By: Matt Alexander @therealazmatt
Since the previous federal election, there has been a rise in gun legislature demands, targeting of the “AR-15 style weapon”. This is a targeted attack on every Americans constitutional right to bear arms. To know where we are heading, first you must understand where we have come from, what was the second amendment created for? The second amendment reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”. If it states shall not be infringed, then why so many attempts to infringe upon the right to keep and bear arms?
Since 1791, there have been multiple attacks on the ratified Bill of Rights to the Second Ammendment. First starting in 1934 with the National Firearms Act following the St. Valentines Day Massacre.
In 1938 the Federal Firearms Act required gun dealers and manufacturers to obtain an Federal Firearms License (FFL). This piece of legislature also prohibited convicted criminals from on training a firearm. This was eventually repealed in 1968, but a lot of the act still holds legal requirements. In this 1968 Gun Control Act, it updated language outlining “destructive devices” and “machine gun”.
Beginning May 19th, 1986 a ban on the machine gun was enacted, through the Firearm Owners Protection Act- making it illegal to possess or transfer (sell) any machine gun before this date. There was a loophole for machine guns manufactured and sold prior to this date. “Silencer” language was also updated in this act.
In the 90’s a couple new restrictions towards firearms was signed into law, both through then President Bill Clinton. In 1993, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act made it a requirement that a national background check was required when purchasing a firearm through a dealer, thus instituting the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). In 1994, Clinton signed the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, more commonly known as the Assault Weapons Ban that spans temporarily for 20 years. Prohibiting the possession, manufacturing, or transferring any semi automatic weapon. This also had a ban on high capacity magazines.s
Since the 1990’s there have been a couple pieces of legislation and Supreme Court challenges in favor of the Second Amendment, however with the rise in crime in the past 10 years, legislators and anti gun rights activists have pushed for a new ban on “assault weapons”. While most of the people pushing for these laws do not understand precisely what they are calling for. In 2022 current President Joe Biden signs a bipartisan “Safer Communities Act” implementing changes to the health system, school safety programs and gun control laws. This hasn’t settled his hunger for an all out “assault weapons” ban. Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to act contrary to the Second Amendment and pass gun control laws further prohibiting law abiding citizens for exercising their rights. Biden has also signed Executive Orders that direct his cabinet to increase the number of background checks, improve public awareness, and addressing the loss or theft of firearms during shipping, and attempting to “holding the gun industry accountable”- which in itself is unconstitutional. How can we hold a manufacturer responsible for building a product that is used in criminal acts? If so, then auto manufacturers should be held accountable for vehicular deaths- or alcohol companies for DUI’s and toxicity related deaths? Where will this slippery slope end?
In the meantime, if you want to learn more about getting involved in pro second Amendment organizations, I recommend following, sponsoring and supporting the organizations that fight for our Second Amendment rights such as Gun Owners of America- US Concealed Carry Association and the Second Amendment Foundation. All of these organizations have websites that you can donate to and learn how to get involved in your local communities and with your federal representatives. I encourage everyone to do your own research and find out ways that you can fight for this right as well as others, after all, the Second protects the rest.