Daily Archives: February 27, 2020

Here’s what you need to know about voting for Virginia’s Super Tuesday election – WUSA9.com

Posted: February 27, 2020 at 1:49 am

VIRGINIA, USA Tuesday, March 3 is Super Tuesday. Virginia is one of 14 states -- including the U.S. territory American Samoa -- participating in the Democratic presidential gold ring. A total of 1,357 delegates are up for grabs this day.

Fourteen candidates will be listed on the Democratic presidential ballot in Virginia, including six people who have canceled or suspended their campaigns. All their bios are below, along with their campaign websites.

Poll hours in Virginia are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Virginia is an open primary state, which means any registered voter in the Commonwealth can cast a ballot, regardless of their party registration.

RELATED: Here's what Super Tuesday means for Virginia voters and Democratic presidential candidates

There will be no Republican primary on March 3. President Donald Trump is expected to be picked as the partys nominee at a state party convention, where delegates to each national convention will also be selected.

According to the Virginia State Board of Elections website, you will need to show a photo ID when you go to the polls. Acceptable forms of ID include:- Virginia drivers license- Virginia DMV-issued photo ID- United States passport- Employee-issued photo ID- Virginia Voter Photo ID card- Other U.S. or Virginia government-issued photo ID- Student photo ID issued by a school, college, or university located in Virginia- Tribal enrollment or other tribal photo ID

The Virginia State Board of Elections websitesays If you get to your polling place without photo ID, you will have to vote a provisional ballot."

They also say Virginians can get a free Voter Photo ID at any Virginia voter registration office, including on Election Day.

To find your polling place, go to this link:https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/

Joe Biden

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden during a campaign rally at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia, Saturday, May 18, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

AP

Biden served as Vice President of the United States from 2009-2017 in the Obama administration. Biden launched his presidential run in April 2019.

Before becoming Vice President, Biden served in the U.S. Senate for over three decades representing the state of Delaware. Biden spent part of his time in Congress as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and eight years as the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

While serving as Vice President, Biden touts his accomplishments in helping with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the implementation of the Recovery Act to stabilize the economy and traveling to more than 50 countries.

"The world is facing inescapable challenges, Biden wrote on his campaign website. The next president must repair our relationships with our allies and stand up to strongmen and thugs on the global stage to rally the world to meet these challenges.

Among his policy proposals: banning the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, protecting the Affordable Care Act by giving Americans more choice and reducing healthcare costs, and ensuring the U.S. reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

Were in a battle for the soul of America, Biden wrote on his website. Its time to remember who we are. Were Americans: tough, resilient, but always full of hope.

Michael Bloomberg

Democratic Presidential candidate, Michael Bloomberg during remarks to the media at the Hilton Hotel on his first campaign stop in Norfolk, Va. Monday, Nov. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Bill Tiernan)

AP

Bloomberg served as Mayor of New York City from 2002-2013. The businessman entered the run for President of the United States in November 2020. Super Tuesday marks the first time his name will be on ballots. His name did not appear on ballots in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada or South Carolina.

Bloomberg is the majority owner and co-founder of Bloomberg L.P., a financial services, software, and mass media company. Before forming his company in 1981, Bloomberg worked at the securities brokerage firm, Salomon Brothers.

Bloombergs campaign website talks about his commitment to dealing with climate change, gun violence, public health, and education.

RELATED: VERIFY: No, Bloomberg is not the first billionaire to run for president. But, he's certainly the richest billionaire to do so

Bloombergs health coverage plans include creating a Medicare-like public health insurance option, which would allow people to keep their private insurance, as well as expanding enrollment in Affordable Care Act plans. His all-in economy plan says he will invest in local communities to create jobs of the future and increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Bloomberg has taken some criticism for his Stop and Frisk policy while he was Mayor of New York. He has since apologized for that policy.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser endorsed Mayor Bloomberg in January.

Pete Buttigieg

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign rally late Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AP

Buttigieg served as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana from 2012 to 2020. He launched his campaign for U.S. President in April of 2019.

He was previously a consultant at a management consulting firm and served as a naval intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve. During his first term as Mayor of South Bend, he took a leave of absence to serve in Afghanistan (2014) and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal.

RELATED: Undecided Virginia voters give Pete Buttigieg a chance to win them over

According to his website, Buttigieg says college is too expensive and he supports expanding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program that clears loans in exchange for public service. He also wants to create new jobs with a $1-trillion plan that focuses on climate issues. He also supports the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Green New Deal. He is calling for net-zero emissions by 2050. He also supports universal background checks on guns. He wants to expand Medicare coverage and keep private health insurance plans.

Tulsi Gabbard

Presidential candidate and U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) appears on the "Mornings with Maria" program on the Fox Business Network, in New York Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

AP

A fourth-term Congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard is the first female combat veteran to ever run for the office of President.

Gabbard was first elected to Congress in 2012. She served two tours in the Middle East and is a Major in the U.S. Army National Guard.

In Congress, Gabbard has been a member of the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Homeland Security Committees.

RELATED: While she won't participate in the upcoming presidential debate, Tulsi Gabbard isn't giving up

Part of her policy plan, according to her website, includes calling a summit between the United States, China, and Russia to end this new Cold War, stop the arms race, reduce tensions, and increase cooperation going forward.

Among her other policy proposals are: a path to legal status for DREAMers, having a single-payer health care system that will allow access to private insurance based on individuals choice, and upholding the 2nd Amendment while also upholding our responsibility to keep our children and communities safe.

Recently, Gabbard voted present on both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, the only lawmaker to do so.

Amy Klobuchar

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC. (AP Photo/John Locher)

AP

Klobuchar has served in the U.S. Senate, representing Minnesota, since 2006. She was also the Hennepin County Attorney in Minnesota for eight years, making her responsible for criminal prosecutions.

She announced her candidacy for President in February 2019.

On her website, Klobuchar outlined her plan for her first 100 days as president, where she will get the U.S. back into the International Climate Agreement, suspend the Trump Administrations efforts to eliminate the Affordable Care Acts protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and fill judicial vacancies by nominating well-qualified judges.

Klobuchar supports universal health care through a public option that expands Medicare or Medicaid, and education reform that includes tuition-free one- and two-year community college degrees and technical certifications.

Among her other policy proposals are raising the age to buy military-style assault weapons to 21, and fighting to ban the sale of assault weapons, a trillion-dollar plan to rebuild Americas infrastructure, and introducing legislation that will put the U.S. back on the path to 100% net zero emissions by 2050.

Bernie Sanders

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a rally at a campaign stop Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AP

The U.S. Senator from Vermont announced he was running for President of the United States in February 2019. This is his second run for the office, having run in 2016.

Sanders has been a U.S. Senator since 2006. Before that he spent 16 years in the U.S. Congress.

Sanders has identified himself as someone who can achieve economic, racial, social and environmental justice for all. Among his plans to accomplish that mission is Medicare for All, a single-payer, national health insurance program that the Sanderss campaign website says will provide everyone in America with comprehensive health care coverage, free at the point of service.

Sanderss other plans include the Green New Deal, which he says will create 20 million jobs as well as reaching 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by no later than 2030, and passing the For the 99.8 Percent Act, which would establish a progressive estate tax on millionaires and billionaires. Those taxes would be part of his proposal to pay for his measures.

Before he served in Congress, Sanders was elected Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, where he served for eight years.

Tom Steyer

Democratic presidential candidate businessman Tom Steyer speaks during the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

AP

Steyer made his fortune as a hedge fund manager. He announced his candidacy in July 2019.

Steyer started the hedge fund Farallon Capital and has since signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment that he will give away most of his fortune during his lifetime.

He also founded the nonprofit NextGen America, which combats climate change, promotes social justice, and increases participation in our democracy through voter registration and grassroots organizing, his website says.

Steyer says his number one priority is combatting climate change. He has said he will declare the climate crisis a national emergency on the first day of his presidency and has plans to eliminate fossil fuel, call on Congress to create a Civilian Climate Corps to create jobs, and invest $2 trillion in federal funding over 10 years for American infrastructure.

Among Steyers other policy proposals: establishing Congressional term limits, passing a federal $15 an hour minimum wage, and repealing President Trumps tax cuts and institute a wealth tax. He also supports a universal health care system that includes a strong public option that aggressively competes with the private insurance marketplace.

Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks during a candidates forum at the 110th NAACP National Convention, Wednesday, July 24, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

AP

Warren has served as a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts since 2013. Before that, she was a law school professor specializing in bankruptcy law.

During the financial crisis of 2008, she served as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel and helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for which she served as the Special Advisor under President Obama.

Warrens campaign website describes her efforts as a fight to protect taxpayers, hold Wall Street accountable, and ensure tough oversight of both the Bush and Obama Administrations.

As president, Warren says she would support a Medicare for All plan that would be free for children under the age of 18 and qualifying families based on income. She says the cost would be modest and eventually free for everyone. Warren says she would pay for the plan by asking Americans to pay their fair share in taxes and closing loopholes that allow big companies to avoid federal income taxes.

Other plans Warren details include raising wages, cancel debt for 95 percent of Americans with student loans, and transitioning to 100 percent clean energy through the Green New Deal.

The following six candidates are still on the ballot in Virginia, even though they have suspended their campaign. The deadline for the Virginia Democratic Party to provide a list of candidates to appear on the ballot was in December 2019, before these candidates ended their campaigns.

Cory Booker

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., walks on the stage before a Democratic presidential primary debate, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

AP

Booker dropped out of the Presidential race in January.

Im proud I never compromised my faith in these principles during this campaign, Booker wrote. And maybe Im stubborn, but Ill never abandon my faith in what we can accomplish when we join together.

Booker has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013, representing New Jersey. Previously he was Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. He was also a tenant lawyer and city councilman.

According to his website, he says his main accomplishments in the Senate have been helping to write and pass the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill, and co-sponsoring the Equality Act.

While running for President, Booker unveiled his policy proposals, including decriminalization of marijuana and fighting to end the War on Drugs, fighting for Medicare for All, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and expanding protections for DREAMers.

Michael Bennet

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., speaks at the Iowa State Fair, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Locher)

AP

Bennet suspended his campaign on Tuesday, February 11.

Bennett was appointed in 2008 as a U.S. Senator for Colorado, He won elections in 2010 and 2016. Before his time on Capitol Hill, he was the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools for four years.

Bennet currently serves on the Senate Committees on Intelligence; Finance; and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

According to his campaign website, Bennet was running to build opportunity for every American and restore integrity to our government. His Real Deal agenda includes access to preschool for every three- and four-year-old, an annual $3,000 payout to every family with children, and access to jobs in clean energy and infrastructure for millions of people.

Bennet also supports raising the minimum wage, passing paid family and medical leave, expanding the Child Tax Credit, and offering a public health care option called Medicare-X.

Julin Castro

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro waves as he takes the stage during the Power of our Pride Town Hall Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. The LGBTQ-focused town hall featured nine 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

AP

Castro suspended his campaign on January 2nd, 2020.

The former Mayor of San Antonio and a member of President Obamas cabinet announced his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in January 2019.

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Here's what you need to know about voting for Virginia's Super Tuesday election - WUSA9.com

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Washington Borough Council should take a stand on our Second Amendment rights | Letter – lehighvalleylive.com

Posted: at 1:48 am

Mayor David Higgins of Washington Borough should consider all viewpoints and add a proposed Second Amendment sanctuary resolution to the borough council agenda. The 2A sanctuary does not encourage lawlessness; it sends a message to the governor of New Jersey that we have a constitutional right to bear arms.

The Murphy administration is simply pandering to the governors base. No matter how insignificant some may believe this is, it is not. The more towns and counties send this message to Murphy, the more he must listen.

New gun restrictions passed last year blatantly disregard the constitutional rights of the citizens of New Jersey. How can we, as a borough, let the governor know he is going down the wrong path by criminalizing, restricting and adding burdensome regulations on taxpayers, when our own mayor wont even consider it?

Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court has recently ruled (District of Columbia V. Heller, 2008) that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to have arms. In another case (McDonald V. City of Chicago, 2010), it was held that the 14th Amendment protects against the states infringement on that right.

I hope Higgins understands that many voting taxpayers of Washington Borough are not happy that we are not even allowed to give this simple message to the Murphy administration and our state legislators. They need to know that they are, in fact, infringing on our Second Amendment rights, whether they admit it or not.

Joan Kearney

Washington

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Nebraska Governor Ricketts Openly Supports Second Amendment and Open Carry – AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Posted: at 1:48 am

From twitter, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- Governor Pete Ricketts has come out strongly in support of people exercising their First and Second Amendment rights at the Nebraska State Capitol.

President Trump's use of social media outlets such as Twitter is serving as a template for other politicians to go directly to the people and around the coverage of the legacy media.

On 21 February, at the Nebraska Capitol, hundreds of Second Amendment supporters showed up to the Judiciary Committee hearing to oppose further restrictions of the right to keep and bear arms, particularly LB 816.

The Second Amendment supporters exercised their intertwined First and Second Amendment rights. Those rights are reinforced with protections in the Nebraska Constitution.

LB 816 would place severe restrictions on the sale of most semi-automatic rifles and shotguns.

Governor Pete Ricketts, (R) Nebraska, refused to follow the Democrat script that proclaimed the exercise of rights as a problem. He straightforwardly supported those who exercised their rights. From ketv.com:

The men with guns do have the support of Gov. Pete Ricketts.

I support our Second Amendment rights and I support our folks who are going to take advantage of that with our right to open carry, he said. That's what we have in the state of Nebraska and this is the people's house.

This is noteworthy. Most politicians claim to support the right to keep and bear arms, with caveats and cutouts. The word but is prominently displayed at the end of their sentences. Governor Rickets did not qualify his support. The number of governors who support open carry in their capitols is small. Governor Ricketts is displaying political courage. He risks castigation by the media. He is refusing to be politically correct.

Just a few days before, on 18 February, Governor Ricketts issued this statement. From governor.net:

The United States Constitution guarantees the right to keep and bear arms. The first sentence of Article I of the Nebraska Constitution reasserts this right: The right to keep and bear arms for security or defense of self, family, home, and others, and for lawful common defense, hunting, recreational use, and all other lawful purposesshall not be denied or infringed by the state or any subdivision thereof.

Over the past few years, my team has worked to safeguard your rights. For example, we have created an online process to renew, update, or replace a handgun permit, saving gun owners across the state valuable time. In 2018, I signed LB 902, a bill brought by Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, which protects the identities of gun owners with concealed carry permits. And when the National Rifle Association (NRA) was under attack, we invited them to Nebraska because the people of our state understand the importance of the Second Amendment.

There is more to the statement. Governor Ricketts comes out in favor of protecting the right to keep and bear arms to defend property from pests and predators, to hunt, and to use them for recreation, as well as for self-defense.

All of those actions are protected under the Second Amendment and the Nebraska Constitution.

Most politicians have been unwilling to point out the obvious. Constitutionally protected rights can and should be exercised; peaceful practitioners should be praised for their upholding of the Constitutional order. This is how the rule of law is promulgated and passed from one generation to the next.

Governor Ricketts deserves kudos for his straightforward support and defense of Constitutional rights, in the face of heavy disapproval by those who do not believe in limits on government power. Those who do not approve seem to include most of the legacy media.

So many Second Amendment supporters showed up at the hearing the vast majority were unable to get into the hearing room. The committee cut the allotted time to speak from three minutes to a minute and a half per person. About 50 people spoke against the bill, while 5 spoke for it. Hundreds more waited in the halls outside.

The bill was touted in the media as an anti-suicide bill.

Second Amendment supporters have been learning it is important to show up and make their voices heard. The efforts of many years of organizing and building communication networks are paying off.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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Focus Editorial: Otter Tail is wise to tap brakes on ‘Second Amendment sanctuary’ vote – Perham Focus

Posted: at 1:48 am

The Second Amendment in fact, the entirety of the Constitution should speak for itself as the supreme law of the land.

In the spaces between the words, however, is almost limitless interpretation, argument and political posturing.

In recent weeks, several Minnesota counties have voted to declare themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries.

And while Otter Tail County officials have discussed their own vote, we believe their wait-and-see approach is best.

Local lawmakers designating their counties as somehow above state or federal law is misguided, and could create complications down the road.

Minnesotans are right to be concerned about any possible erosion of their freedoms. A potential future state red flag law would give law enforcement and concerned relatives an avenue to petition the courts to have guns temporarily removed from people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others.

While this would seem a sensible emergency measure to keep dangerous weapons away from those with mental illness or the potential for violence, the application of such laws looks like a slippery slope to some gun owners and gun rights activists.

Voting to be considered a Second Amendment sanctuary county would serve notice that any state-mandated red flag or other gun laws would not necessarily be enforced.

"I'd love to see a dozen or more counties pass this resolution, so we can show Democrats that it's not even going to be enforced in a good chunk of rural Minnesota," said state Rep. Jeremy Munson, R-Lake Crystal.

Roseau County commissioners were the first to pass a Second Amendment Dedicated County resolution. Roseau was subsequently joined by Wadena and Clearwater counties. They are all among 400 or so sanctuary communities nationwide to adopt such resolutions, according to reporting by Forum News Service.

But its not all as simple as that.

These resolutions are just that: resolutions. They have no teeth and, in fact, are nothing but feel-good words that are not enforceable.

In fact, they put local law enforcement in a tricky position: Many police and sheriff's deputies believe strongly in gun rights, but they are also tasked with carrying out the law.

My oath says I enforce state laws," Roseau County Sheriff Steve Gust said in a previous Forum News Service story. "They can't stop me from that. Law enforcement officers have got an obligation."

And could the wording of a sanctuary resolution cause legal headaches for counties down the road?

Otter Tail County has decided to take sanctuary status under advisement, while also monitoring legislation activity relating to gun laws. In addition, the county will wait for completion of research and guidance from the Minnesota County Attorneys Association.

This is the right method, for right now.

A resolution may be alienating, misleading and cause unforeseen problems. The point might also be moot, if the Minnesota Legislature does not take on the red flag issue.

Finally, it is not up to counties to reaffirm their dedication to the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution is baked in to our government at all levels.

Bottom line: No, municipalities and local government cannot opt-out of state law.

Otter Tail County is wise to recognize that.

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Conservative caucus: Gun registration bill threatens 2nd Amendment – Southernminn.com

Posted: at 1:48 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. The New House Republican Caucus on Wednesday responded to the universal gun registration bill and the red flag bill that are scheduled to be heard on the House Floor Thursday. These bills take guns away from law-abiding citizens and attack individual rights and personal freedoms.

I want to be absolutely clear, I will not support any bill that diminishes our rights to bear arms under the Second Amendment, said Rep. Tim Miller (R- Prinsburg). These bills do nothing to protect people. They simply take away your rights.

These bills both represent clear and deliberate violations of the United States Constitution. It is irresponsible for a state legislature to pass laws that violate the Constitution and also place the citizenry and law enforcement in harms way, said Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R- Mazeppa).

Just no. There is absolutely no way to fix these bills, said Rep. Cal Bahr (R- East Bethel). These bills steal liberty, freedom, and the ability for any law abiding citizen in the state to defend themselves.

In response to the proposed red flag bill, five counties have already passed resolutions stating they will not enforce this unconstitutional law, and more than a half dozen other counties are taking this up, said Rep. Jeremy Munson (R- Lake Crystal). We shouldnt be putting our officers in extreme danger, taking guns from people who have not committed a crime. We live in a country where youre innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.

The universal gun registration bill requires the state to conduct background checks for private firearm transfers and also raises the age to receive a firearm in a private transfer from 18 to 21. The red flag bill allows for firearms to be taken away from people who are said to be at-risk without usually required due process and potentially put people, including law enforcement, in harms way.

The NHRC is sending a letter to each of Minnesotas counties encouraging them to adopt Second Amendment sanctuary county resolutions. These counties are sending a strong message to St. Paul about their disagreement with the unconstitutional gun confiscation bills in our state.

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Bernie Missed His Opportunity on the Second Amendment [OPINION] – wbsm.com

Posted: at 1:48 am

Sen. Bernie Sanders had an opportunity to bridge the gap between the Democratic Party and Americans who lawfully own firearms. He made a miscalculation.

Bernie Sanders has represented the state of Vermont in both chambers of our Congress. Vermont has some of the most liberal gun laws of all of the states in our union. The gun laws in Vermont are so liberal, they could be called "conservative."

For years, Sanders was a casual supporter of the civil rights of Americans to own firearms. His record of supporting the rights of Americans as protected by the Second Amendment to our Constitution stretches across his years as a member of Congress.

"Vermont law allows any person age 16 or older to possess a handgun without the consent of a parent or guardian. There is no minimum age to possess a rifle or shotgun in Vermont," according to the liberal Giffords Law Center.

After decades of supporting the civil rights of Americans to own firearms, Sanders has switched his position in an effort to become president. His political calculation to abandon this long-held principle on civil rights is bad politics. It should also be a matter of serious concern to his grassroots supporters.

Bernie is a leader and his supporters appreciate his opinion on matters of policy. He could have explained his position on the Second Amendment to his supporters and most would have gone along with him because they believe in him.

By defending his long-held position on gun ownership, Bernie could have cut into the GOP base and become a fusion candidate in an evolving world of political allegiances. He could have been a leader on this issue.

Instead, Bernie has flip-flopped on this civil right a right so obviously important to a free Republic that it was spelled out as an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Bernie's cynical political calculation on civil rights has done nothing but hurt him.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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Lawmaker files resolution that would make TN a 2nd amendment ‘sanctuary’ – WBIR.com

Posted: at 1:48 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Several Tennessee counties, and now even the state, are pushing to become so-called "gun sanctuaries" defending the second amendment. While the state lawmaker sponsoring this measure says it would better protect the rights of Tennessee gun owners, some legal experts argue that the second amendment isnt an unlimited right and states cant trump federal law.

The right to bear arms has been a fixture of the United States Constitution for hundreds of years. But some, like Republican Tennessee Representative James Micah Van Huss, feel like the second amendment is under attack.

"Other states around the country are violating their constituents constitutional rights, Van Huss said.

Thats why hes sponsoring a measure that would make Tennessee a so-called sanctuary for the right to bear arms. House Joint Resolution 748 was discussed last week before being passed to the full Judiciary Committee, where it will be discussed on Wednesday.

What is the legislative need or purpose that were taking up time in our general assembly for this? Democratic State Representative Bo Mitchell asked Van Huss.

I think its very important that at least on behalf of my constituents, and on the behalf of Tennesseans, that we stand up and reaffirm that the second amendment does in fact make all states a sanctuary from government intervention, Van Huss said.

Van Huss says this law vows that Tennessee wont comply with extra constitutional actions from any government or body that infringes on citizens rights to keep and bear arms. He goes on to say citizens must be able to own guns like semi-automatic AR-15s, AK-47s and other similar guns.

FOX 17 News spoke with Nashville Defense Attorney Sunny Eaton about these types of resolutions.

Reporter: Are they actually going to hold any weight if they pass?

Eaton: So I think that what is the most important thing is for the public to understand that these types of resolutions are largely political, theyre symbolic. They have to be.

Thats because Eaton says federal law will always trump state law.

"The second amendment is not an unlimited right, its simply not, Eaton said.

She says its okay to pass these resolutions, but the issue is when the public doesnt understand that these resolutions are symbolic or political.

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Lawmaker files resolution that would make TN a 2nd amendment 'sanctuary' - WBIR.com

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OTC board talks open forum, 2nd Amendment sanctuary not discussed – Southernminn.com

Posted: at 1:48 am

Disappointment was in the air Tuesday following the public portion of theOtter Tail County Board of Commissioners meeting.

The majority of 50-odd people who packed the board room had hopes of establishing a dialogue with the board on the issue of making Otter Tail County a Second Amendment sanctuary.

A Second Amendment sanctuary is a term adopted by some states, counties or localities that have adopted resolutions to prohibit the enforcement of gun control measures such as universal gun background checks, high-capacity magazinebans, assault weapon bans and red flag laws.

A county press release issued last Thursday made it clear that Tuesdays meeting of the board would not include a Second Amendment sanctuary discussion and would not accept public comment - despite social media posts suggesting otherwise.

According to county public information officer, Shannon Terry the only commitment to a discussion being added to the Feb. 25 agenda was a verbal one. It was not published and was quickly rescinded when it was discovered the issue was still before a subcommittee.

A county constituent requested at the Jan. 7 board meeting that the commissioners consider a resolution declaring Otter Tail County a Second Amendment sanctuary.

According to a county news release, the board gave strong support to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution at that meeting and referred the request to staff for further research.

At the boards Jan. 28 meeting outgoing county administrator, John Dinsmore turned over an updated request to the boards internal services committee.

Guided by Otter Tail County Attorney Michelle Eldien and Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons, Dinsmore recommended the board delay immediate action. The recommendation was based on four points - one pertaining to the legality of such a resolution and another to actions which the state of Minnesota and other local units of state government are considering. The recommendation was accepted by the committee.

At Tuesdays meeting county administrator, Nicole Hansen brought up the idea of holding an open forum before board meetings.

In addressing the board Hansen referred to Minnesotas Open Meeting Law which in general establishes the publics right to attend meetings but does not guarantee it a right to speak.

An open forum is a dedicated time for the public to address the board regarding county business.

Hansen outlined the role of the county board under state statute along with its obligations.

As part of that we talked about ,should we be adding an open forum discussion to our regular agenda so any citizen can ask to submit a request to come in and be given however many minutes the board wants to designate to talk about whatever issue that might be talked about? Something they want the board to hear about.

Hansen suggested a possible course of action for open forum comments - that requests for open forum time be made by noon on the Monday before a board meeting along with the name of the person making the request and topic. They would also have to adhere to the amount of time they were given to speak.

Commissioners Wayne Johnson, Betty Murphy and Lee Rogness had questions for Hansen that pertained to the open forum issue.

Johnson asked Hansen if staff could have a proposed style for an open forum resolution ready for discussion and a vote ready by March 3.

I would suggest that we have already done a lot of work on this and by March 10 we might be able to have the information online, Hansen said.

Rogness asked for a consensus from the board to which Johnson replied: I move that staff establish and implement a dedicated time for the public to address the board regarding county business as recommended by MCIT (Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust).

The motion was seconded by Commissioner John Lindquist and the proposal was approved unanimously by the board.

John Rehborg was one constituent that was definitely not pleased with the proceedings Tuesday morning.

They (expletive) us all, he said. Right along with when they did their refugee vote which nobody cared about and I think every one of them should be voted out of office.

A short time later Rehborg ran into an old classmate who shared some of his feelings.

I would like them to make some type of resolution, said Steve Huddleston, who also looked for some action on the Second Amendment sanctuary question. I think Otter Tail County needs to stand up and say Hey red flag laws and total background checks ...what that means is that if John and I are out deer hunting I cant even legally hand him my rifle while I gut out a deer without an FFL (Federal Firearms License) because wed both become felons.

The Minnesota Constitution does not contain a provision regarding a right to bear arms and the state Supreme Court has ruled that even if such a right existed it would not be absolute.

The Minnesota State is going against the Constitution, Rehborg said.

The Minnesota Legislature has also not voted on a red flag law which authorize courts to issue a special type of protection order, allowing the police to temporarily confiscate firearms from people who are deemed by a judge to be a danger to themselves or to others.

Following the meeting one onlooker pointed out his belief that 80% of the people in attendance were there because of the Second Amendment sanctuary proposal and expressed regret that the board allowed no one to address it, even during a short period of general discussion.

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Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Safe Act: A Work In Progress To Destroy The Second Amendment – AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Posted: at 1:48 am

OpinionNy Safe: The Hydra Beast with Several Heads, Part One

New York -(AmmoLand.com)- Andrew Cuomo, the rabid anti-Constitutionalist Governor of New York, currently serving his third term in office, signed the New York Safe Act for more than seven years ago.

Coming on the heels of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting incident, occurring in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012and ostensibly because of itCuomo demonstrated to New Yorks residents that he would be the first Governor out of the gate to dramatically increase his States already highly restrictive gun laws, and it became so.

On his website, Cuomo describes the Hydra monster he unleashed on New York, thus:

The SAFE Act stops criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying a gun . . . and imposes the toughest assault weapons ban in the country. . . [but that] For hunters, sportsman, and law-abiding gun owners, this new law preserves and protects your right to buy, sell, keep or use your guns. This is pure claptrap.

The Arbalest Quarrel exposed the truth about Cuomos Safe Act and wrote extensively about it when first enacted and signed into law. We pointed out that Cuomos ambitions for disarming the public extend well beyond the confines of New York. He intends to make the Safe Act the model for restrictive gun laws throughout the Nation.

We also pointed out that Cuomo has always intended for the Safe Act to be construed as a work in progress, not an end in itself. We concluded that, as with all anti-Second Amendment rights zealots, Cuomo would not rest until the Nations armed citizenry ceases to exist. The true scope of the anti-Second Amendment zealots agenda, as directed against the very idea of a citizen army, isnt mere hyperbole. It is fact, and it is a critical step in the Collectivists goal to destroy the fabric of a free Constitutional Republic, along with the sacred, fundamental, immutable, inalienable rights and liberties of the American people that come with it.

The sheer tenacity of Collectivists efforts to eliminate the exercise of the Second Amendment, and the feral ferocity they have unleashed in our Nation, has been on public display for at least the last three decades and continues. A constant reminder that Anti-Second Amendment Collectivist fanatics, such as Andrew Cuomo, thoroughly detest the Second Amendment. And will machinate and orchestrate behind the scenes, fanatically, frantically, tirelessly with like-kindin the mainstream Press and in social media, in academia and in the technology, business, and financial sectors, in State Legislatures and in Congress, and in various Grassroots anti-Second Amendment groups and in segments of the medical communityto destroy it.

Consider the glee with which The New York Times reportedon January 29, 2019, scarcely two months after Cuomos election to a third term as New Yorks Governor, in an article titled New York Passes First Major Gun Control Bills Since Sandy Hookthe Governors extraordinarily wide-ranging assault against the Second Amendment:

New York lawmakers on Tuesday approved the most comprehensive set of gun bills in the state in six years, including measures that would ban bump stocks, prohibit teachers from carrying guns in schools and extend the waiting period for gun buyers who do not pass an instant background check.

In total, six gun bills passed easily through the State Senate and Assembly, a remarkable sight in a Capitol that for years had resisted almost all new legislation on the subject.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, last ushered a major gun safety package into law in 2013, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The governor successfully corralled recalcitrant Senate Republicans into supporting the so-called Safe Act that expanded the states ban on assault weapons, tightened certification requirements, increased criminal penalties for illegal guns and closed private sale loopholes.

Mr. Cuomo has described the Safe Act as one of his signature achievements.

Sometimes history irrefutably bears out your actions, the governor said on Tuesday, at a news conference lined with gun safety advocates. Today is the next evolution in this ongoing crusade.

The relative ease of the laws passage highlighted, for the second time in just two days, the upheaval that Novembers election brought to Albany. Democrats captured the Senate for the first time in a decade, delivering one-party control of state government. Since the legislative session began this month, both chambers have sent long-stymied bills in rapid-fire procession to the governors desk.

The notion that a body of rights exists, independent of and beyond the governments lawful power and authority to modify, ignore, or abrogate, is anathema to the Collectivists ideology. Collectivists do not accept and, in fact, find, abhorrent the notion of and reality of natural law that falls beyond the power of government to lawfully regulate and manipulate.

Proponents of Collectivism take as axiomatic that all law is a creation of man and therefore is subject to amendment or repeal by man, as time, circumstance, and even whim, dictates. The import and impact of the Collectivist ideology are evident in the Collectivists' constant, belligerent, bellicose attacks on the Nations fundamental, immutable, unalienable, primordial, and absolute rights and liberties. No clearer illustration is there than in their disregard and contempt for the elemental right codified in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The very existence of an armed citizenry is, on a physical level, a bane to a governments power over the citizenry. But, on a philosophical plane, the notion of an armed citizenry, one absolutely necessary to the security of a free stategrounded on the Divine right of a people to own and possess firearms, predicated on Divine law, independent of artificial social and political constructs designed by man, and arising from a teleological, God-based ethical and moral systemis a notion logically incompatible with the tenets of the Collectivist ideology and repugnant to those who adhere to those tenets.

Specious rationales for enacting more draconian firearms laws are, then, unsurprisingly, no longer deemed necessary, thanks to well-funded, sophisticated media propaganda that has been successful in deluding many citizens; convincing the citizenry they no longer need their Second Amendment; that Government will surely provide for them and will assuredly secure their physical safety and well-being.

Its the imposition of Government tyrannyclothed in innocuous terminology, suggestive of the Nanny Statethat the Anti-Constitutionalist forces want. Yet, it was specifically tyranny against which the founders of our Nation revolted; it was tyranny the framers of our Constitution loathed and sought ever to prevent in the Constitutional Republic they created. But it is tyranny the American citizenry of the present day will certainly get if the CollectivistsAnti-Constitutionalist Democratsdo gain complete control over the reins of Government. If that should occur, the new wave Progressive and Radical Left Democrats will then have the necessary power to impose their will on the American public and do with the citizenry whatever the hell they want.

We see this playing out in recent days in several States: a dangerous precursor to what Americans may expect to see played out on the National stage if either the New wave Progressive and Radical Leftists that the seditious mainstream media refers to, euphemistically and erroneously, as liberal Democrats, or if the establishment, statist Democrats, that the seditious mainstream media likens to political moderates, gain control of the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government and, inevitably, the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government, as well. Both factions of the Democrat Party adhere to the philosophical tenets of Collectivism. But, the philosophy of Collectivism is anathema to adherents of the philosophical tenets of Individualism, upon which our Nation was founded, the blueprint of which is manifest in the Constitution. The proof of the Collectivists goal to undercut the fabric of our free Constitutional Republicpredicated on the tenets of Individualismis demonstrable and undeniable. See the Arbalest Quarrel article, titled, The Modern Civil War: A Clash of Ideologies.

The transnational world order that Collectivists envision and wish to implement is inconsistent with the very notion of a free Constitutional Republic, the blueprint of which exists in the Nation's Constitution.

But, to destroy a free Constitutional Republic, it is essential for the Collectivists to first destroy the one impenetrable barrier to the realization of their vision of a transnational political, social, economic, and cultural system of governance that transcends all nation-states. Collectivists must destroy the one guarantor of our free Constitutional Republic.

About The Arbalest Quarrel:

Arbalest Group created `The Arbalest Quarrel' website for a special purpose. That purpose is to educate the American public about recent Federal and State firearms control legislation. No other website, to our knowledge, provides as deep an analysis or as thorough an analysis. Arbalest Group offers this information free.

For more information, visit: http://www.arbalestquarrel.com.

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Governor Andrew Cuomo's Safe Act: A Work In Progress To Destroy The Second Amendment - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

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2As of the Second Amendment, Comments by David Reece, CEO AR500 Armor ~ VIDEO – AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

Posted: at 1:48 am

Opinion: David Reece, CEO of AR500 Armor, makes his case for more tools of liberty in the hands of free American patriots.

USA -(AmmoLand.com)- Hey, guys, David Reese here with a AR500 armor #ad. We are free craftsman. We create tools of liberty. Body armor is a tool of liberty.

There are three common categories of threats to your rights. The Second Amendment is designed to protect us from all three. People often talk about common criminals and then foreign invasion. Although people mock that, the reality is that an armed populace is a part of what deters foreign invasion and actually allows for lower defense spending. So if you're a fan of smaller government then an armed populace helps to make it so that our nation is more secure without having to have a continuous bill for it. But the third thing is domestic tyranny. Domestic tyranny is not a threat to be laughed at. If you're at all familiar with modern history or the history of the entire human race before that, you're aware that governments tend to oppress their own people.

Tyrant wannabes and mob rule demagogues use criminals as an excuse to reduce the arms possessed by citizens gradually through bad legislation and steps towards disarmament. Being armed with the tools of liberty requires more than just owning firearms. In our time a good rifle is the primary tool of liberty required to resist tyranny. The second tool of liberty is armor. If you have to use your rifle, then you'll need armor too. The Second Amendment is about more than the right to own guns. It's about the responsibility to protect your rights.

The Second Amendment says you have the right to keep and bear arms, but unless you own arms and armor, you do not have the ability to use them when you need them. You need to get them so that you have them. Now you need to get them ahead of time because otherwise, you will not be able to train. And training is necessary to use them effectively. So you to get the tools of liberty you need to train. You need to learn about how and when to use them. If you do not exercise this right, you will not have the ability to resist common criminals, foreign invasion or domestic tyranny when you need to.

The rights expressed in the Second Amendment by themselves deter and to some degree preserve our liberties. But the exercise of the right is a deterrent that helps you to be bolder in defending your rights in the public sphere. Owning both tools of liberty, body armor, and a good firearm provides you with the peace of mind to carry on with the rest of life knowing that you have the tools you need to defend your God-given rights and to pass those rights along to the next generation. Nobody in a gunfight ever wished they had less protection. Trust in God and keep your powder dry. Arms and armor. The two A's of the Second Amendment.

Again, I'm David Reese with a AR500 armor. We are free craftsmen. We create tools of liberty. And body armor is a tool of liberty.

ABOUT AR500 ARMOR

AR500 Armor launched its own line of ballistic armor and body armor solutions in 2012. We entered the industry with the mindset of manufacturing top quality, reliable products that offered our customers high-value solutions. Our products are intended for responsible law-abiding American citizens, our law-enforcement personnel, and our military personnel; we currently sell to legal residents of the United States.

With our unique in-house manufacturing processes and ability to acquire material made to our specifications, weve set the standard for ballistic steel core body armor. Utilizing industry-leading spall and fragmentation mitigation coatings we've further increased what's possible with ballistic steel. Our products are available through our website and authorized dealers throughout the United States. AR500 Armor is a privately held business; Our Headquarters, team members, and manufacturing facility are located in Phoenix, Arizona.

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2As of the Second Amendment, Comments by David Reece, CEO AR500 Armor ~ VIDEO - AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

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