting in the primaries on Tuesday, July 14.

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What's Happening

Inside Associated Republicans of Texas’ Support for Pro-Gun Control Democrats The board of the Associated Republicans of Texas—or “ART,” as it’s referred to in political circles—doesn’t quite live up to the Republican part of its name. Since 2015, ART’s board has donated almost half a million dollars to Democrats up and down the ballot in Texas—$456,752.68, to be exact.    Media & Anti’s Painfully Silent Double Standard on Armed Black Protestors In the case of the armed Stone Mountain protest, it’s not what the anti-gunners say, but what they don’t say.     McCloskeys served with search warrant, police take rifle shown in viral pictures 5 On Your Side has learned St. Louis police officers executed a search warrant Friday evening at the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the Central West end couple who confronted protesters with weapons in June.

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Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July   America is the greatest country in the world and  there are a lot of people that need to be reminded of that fact.  The Prager video below is an excellent reminder.   Enjoy the holiday!

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What's Happening

Far-Left "Defund Police" Efforts Fueling Gun Sales, Perhaps Creating 2A Activists Various news agencies are reporting that panic-buying of firearms and ammunition initially spurred by fears of social unrest related to the coronavirus pandemic have continued strong into the summer, thanks to riots following the death of George Floyd under Minneapolis police restraint, and the rise of a movement to defund police.   These New Laws Take Effect July 1 in Virginia and Maryland Dozens of new laws are now in effect in Virginia and Maryland as we start the new month. July 1 brings big changes to both parts of the DMV.   7 Gun Stocks to Buy During the Coronavirus Pandemic A largely ignored market segment, gun stocks to buy have soared in both interest and demand. With fear, chaos and overall uncertainty about the future representing the dark side of the new normal, people have gravitated toward firearms, mainly for self-defense reasons. However, this nationwide surge in gun sales is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

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