Hollywood star Gary Sinise knows being a conservative in Tinseltown isn&#8217;t easy, but acknowledged that he&#8217;s had a great career despite being outspoken about his political beliefs.
During Friday&#8217;s episode of CNN&#8217;s &#8220;Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace?,&#8221; the host asked the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gary-sinise">67-year-old actor</a> about his decision to start the conservative group, Friends of Abe, for right-leaning Hollywood figures in 2004 and not just sticking to acting, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/gary-sinise-conservative-hollywood-political-beliefs-1235312439/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
Sinise, who is best known for his role as Lt. Dan, the wounded veteran in the hit movie &#8220;Forrest Gump,&#8221; said the group started &#8220;during the early days of the Iraq War,&#8221; because he and his friends wanted to make sure soldiers never suffered for their service like Vietnam veterans did.
&#8220;I think so much was motivated by … what happened to our Vietnam veterans and the lack of support that they got and the way they were treated, and then we regretted it later on,&#8221; Sinise said.
&#8220;I didn’t want our Iraq War and Afghanistan veterans to fall prey to any of that kind of stuff,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I just wanted to get in there and support them. So, I started looking for people that were just in the same camp as me on that subject. And I found other folks in the movie and television business who enjoyed getting together.&#8221;
When asked if he thought his Hollywood career could&#8217;ve been bigger if he had just focused on acting, Sinise said he&#8217;s had a &#8220;blessed career&#8221; and that he &#8220;can&#8217;t complain,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/30/gary-sinise-on-how-conservative-views-affected-career-it-played-a-major-role/">New York Post</a> reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Actor Gary Sinise opens up about how the role of Lt. Dan in “Forrest Gump” had an impact on his career. <a href="https://t.co/V7E6mMe6pF">pic.twitter.com/V7E6mMe6pF</a>
&mdash; CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1619895383630413825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;ve had a blessed career in the movie and television and theater business,&#8221; Sinise shared. &#8220;I&#8217;ve done amazing things, I&#8217;ve worked with amazing people, and it really played a major role, if not the key element, in what I&#8217;m doing today on the service side.&#8221;
The star said he got to a point in his career where he could &#8220;pick and choose&#8221; roles that were &#8220;very specifically&#8221; based on the issues that matter to him, like &#8220;giving back and trying to serve our veteran community and our first responder community.&#8221;
In 2011, the &#8220;CSI:NY&#8221; star took his role as Lt. Dan one step further and founded the Gary Sinise Foundation, which offers a variety of programs and services for wounded veterans of all military branches.

DA83B63B-6499-4850-9260-1D42B60D1A82_1_201_a

Gary Sinise Talks About Being A Conservative In Hollywood And How It Affected His Career

Celebrities

conservative

Entertainment

Gary Sinise

Hollywood

Second Amendment

U.S.

California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> called the Second Amendment a &#8220;suicide pact&#8221; in the wake of two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass shootings</a> in his state.
Speaking to CBS News&#8217; Norah O&#8217;Donnell on Monday, in the wake of the mass shooting in the city of Monterey Park, Newsom attacked the constitutionally-protected right to bear arms. He repeated claims that the U.S. is unique among the countries of the world because of mass shootings. He also took aim at high-capacity gun magazines and pushed for more restrictions on them.
&#8220;The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact, it feels like,&#8221; said Newsom. &#8220;And that&#8217;s the only question the community wants [answered]: how are you going to — what about our kids when they&#8217;re going to school? What more can we do? And you know, again, we look at that all the time. I mean, we did another half-dozen gun safety bills last year, we&#8217;ll continue to find whatever loopholes we can, we&#8217;ll continue to lead the national conversation on gun safety reform.&#8221;
&#8220;And the data bears out,&#8221; Newsom added. &#8220;It works. It saves lives. California [has a] 37% lower gun death rate than the rest of the nation. And yet, with all that evidence, no one on the other side seems to give a d***. I can&#8217;t get anything done in Congress.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;This Second Amendment&#8217;s becoming a suicide pact, it feels like,&#8221; Gov. Gavin Newsom tells <a href="https://twitter.com/NorahODonnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NorahODonnell</a> in Monterey Park. &#8220;California&#8217;s 37% lower than the death rate of the rest of the nation, and yet, with all that evidence, no one on the other side seems to give a damn.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/tSz7oawXtR">pic.twitter.com/tSz7oawXtR</a>
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1617705063295614978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
But Newsom seemed to backpedal on his remarks later in the interview, claiming that he respects lawful gun owners. &#8220;Yeah, I have great respect,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have no ideological opposition with someone reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained and making sure they&#8217;re locked so their kid doesn&#8217;t accidentally shoot themselves or a loved one. Absolutely not. Never suggested that. That&#8217;s what they immediately do. &#8216;He wants to take away your guns.&#8217; I just want to take away weapons of war that are illegal on the streets of California and should be illegal across the United States. I mean, literally, just use common sense.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Large capacity magazines do not belong on our streets. <a href="https://t.co/kvYXFQBOQs">pic.twitter.com/kvYXFQBOQs</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1617738057796710400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
Newsom went on, blasting the phenomenon of mass shootings as a uniquely American problem, and took aim at high-capacity magazines. &#8220;It&#8217;s always a weapon of mass destruction, isn&#8217;t it?&#8221; Newsom quipped. &#8220;I mean, I get it. We can talk about the anomalous nature of this, and it certainly is. But what is also anomalous is the fact that there&#8217;s a pattern here in the United States of America, these mass shootings that don&#8217;t exist anywhere else in the world, at least the free world. And maybe that should be the fundamental focus: large-capacity clips. Just insane. There&#8217;s no justification. Period. Full stop. It&#8217;s just insane. These people are perpetuating lunacy and should be ashamed of themselves.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-dead-10-wounded-in-california-mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ten people were killed</a>, and another 10 were injured, in a mass shooting during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park Saturday night. The shooting occurred in a dance studio in the predominately Asian community, located about 10 miles east of Los Angeles. The shooter was identified as a man of Asian descent between 30 and 50 years old; he was not named by local police and will not be named in accordance with Daily Wire policy against naming mass shooters. The man was reportedly also connected to a second incident in nearby Alhambra.
Around the time Newsom was filming his CBS interview on Monday, <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/peninsula/half-moon-bay-mass-shooting-motive-sought/3137737/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another mass shooting</a> took place in the city of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. The alleged gunman opened fire at a mushroom farm where he worked, killing four people and injuring one more, then reportedly drove to a second location where he killed three more people. He was arrested in the parking lot of the San Mateo County Sheriff&#8217;s Office Monday afternoon.

California Gov. Newsom Announces New Water Supply Actions Due To Climate Change

CA Gov Gavin Newsom: ‘The Second Amendment Is Becoming A Suicide Pact’ Amid Two Mass Shootings In His State

Amid Two Mass Shootings In His State, CA Governor Gavin Newsom Says 'The Second Amendment Is Becoming A Suicide Pact'

California

CBS News

Gavin Newsom

Gun Control

Mass Shooting

Social Issues

Several <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> sheriff’s departments said Wednesday they would refuse to comply with Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s new gun law signed this week, which immediately bans the manufacture or possession of dozens of rapid-fire rifles, pistols, .50-caliber guns, and some attachments.
Pritzker signed the &#8220;<a href="https://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10200SB2226ham003&amp;GA=102&amp;LegID=134879&amp;SessionId=110&amp;SpecSess=0&amp;DocTypeId=SB&amp;DocNum=2226&amp;GAID=16&amp;Session=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protect Illinois Communities Act</a>&#8221; into law during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Springfield earlier this week, hours after House Democrats secured the final passage and less than a day after Senate Democrats approved the measure.
&#8220;I&#8217;m signing this legislation tonight so it can take immediate effect,&#8221; Pritzker said in a press conference, local media <a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/illinois/sheriffs-departments-eastern-illinois-wont-enforce-new-assault-weapons-ban/63-241519b3-30df-4527-b273-6fe8dafa70ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Many Republican lawmakers opposed the legislation, saying it would do nothing to prevent crime and counters rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court involving Second Amendment rights, and lawyers have signaled that the new law would severely restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens in Illinois.
County sheriff&#8217;s departments responded to the new law, assuring residents that deputies would not enforce such measures, including forcing Illinois residents who already own firearms to register them with the state.
In his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0AYzhooZnDbKWE4J43D1dAXHmMm8Zh6giiLxqDQsfpX3u9gJJxRKCrThVbXADVwrVl&amp;id=100064564724339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, Greene County Sheriff Rob McMillen wrote that he would follow his &#8220;morals, beliefs, and obligations concerning protecting the rights&#8221; of the county citizens.
&#8220;These types of laws put law enforcement officers and prosecutors in a very precarious box, with us having to decide to not enforce laws that were passed by government bodies,&#8221; McMillen wrote. &#8220;But, as your Greene County Sheriff, I cannot sit back and let laws that strip Greene County citizens of their constitutional rights, and not take a stance supporting the citizens against a government that wants to trample on their rights.&#8221;
The law allows owners of newly-banned firearms to keep the devices on their private properties.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=549526590550453&amp;set=a.257868226382959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travous</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064538088313" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=472623891724176&amp;set=a.155436610109574" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing</a> made similar statements, saying that their departments would not conduct any investigations or arrests pertaining to the law, sharing the same belief that citizens have an inalienable right by the people of this country to keep and bear arms for &#8220;defense, liberty, and property.&#8221;
Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor and Madison County State&#8217;s Attorney Tom Haine shared a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=556489873188755" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> noting that authorities expect the law to face legal challenges and &#8220;trust that this legislative overreach will not stand.&#8221;
&#8220;In the meantime, we remain focused on reducing violent crime,&#8221; the letter reads. &#8220;Therefore, pending further direction by the courts, the Madison County Sheriff&#8217;s Office will not expend its limited resources to check whether otherwise law-abiding gun owners have registered their weapons with the State, nor will the Madison County Sheriff&#8217;s Office be arresting or housing otherwise law-abiding individuals solely due to non-compliance with [the law].&#8221;
Pritzker threatened the employment of state law enforcement if authorities refused to follow the new law during the Tuesday press conference.
&#8220;The reality is that the state police is responsible for enforcement, as are all law enforcement, all across the state,&#8221; Pritzker said. &#8220;And they will, in fact, do their job or they won&#8217;t be in their job.&#8221;
Devore Law Office announced that the firm has partnered with other legal professionals to take action against Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly for passing the new gun law.
Attorney Thomas Devore told The Daily Wire the firm has two separate lawsuits in the works to defend the citizens of Illinois against this unconstitutional law.
DeVore argues that the state court and Illinois legislator &#8220;continues to blatantly disregard the three readings requirement of the constitution and the supreme court needs to finally stop it.&#8221;
&#8220;The law has serious equal protection problems wherein it allows members of the strong unions in Illinois to retain their rights to purchase and possess ‘assault rifles’ and high capacity magazines,&#8221; Devore said. &#8220;This discrimination against citizens cannot stand.&#8221;
Lawyers argue that the new law is likely to violate recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent concerning Second Amendment rights, adding that banning gun sales and transfers constitutes an overreach they hope the U.S. Supreme Court would not allow to stand.

No Gun Sign

Several Illinois Sheriff’s Departments Refuse To Enforce New State Law Banning Dozens Of Firearms

Gun Laws

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker signed <a href="https://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=10200SB2226ham003&amp;GA=102&amp;LegID=134879&amp;SessionId=110&amp;SpecSess=0&amp;DocTypeId=SB&amp;DocNum=2226&amp;GAID=16&amp;Session=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> Tuesday banning the manufacture or possession of dozens of rapid-fire rifles and pistols, .50-caliber guns, and some attachments, which went into effect immediately.
Pritzker signed the &#8220;Protect Illinois Communities Act&#8221; into law during a ceremony at the State Capitol in Springfield hours after House Democrats secured the final passage less than a day after Senate Democrats approved the measure.
&#8220;It&#8217;s been quite a past 24 hours,&#8221; Pritzker said, according to <a href="https://www.wbez.org/stories/pritzker-signs-assault-weapons-ban-lawmakers-shore-up-abortion-rights/28645778-9a71-4b7b-8546-5c73bc7c56aa?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=npr&amp;utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local media</a>. &#8220;Yesterday, I began my second term as governor of the great state of Illinois, and today we made history, becoming the ninth state to institute an assault weapons ban and one of the strongest assault weapons bans in the nation.&#8221;
According to the bill, the law requires Illinoisans who already own such firearms to register them with the state.
Gun makers can only sell firearms to suppliers in other states, and owners of the newly-banned guns in the state can still keep the devices on their private properties.
Illinois residents possessing unregistered firearms listed in the new law could face a misdemeanor charge on the first offense and a felony charge for subsequent offenses.
Pritzker read the names of the seven victims killed at the Highland Park July 4 parade mass shooting, the gunman having used a Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P15 semi-automatic rifle.
The gunman purchased the firearm legally in 2020 despite the alleged killer&#8217;s documented history of threatening and suicidal actions, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-strict-gun-laws-failed-to-stop-the-suspected-highland-park-shooter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Local media reported that the governor called the mass shooting a tragedy rooted in the fact that &#8220;our state and nation have been held hostage by the NRA and their allies time and time again.&#8221;
Illinois already had some of the strictest gun laws in the United States, and gun control groups consistently rank the state high on their lists for gun safety.
Everytown For Gun Safety ranks Illinois sixth in the nation for &#8220;Gun Law Strength.&#8221;
The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a non-profit launched by former Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, scores Illinois gun laws an &#8220;A-.&#8221;
Many Republican lawmakers opposed the legislation, saying it would do nothing to prevent crime and counters rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court involving Second Amendment rights.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour of Beecher City, a member of the Republican state House Freedom Caucus, slammed Pritzker and other Democrats for continuing to &#8220;allow our Constitution and our freedoms to be shredded.&#8221;
&#8220;A government unchecked, a government willing to defy our Constitution is a government that is completely out of control,&#8221; Wilhour said, according to <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-legislature-guns-abortion-20230110-zm5rccpkkvf63ofere6lmmepjm-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Chicago Tribune</a>. &#8220;You can sit here and dictate whatever you want today. Maybe the political winds are in your favor here today. But I can tell you that we will not comply and you&#8217;re not going to do a darn thing about it because the law, the Constitution and the founding principles are on our side.&#8221;
Darren Bailey, an outgoing GOP state representative, said in a <a class="multivariate" href="https://twitter.com/DarrenBaileyIL/status/1612604028621316098" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">tweet</a>, &#8220;I&#8217;ll die on my front porch before anyone takes my guns away.&#8221;
&#8220;My message to Springfield: If you want my guns, come get them,&#8221; Bailey said.
A local reporter said Bailey called the actions from lawmakers &#8220;tyrannous.&#8221;
&#8220;You also must know that I and millions of other gun owners in this state will not comply,&#8221; he said, adding he would fight the measure &#8220;in court,” as it violates his Second Amendment rights.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’ll die on my front porch before anyone takes my guns away. My message to Springfield: If you want my guns, come get them. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/voidthefoid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#voidthefoid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/secondamendment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#secondamendment</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/twill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#twill</a> <a href="https://t.co/ec2ng6AzPh">https://t.co/ec2ng6AzPh</a> <a href="https://t.co/l4EihJtrfZ">pic.twitter.com/l4EihJtrfZ</a>
&mdash; Darren Bailey (@DarrenBaileyIL) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenBaileyIL/status/1612604028621316098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Tribune noted that two House Republicans sided with Democrats and voted in favor of the bill — outgoing House GOP Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs and state Rep. Bradley Stephens of Rosemont.
However, three House Democrats voted against it, which included state Reps. Anthony DeLuca of Chicago Heights, Mitchael Halpin of Rock Island, and Lance Yednock of Ottawa.
Devore Law Office <a href="https://devorelawoffices.com/?fbclid=IwAR3nk1B9str_qwzTGMhIwVC45SCEqPKme9Q83cGstmCVjgVu9moFRzfX_C0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the firm has partnered with other legal professionals to take action against Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly for passing the new gun law.
Lawyers write that the new law would &#8220;severely restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens in Illinois.&#8221;
&#8220;We plan on bringing a lawsuit in the Illinois state court immediately,&#8221; the firm&#8217;s website reads. &#8220;The state court action will address the unlawful manner of which the general assembly continues to pass laws by playing with procedure. Turning an insurance law into a gun grab at the last second is unacceptable.&#8221;
Lawyers argue that the new law is likely to violate recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent concerning Second Amendment rights, adding that banning gun sales and transfers constitutes an overreach they hope the U.S. Supreme Court would not allow to stand.

Companies And Public Service In Chicago

Illinois Becomes 9th State In Union To Ban Dozens Of Firearms

Guns

The <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> permitted a <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> law restricting the concealed carry of <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firearms</a> to stay in force as challenges to the statute move through the legal system.
An emergency request from plaintiffs to pause the law was rejected; Justice Samuel Alito wrote a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23569915-22a557-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> endorsed by Justice Clarence Thomas respecting the denial while stressing that the viability of the case was not in question.
“I understand the Court’s denial today to reflect respect for the Second Circuit’s procedures in managing its own docket, rather than expressing any view on the merits of the case,” Alito said. “Applicants should not be deterred by today’s order from again seeking relief if the Second Circuit does not, within a reasonable time, provide an explanation for its stay order or expedite consideration of the appeal.”
The court case follows the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-scotus-strikes-down-new-york-concealed-carry-restrictions-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruling</a> last summer in a six-to-three decision against longtime restrictions on concealed carry in New York. The state law in question had conditioned the right to a concealed carry permit on “good moral character” and “proper cause.” The Supreme Court majority opinion written by Thomas took issue with the latter condition, which unlawfully forced New Yorkers to demonstrate “a special need for self-defense.”
“We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need,” he contended. “That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech or the free exercise of religion. It is not how the Sixth Amendment works when it comes to a defendant’s right to confront the witnesses against him. And it is not how the Second Amendment works when it comes to public carry for self-defense.”
More recently, however, officials in New York greenlit the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which prohibits guns in certain locations, demands gun owners request a property owner’s consent to carry on their premises, and requires a social media review ahead of gun purchases, according to a <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-takes-action-maintain-concealed-carry-gun-laws-and-protect#:~:text=The%20law%20strengthens%20requirements%20for,of%20certain%20gun%20purchases%2C%20and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James. Six residents challenging the law recently <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22A557/250597/20221221121323672_Antonyuk%20Application%20to%20Vacate%20Stay%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the Supreme Court to intervene.
Republican lawmakers say that the Concealed Carry Improvement Act stands in defiance of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last year. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced a <a href="https://stefanik.house.gov/2022/10/stefanik-tenney-introduce-resolution-condemning-new-york-s-concealed-carry-law-as-unconstitutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> to the House of Representatives condemning the new legislation as a violation of the Second Amendment and encouraging all states to pass laws supporting the right to bear arms.
Several other states and localities controlled by Democratic officials have introduced restrictions on gun ownership in recent years. A law in Oregon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oregon-judge-freezes-gun-control-law-over-questions-about-fundamental-constitutional-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bans</a> the sale of magazines with a capacity of more than 10 bullets and includes a permit-to-purchase requirement that requires all customers to get a background check and attend gun safety training before acquiring a firearm. An executive order from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-blocks-liberal-mayors-gun-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlawed</a> firearms at city recreational facilities despite state law barring such restrictions. Both measures were challenged in the court system and blocked by judges.
Some 81.4 million Americans own firearms, representing 31.9% of the adult population, according to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3887145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the most recent National Firearms Survey. The average gun owner has five firearms, with handguns as the most common type of weapon owned.

NY Supreme Court building

Supreme Court Allows New York Gun Control Law To Remain In Force As Legal Challenges Persist

Supreme Court Lets New York Gun Control Law Stay In Force

Concealed Carry

Courts

New York

Politics

Supreme Court

<div>
A key federal agency worked with gun control advocates to bury a study that showed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law-abiding firearms owners</a> use them to protect themselves millions of times per year, according to a report.
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) deleted a reference to the study, which it had commissioned, after gun-control advocates said it made passing new gun laws more difficult. The pro-Second Amendment site <a href="https://thereload.com/emails-cdc-removed-defensive-gun-use-stats-after-gun-control-advocates-pressured-officials-in-private-meeting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Reload reported</a> that the White House and powerful Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin helped arrange a series of meetings at which the gun control advocates convinced the agency to hide the study.
</div>
<div>
“[T]hat 2.5 Million number needs to be killed, buried, dug up, killed again and buried again,” Mark Bryant, head of the <a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gun Violence Archive</a>, <a href="https://thereload.com/app/uploads/2022/12/CDC-DGU-Mark-Bryant-on-killing-Kleck-estimate.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to CDC officials after a meeting. “It is highly misleading, is used out of context and I honestly believe it has zero value – even as an outlier point in honest DGU discussions.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Update: The CDC never actually sent <a href="https://twitter.com/teamtrace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@teamtrace</a> the statement it drafted in response to the publication&#39;s initial inquiry about the agency&#39;s decision to change the language on its website about defensive gun use and the lobbying campaign behind it. <a href="https://t.co/24igo5iePL">https://t.co/24igo5iePL</a>
&mdash; The Reload (@TheReloadSite) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheReloadSite/status/1608472152033955840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<div>
Bryant’s email was one of a handful obtained by The Reload which illustrate how gun control lobbyists were triggered by the study by Florida State University Criminology Professor Gary Kleck. That study was one of several the CDC reviewed on defensive gun uses. Kleck’s findings represented the upper end of estimates for how many times lawful gun owners defended themselves.
</div>
<div>
Bryant complained that Kleck’s estimate was “misinformation” and should be eliminated from the CDC’s website because gun-rights advocates were using it as ammunition for their Second Amendment arguments.
</div>
<div>
The CDC initially stood by the study and listed it in the “<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/fastfact.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fast Facts: Firearm Violence Prevention</a>” portion of its website. But after a September 15, 2021, virtual meeting with gun control advocates, the agency assured them it would revise the section in 2022, according to a December 10, 2021, email obtained by The Reload.
</div>
<div>
“We are planning to update the fact sheet in early 2022 after the release of some new data,” Beth Reimels, associate director for policy, partnerships, and strategic communication at the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, wrote in <a href="https://thereload.com/app/uploads/2022/12/CDC-DGU-Beth-Reimels-thanks-gun-control-advocates.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the email</a>. “We will also make some edits to the content we discussed that I think will address the concerns you and other partners have raised.”
</div>
<div>
In 2022, references to studies involving defensive gun use were scrubbed from the site.
</div>
<div>
“Estimates of defensive gun use vary depending on the questions asked, populations studied, timeframe, and other factors related to study design,” the site now states. “Given the wide variability in estimates, additional research is necessary to understand defensive gun use prevalence, frequency, circumstances, and outcomes.”
</div>
<div>
The CDC did not respond to The Reload’s request for comment on the decision. Durbin spokeswoman Emily Hampsten told the site her boss’s only involvement was “simply connecting” “stakeholder organizations” with a federal agency.
</div>
<div>
Kleck called the decision “blatant censorship” meant to skew the debate over gun rights.
</div>
<div>
“You can’t understand any significant aspects of the gun-control debate once you eliminate defensive gun use,” said Kleck, <a href="https://criminology.fsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/gary-kleck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professor emeritus at Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice</a>. “It becomes inexplicable why so many Americans oppose otherwise perfectly reasonable gun-control measurements. It’s because they think it’s going to lead to prohibition, and they won’t have a gun for self-defense.&#8221;
</div>
<div>
“It’s not complicated,” added Kleck, who said it was the latest example of how the CDC has become politicized.
</div>
<div>
The CDC’s decision to remove all estimates on defensive gun uses was <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/2022/06/defensive-gun-use-data-good-guys-with-guns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by The Trace</a>, a pro-gun control site that disputed Kleck’s scholarship. The emails cited by The Reload were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed on behalf of the California Rifle &amp; Pistol Association.
</div>
<div>
Bryant’s group is one of several gun control advocacy organizations that have used a broad definition of “mass shootings” to portray them as extremely common in the U.S. Under their terms, a mass shooting occurs any time four or more people are at least injured in an incident involving firearms. By that count, mass shootings happen 10 times as often as the more standard definition requiring four or more fatalities.
</div>
<div>
But when it comes to defining defensive gun use incidents, Gun Violence Archive uses decidedly conservative criteria, counting only those incidents that appear in media or police reports. By their yardstick, Gun Violence Archive estimates there are less than 2,000 cases of defensive gun use per year.
</div>
<div>
The CDC sought to explain its decision to remove defensive gun use statistics from its fact sheet in a response to a query from the Trace that it ultimately never sent. In it, the CDC said the fact that the range of estimates was so vast that including them might “raise more questions than it answered.”
</div>

Gun Control Groups Got CDC To Scrub ‘Good Guys With Guns’ Study, Emails Show

Gun Control Groups Got CDC To Scrub 'Good Guys With Guns' Study, Emails Show

A state judge has stopped a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> law from taking effect that would create new barriers to purchasing firearms and ban the sale of any magazine larger than a 10-bullet clip.
Harney County Judge Robert Raschio issued a temporary restraining order over Measure 114, a ballot measure passed last month that places new restrictions on purchasing firearms and magazines. Raschio blocked the new law for violating the Oregon state constitution.
“Absent entry of this Temporary Restraining Order, Plaintiffs will be deprived of their right to bear arms pursuant to Or. Const. Art. l, Sec. 27 by being made unable to lawfully purchase a firearm or bear a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition in the State of Oregon. Deprivation of fundamental constitutional rights for any period constitutes irreparable harm,” the judge wrote in his Tuesday <a href="https://www.gunowners.org/wp-content/uploads/Oregon-State-Court-TRO-Order.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">order</a>.
Raschio’s ruling came as part of a legal challenge against the new law filed by Gun Owners of America (GOA). GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt celebrated the ruling.
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0&amp;_gl=1*v9j40z*_ga*MTE3MDIyNDM4Ni4xNjU4MzQzNjQx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY3MDQ1NjgzMS40NzAuMS4xNjcwNDU3MDE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/readers-pass/read-only-v2?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-54730">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US.</a>
“This is an exciting victory for our members in Oregon as the clock was winding down on securing relief from the onerous and unconstitutional requirements this law would have placed on current and future gun owners. We look forward to continuing the fight,” Pratt said in a <a href="https://www.gunowners.org/goa-and-gof-secure-comprehensive-tro-against-oregon-gun-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
Measure 114 passed last month in a slim majority vote with 50.6% in favor and 49.4% against. The difference amounted to roughly 25,000 votes.
The new law <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/18/oregon-measure-114-gun-laws-permits-safety-class-magazine-limits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">places</a> a number of new restrictions on buying, selling, and owning firearms. The law bans the sale of magazines with a capacity of more than 10 bullets. It includes a permit-to-purchase requirement that requires all firearms customers to get a background check and attend gun safety training before purchase.
The state attorney general’s office said it would appeal the ruling, according to <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/12/oregon-measure-114-temporarily-blocked-by-harney-county-judge-in-separate-challenge.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Oregonian</a>.
“We are still sorting through everything, but I can tell you we will be shortly filing a mandamus petition asking the Oregon Supreme Court to review it immediately,” said Kristina Edmunson, spokeswoman for Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.
Raschio’s ruling came several hours after a federal judge rejected a request to instate a temporary restraining order and approved the ballot measure to go into effect on December 8 as scheduled, with one exception. The federal judge, U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, postponed the permit-to-purchase requirement at the state’s request for 30 days.
Despite the federal court’s ruling, Raschio’s decision is still in effect because he ruled on a challenge based on the state constitution. Immergut’s decision is based on a challenge brought on federal constitutional grounds, according to The Oregonian.
Immergut said that no parts of the new law would improperly infringe upon Oregonians’ Second Amendment rights.
“The burden imposed by Measure 114 on the core Second Amendment right of self-defense is minimal,” Immergut <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/12/judge-puts-permit-to-purchase-gun-regulation-on-hold-for-30-days-allows-rest-of-measure-114-to-take-effecct.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
“In light of the evidence of the rise in mass-shooting incidents and the connection between mass-shooting incidents and large-capacity magazines — and absent evidence to the contrary regarding the role of large-capacity magazines for self-defense — Defendants are comparably justified in regulating large-capacity magazines to protect the public,” the judge said.

Handguns

Oregon Judge Freezes Gun Control Law Over Questions About ‘Fundamental Constitutional Rights’

Oregon

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> Department of Justice released a report from an outside investigation concerning the massive data breach of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gun</a> owner information that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-gun-owners-data-breached-after-state-unveils-firearms-portal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took place in June</a>.
The independent investigation, carried out by a team of independent legal experts, as well as forensic cyber specialists, found that the leak of data was “unacceptable,” but also “unintentional,” according to a press <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-releases-results-independent-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> from the Office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
It was caused by “a number of deficiencies within DOJ,&#8221; which included &#8220;lack of training, expertise, and professional rigor; insufficient documentation, policies, and procedures; and inadequate oversight.”
The investigation revealed that “some confidential personal data of roughly 192,000 individuals who applied for a concealed carry weapons (CCW) permit from approximately 2012-2021 was unintentionally disclosed due to the incident.”
The breach took place shortly after the Supreme Court <a href="https://ktla.com/news/report-california-gun-data-breach-was-unintentional/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> that Americans have the right to publicly carry guns. The report ultimately <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article269423907.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> that actions taken by an analyst, a team, and DOJ supervisors led to the breach.
The dataset with private personal information “was downloaded approximately 2,734 times, in full or in part, across 507 unique IP addresses,” according to the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/ca-doj-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, but the number of people who saw the information could be even higher. “The investigation could not accurately determine the number of public visitors who may have only viewed, but did not download, the underlying dataset,” it added.
The report also provided details about the information that was released. Attorney General Rob Bonta received a message on Twitter alerting him that the personal data was made public, &#8220;including addresses and dates of birth for CCW permit holders.&#8221;
The report also stated that &#8220;the CCW-related data included data for the years 2012 to 2021 and included the following fields: name, date of birth, street address associated with the permit, gender, race, county, CCW License Number, status of CCW applications, and California’s Criminal Identification and Information/State Identification number.&#8221;
Alan Gottlieb, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation, told The Daily Wire over email that the intentionality of the release doesn’t matter.
&#8220;It does not matter if the breach of personal gun owners data was intentional or not. It still amounts to a [grave] invasion of personal privacy. If a private entity allowed this violation to occur they would be held responsible for heavy monetary damages. The state of California should be held to the same standard,” Gottlieb said.
Sam Paredes, the executive director of Gun Owners of California, said the report was appalling and showed deep negligence on the part of Attorney General Rob Bonta.
“The report is scathing in reporting the lack of accountability and proper management practices and review procedures and documentation,” he said.
&#8220;We are calling on the Attorney General to fire the inept and negligent staff that allowed this to happen, including analysts and supervisors,” Paredes told The Daily Wire.
His group is also letting people know what legal action they can take.
“We are educating people whose identity has been released as to what their legal options are,” he said, adding that damages sought against the Attorney General because of the breach “could include paying for new or updated security systems of people&#8217;s homes and businesses, more robust personal identification security offers to those who have been affected, and emotional damages.”
The implications of the breach also involve cybersecurity and data concerns.
Dr. Aaron Brantly, associate professor at Virginia Tech, and director of Tech4Humanity Lab, has written and co-authored several books regarding cybersecurity.
Brantly told The Daily Wire over email that “[t]he accidental release of information on CCW permit applicants is another in a long line of data disclosures by both private and public entities.”
He said these types of releases are not unique to governmental bodies, but instead “highlight the continuing challenge of staffing and providing trained personnel to manage complex digital systems.”
“Any release of PII poses inherent potential security risks to individuals including but not limited to identify theft. Individuals whose data was disclosed will likely be offered security monitoring services. At present the types of data released have not been disclosed,” he wrote. “The security risks posed by the release are highly dependent on the types of data released. The unwanted disclosure of CCW permit application, approval, or denial might also potentially have adverse effects on individuals across a broad range of use/needs cases.”
“The State of California DOJ should be aware that this unintentional disclosure might have particularly adverse impacts on certain individuals,” he added.
When asked about the specific personal information that was revealed, and whether it impacts his response or cybersecurity concerns, Brantly said it does not, adding, &#8220;[a]ll of the same cybersecurity concerns remain.&#8221;
&#8220;The real question is how long was the data publicly accessible and how many times was it downloaded and by whom,&#8221; he added. &#8220;If it was downloaded is it now publicly available elsewhere, i.e. on the dark web?&#8221;
Andreas Grant, a network engineer and <a href="https://networkshardware.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founder</a> of Networks Hardware, told The Daily Wire that the key to solving the problem is training people better. 
“No matter how secure a cloud infrastructure is, one can never achieve hundred percent security. But having untrained people run things means leaving a door of vulnerability wide open. It’s just plain and simple ignorance from the officials running the website. They ‘thought’ they were posting anonymous data publicly which was clearly not the case,” Grant noted over email. “The worst and also the most important part here is the employees who were in charge. None of the employees there actually had the knowledge to implement proper security settings.”
“As a Network Security Engineer, I am always worried about how both government and small businesses are handling cybersecurity issues these days. They want people with very little IT knowledge to handle the security aspect which then leads to incidents like this one,” Grant said.
Jake Denton, a Tech Policy Center research associate at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Wire over email, “[t]he egregious deficiencies highlighted in this report reflect the broader challenges we are facing as a country in the domain of cybersecurity.”
“As of June, it has been reported that there are over 700 thousand unfilled cyber security positions across all sectors of the United States economy. As the threat of cyber-attacks against the United States continues to grow, our country is clearly underequipped and ill-prepared to defend our data,” he added. 
The implications for conservatives are especially concerning, Will Thibeau, a Tech Policy Center policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Wire.
“Mistakes and accidents seem to only happen to conservatives these days,” Thibeau said over email. “California’s gross violation of citizens’ expectation of data privacy must alert conservatives to the reality of information security.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/brandon-drey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Drey</a> contributed to this report.

80EBCC96-C210-4304-8A17-53B8D6C855C2_1_201_a

Independent Report Reveals Negligence That Led To Massive California Gun Owner Information Breach

Cybersecurity

General

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-reveals-how-twitters-business-is-doing-under-his-leadership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> set his own personal social media platform ablaze Monday with a photo from his bedroom.
The picture showed what Musk said was his bedside table, which was cluttered with four empty caffeine-free Diet Cokes, a bottle of water, and a pair of handguns. One pistol looked to be a replica historic flintlock in an open wooden box with a picture of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze&#8217;s painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on the inside lid. The other gun looked to be the world’s wealthiest man’s last line of defense, but some online had their doubts.
“There is no excuse for my lack of coasters,” Musk quipped on his Twitter platform.
Eagle-eyed Twitter users pegged the historic gun as a non-firing piece of the “George Washington Boxed Set,” available online for just $124. As for the other gun, sleuths including country music star John Rich noticed something unusual: It has no trigger. That led some <a href="https://brobible.com/culture/article/elon-musk-guns-are-fake-details/">to speculate</a> that it is a replica prop from the 1982 film “Blade Runner.” Others said it was a replica of a Diamond Back .357 revolver from a video game called &#8220;Deus Ex: Human Revolution.&#8221;
But even if Musk doesn’t sleep with a working pistol within an arm’s reach, it doesn’t mean he isn’t in favor of the Second Amendment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
No trigger on that hog leg?
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1597204897128386563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I strongly believe that the right to bear arms is an important safeguard against potential tyranny of government. Historically, maintaining their power over the people is why those in power did not allow public ownership of guns,&#8221; Musk told CNBC in an email in May.
Musk weighed in on gun control on Twitter following the Uvalde, Texas, school massacre. Although he backed the right to own guns, he said people should be subject to &#8220;tight background checks,&#8221; and that so-called “assault rifles” merited more safeguards.
&#8220;Assault rifles should at minimum require a special permit, where the recipient is extremely well vetted [in my opinion],&#8221; he tweeted in response to a question from a user.
&#8220;How about a middle ground, where the licensing standard for semi-auto rifles is a driver’s license, age 21 and no rap sheet?&#8221; Musk continued. &#8220;Basically, what is a reasonable way to make it harder for people with homicidal impulses to obtain body count maximizing weapons?&#8221;

Elon Musk Reveals Tesla Model Y Crossover; To Start At $39,000

SEE IT: Elon Musk Tweets Photo Of Night Stand Arsenal, With Apologetic Quip

Elon Musk

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> sheriffs are vowing not to enforce a strict <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gun control</a> measure passed by the state’s voters last week.
At least five county sheriffs are openly refusing to not enforce at least parts of the law, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/oregon-sheriffs-enforce-new-gun-law-infringes-second-amendment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>. The officials say that the law oversteps Constitutional gun rights and will be an additional drain on law enforcement while failing to address problems with more serious crimes.
“The biggest thing is this does absolutely nothing to address the problem,” Sheriff Cody Bowen of Union County told Fox News. “The problem that we have is not … magazine capacity. It&#8217;s not background checks. It’s a problem with mental health awareness. It&#8217;s a problem with behavior health illness.”
“Our society as a whole is a bigger problem rather than saying that, you know, the guns are killing people,” he said.
Organ voters <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/11/oregon-measure-114-one-of-strictest-gun-control-measures-in-us-too-close-to-call.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> Measure 114, voting for some of the strictest gun control regulations in the country. The ballot measure banned the sale or transfer of any magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The rule also bans Oregonians from receiving a firearm from a licensed dealer without a completed background check from state police. Current federal regulations say a potential purchase can only be postponed for up to three days if the background check is not completed.
Measure 114 appears to have passed by a slim 51% to 49% margin, though votes are still being tallied. By Wednesday evening, six of Oregon’s 36 had <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-elections/oregon-ballot-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> in favor of the measure.
Sheriffs across the state have echoed Bowen’s concerns with the law and said they will not enforce part or all of it.
“The Linn County Sheriff’s Office is NOT going to be enforcing magazine capacity limits,” Sheriff Michelle Duncan said in a Facebook post, according to the <a href="https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2022/11/12/three-oregon-sheriffs-say-they-will-not-enforce-measure-114/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Willamette Week</a>. Sherman County Undersheriff James Burgett said that Sheriff Brad Lohrey would not enforce the new restrictions either.
Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said that enforcing Measure 114 would be a needless waste of his department’s resources, according to Fox News.
“It would take away from the things that we&#8217;re doing every day to try to keep people safe,” Wolf said. “Restricting people from ownership of guns in my opinion, is not going to help anything. We&#8217;re going to make it harder for people to purchase guns for self-defense.”
Jefferson County Sheriff Jason Pollock released a statement over the weekend outlining his disagreements with the new law and stating that he would not enforce it.
“The Jefferson County Sheriff&#8217;s Office will not enforce Measure 114,” he <a href="https://pamplinmedia.com/msp/129-news/563689-451515--sheriff-responds-to-passage-of-gun-control-measure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “I do not have the personnel to attempt to permit every gun purchase in Jefferson County. Additionally, I believe the provisions of Measure 114 run contrary to previously decided judicial decisions.”

Sheriffs Vow Not To Enforce Oregon’s Strict New Gun Control Law

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-on-his-fitness-for-office-i-could-drop-dead-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a> noted his family’s gun-toting ways at a town hall that aired Sunday night, but neglected to mention one member of his clan’s problems with firearms and the law.
Biden said he has two shotguns, and noted that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-claims-his-son-beau-died-in-iraq/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his late son Beau</a> was also a gun owner. But perhaps unsurprisingly, he made no mention of ne’er-do-well son Hunter Biden, who allegedly lied on a federal form in order to purchase a handgun that his then-girlfriend – <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beau-bidens-widow-now-involved-his-married-brother-robert-kraychik/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and brother’s widow</a> – threw away in a dumpster near a Delaware school.
“I haven&#8217;t shot them in a long time but I have two shotguns,” Biden said at the event, which was taped on October 18. “My deceased son had a shotgun for target practice. The fact of the matter is that they&#8217;re locked in a case. So, nobody should be able to access them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Joe Biden AGAIN falsely claims that the bullet shot from an AR-15 travels &quot;five times the speed of an ordinary bullet.&quot;
He doesn&#39;t understand guns. He doesn&#39;t understand the constitution. Yet, he&#39;s against both. <a href="https://t.co/9MjePRZzka">pic.twitter.com/9MjePRZzka</a>
&mdash; And-BOO 🎃 Don’t Trick, TREAT! Productions (@DontWalkRUN) <a href="https://twitter.com/DontWalkRUN/status/1584329125010886657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But anyone could’ve accessed the revolver Hallie Biden threw away after she found it in Hunter Biden’s car in 2018. She claimed she chucked the weapon out of fear that her brother-in-law-turned-lover might kill himself. It is a different handgun from the semiautomatic Hunter is seen brandishing while fully naked in disturbing images on his infamous laptop.
After Hallie threw the gun in the trash, she told a nearby grocer, who called the police. The FBI reportedly came to the scene and interviewed both Bidens. In order to obtain any gun, Hunter Biden was required to divulge on a federal form whether he had a history of drug use. Although the FBI appeared to take no action, the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, is reportedly considering bringing charges against Hunter Biden for allegedly making false declarations on the form.
“He came along and said, by the way, this thing about a gun – I didn&#8217;t know anything about it,” Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper earlier this month. “But turns out that when he made application to purchase a gun, what happened was… I guess you get asked – I don&#8217;t guess – you get asked a question, ‘Are you on drugs, or do you use drugs?&#8217; He said no. And he wrote about saying no in his book.
“So, I have great confidence in my son.”
The gun discussion during the town hall, hosted by the left-leaning outlet NowThis, came when a gun control advocate who lost her brother in the 2012 school shooting in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, asked about firearms.
In a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/more-advice-from-joe-biden-just-fire-the-shotgun-through-the-door" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2013 interview</a> with Field &amp; Stream magazine, the then-vice president recounted the advice he gave his wife for dealing with anyone who posed a threat after intruding onto their private property.
“If there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here— walk out, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house,” he said.
In the same interview, Biden claimed a shotgun provides better protection than an AR-15, which he wants to ban.
“Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door,” Biden said. “Most people can handle a shotgun a hell of a lot better than they can a semiautomatic weapon in terms of both their aim and in terms of their ability to deter people coming [at them].”

World Food Program USA’s 2016 McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony

Biden Makes Glaring Omission While Touting His Family’s Gun Ownership

Biden Makes Glaring Omission While Touting His Family's Gun Ownership

Biden Administration

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

laptop computer

In the wake of Hurricane Ian’s devastation, <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/560429-you-loot-we-shoot-gov-desantis-stresses-law-and-order-in-ian-ravaged-communities/">Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently told reporters</a> that several businesses had painted the infamous warning “you loot, we shoot” on their boarded up store fronts as they prepared for the inevitable criminal aftermath of the natural disaster. But DeSantis had his own warning for looters:
“I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody’s home. I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we’re a Second Amendment state.”
And DeSantis wasn’t alone. Florida&#8217;s Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/weather/florida-sheriff-pushes-hurricane-ian-victims-shoot-looters-look-grated-cheese">also made headlines for his warning to criminals</a> looking to take advantage of the devastation wrought by Ian:
“I would highly suggest that if a looter breaks into your home, comes into your home while you&#8217;re there to steal stuff, that you take your gun and you shoot him. You shoot him so that he looks like grated cheese. Because you know what? That&#8217;s one looter that won&#8217;t break into anyone else&#8217;s home and take advantage of them when they&#8217;re the most vulnerable and the most weak.”
Sound bites aside, what actually happens in these communities as they’re rattled by looting and unrest? Just as we&#8217;ve seen peaceable individuals <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-times-an-armed-civilian-used-a-firearm-in-self-defense-last-month-alone">commonly use firearms in everyday self-defense</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-times-a-lawfully-armed-citizen-stopped-a-would-be-mass-shooter-in-his-tracks">to stop would-be</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/armed-peaceful-citizens-can-stop-mass-shootings-one-just-did-in-indiana">mass shooters</a>, peaceable gun owners also regularly use firearms to defend their lives and livelihoods from destruction and looting after natural disasters and civil unrest.
Here are five such examples:
<h2>1) Orlando Jewelry Store Owner Stops Would-Be Looters in the Wake of Hurricane Ian</h2>
It takes a special kind of depravity to loot in the wake of a natural disaster. And yet, as <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/os-ne-hurricane-ian-tracking-lessons-learned-20221008-ghjpgjayobae5kauustz2xxqha-story.html">Orlando recovers</a> from the <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/hurricane-ian-caused-24206-million-in-damage-in-orange-county/ar-AA137l6H">destruction of Hurricane Ian</a>, four criminals took the opportunity to <a href="https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/2-shot-killed-trying-to-rob-jewelry-store-at-magic-mall-in-orlando-police-say">target a jewelry store in Orlando’s Magic Mall</a> and attempted to ‘smash and grab’ the store.
The store owner, however, was armed. When the four entered, the owner opened fire, striking at least two. One was found dead at the store, the other three got into a car and fled. Police later found the car abandoned, and one more would-be looter dead.
Another store owner in the Magic Mall had <a href="https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/magic-mall-store-owners-warning-for-criminals-theres-a-really-good-chance-youre-gonna-get-shot">this warning</a>: “There’s a lot of concealed license carriers here. So if you come to the Magic Mall and you want to commit a crime, there’s a really good chance you’re gonna get shot.”
<h2>2) Scottsdale, Arizona, Jewelry Store Owners Stop Vandals in their Tracks</h2>
In May 2020, Scottsdale, Arizona, was one of the many cities across the United States to experience violent unrest in the wake of the death of George Floyd. But some Arizonans wouldn’t allow their livelihoods to be destroyed.
After seeing criminals <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/scottsdale-fashion-square-closes-as-phoenix-prepares-for-more-protests/75-d1895901-0c67-4b60-9064-3df758805f16">break in and loot the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall</a> the evening prior, <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/business-owner-defends-store-during-scottsdale-looting/75-785f1952-bf9f-4899-84e3-6b66f7f51643">several members of the community armed themselves</a> to protect a local jewelry store from suffering the same fate.
Sure enough, that evening, they watched protesters march down Scottsdale’s 5th Avenue, destroying stores and storefronts along the way.
When the vandals reached the well-protected jewelry store, they were stopped in their tracks. The protesters seemingly decided it wasn’t in their best interest to damage this particular store, and instead staged a performative protest in front of it. The store suffered no damage, and no one was harmed.
The store owner’s son spoke out: “We weren’t here to hurt anybody. We weren’t here to harm anybody. After seeing exactly what happened to the Apple store, this isn’t protesting, this isn’t rioting, this is crime.”
<h2>3) Philadelphia Gun Store Owner Shoots and Kills Would-Be Looter</h2>
Just days after the Scottsdale incident, one would-be Philadelphia looter <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/south-philly-gun-shop-owner-shoots-kills-looter-police-say/2416373/">didn’t walk away from his attempt to loot a local gun store</a>. Gregory Isabella, the 67-year-old owner of a gun store in South Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-protests-looting-gun-store-south-philly-shot-dead-20200602.html&amp;outputType=app-web-view">spent the night in his store</a> because of multiple break-in attempts over the past few nights.
That evening, Gregory was monitoring security camera footage and saw a group of men use bolt cutters to cut a lock off the store’s gate. They smashed in the back door and went upstairs, where they encountered the armed owner.
One pointed a handgun at Gregory, and Gregory opened fire, striking and killing one criminal and sending the others running. Not only did Gregory protect his life and livelihood, but he also prevented the would-be looters from terrorizing his community with stolen firearms.
<h2>4) Texas Looters Choose the Wrong Neighborhood to Loot After Hurricane Harvey</h2>
In 2018, after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc across Texas, <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/hurricaneharvey/article/Hurricane-Harvey-looters-viral-video-John-Nash-12165416.php">a group of looters targeted the Little York Food Mart in Harris County</a>, just north of Houston. While they were trying to take advantage of the unprotected store, Nash John came to its defense. 
Bearing a shotgun slung over his shoulder, the looters quickly ran off as the ex-SWAT Deputy approached the store, preventing the looters from getting away with anything.
“As a former law enforcement officer, I understand it’s not right to steal. I let it be known that I was carrying a firearm. I’m not going to allow them to destroy my community, because this is where I live.”
Nash didn’t just defend the Little York Food Mart, he also helped people in his community escape flood waters and cleared debris so first-responders could reach other stranded residents. Nash shows exactly what a “good guy with a gun” can do for a community in need.
<h2>5) International — Armed South Africans Band Together to Protect Communities Against Looters</h2>
Peaceable individuals taking responsibility to protect their own lives and livelihoods during times of unrest isn’t limited to just the United States — it’s a fact of life in many countries (at least those that don’t prohibit people from possessing the tools necessary for self-defense).
While not the friendliest country towards individual gun ownership, just last year in South Africa, everyday South Africans banded together to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/south-africa-sends-25000-troops-to-help-police-quell-weeklong-riots-that-have-killed-117">defend themselves and their communities against widespread looting</a>.
After former President Zuma was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/africa/jacob-zuma-arrested-south-africa.html">jailed for failing to respond to a legal summons</a>, violent unrest broke out in South Africa. More than 70 people were killed, thousands were arrested, and the country experienced hundreds of incidents of looting and vandalism.
In response to the violence, South Africans armed themselves with guns and whatever weapons they could find to protect their lives and communities. In southern Johannesburg, taxi operators, who were nearly completely stopped from operating because of the turmoil, used firearms to protect against and scare off looters. Some individuals blocked off streets to prevent plundering in their neighborhoods. Others armed themselves to protect local malls from looting. Some store owners in the mall poured oil on the floors making them too slick for looters to run away.
* * *
All in all, no matter the disaster or unrest, when peaceable individuals are empowered to own the tools necessary for self-defense, they can — and will — protect their lives, livelihoods, and communities from the violent crime that seemingly inevitably follows. From hurricanes to riots, from Florida to South Africa, firearms allow people to take their defense into their own hands and to level the playing field when faced with violent criminals.
Cody J. Wisniewski (<a href="https://twitter.com/TheWizardofLawz">@TheWizardofLawz</a>) is a Senior Attorney for Constitutional Litigation with <a href="https://www.firearmspolicy.org/">Firearms Policy Coalition</a>. His work has appeared in The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner, National Review, The Daily Wire, and more. He primarily focuses on Second Amendment issues but is happy so long as he is reminding the government of its enumerated powers and constitutional limitations.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Looting sign Panama City aftermath Hurricane Michael

‘You Loot, We Shoot’: 5 Times Law Abiding Citizens Used Firearms To Defend Against Looters

Florida

Looting

Readers Pass

Ron DeSantis

Menu