Federal Court Tries To Force States To Enforce Unconstitutional Gun Laws

A federal court just neutered much of the authority states have to check unconstitutional federal laws. Its decision must be overturned.

Hundreds of NYC bodega workers are now concealed carriers through 'secret society of gun owners'



Hundreds of New York City bodega workers have become concealed carriers — and they've done so through a "secret society of gun owners," WNYW-TV reported.

What are the details?

The United Bodegas of America on Sunday said the group formed a "secret society" for bodega workers and owners across New York City to legally obtain concealed carry licenses, the station said, adding that the UBA initiated things after the pandemic.

"Anyone that's out there looking to rob us, hurt us, kill us — beware," said UBA spokesperson Fernando Mateo, according to WNYW. "You may be walking into the wrong bodega because now we have the same firepower you have."

The station said the process took nearly two years because the bodega workers wanted it safe, legal — and secret, the station said. Specifically, criminals won't know which bodega workers are carrying concealed guns, WNYW noted.

Gun training courses are held at UBA headquarters in Inwood, WNYW said, adding that authorized instructors such as Johnny Nunez — a retired NYPD sergeant and former New York City police academy instructor — head them up.

"Having a firearm is a defensive tool," Nunez noted to the station. "It’s not an offensive tool. [It’s] to be used when your life or the life of another human is in – key words – imminent danger."

Cases in point:

"We are not out here to provoke any incidents," Mateo added to WNYW. "We're trained to de-escalate situations, but we are also trained to use a firearm if we have to."

Barbara Moreta is from the Dominican Republic and has owned a bodega since 2015, the station said, adding that she's thinking about applying for a concealed carry permit through the UBA.

"When they see a woman, they think they can do everything, but if I have my gun, I think it's better for the store," Moreta explained to WNYW. "And [if] some people ... come to do something bad, [they’ll be] scared."

The station said a 2022 Supreme Court ruling in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case made it easier for the UBA to navigate obstacles that otherwise would make it difficult for members to get concealed carry licenses.

NYC bodega workers become legal gun owners through ‘secret society’ youtu.be

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Appeals court rules that California can continue providing gun owners' personal information to gun violence researchers



A California appeals court ruled that the state can continue providing gun owners' personal information to gun violence researchers, which the Associated Press said reversed a lower court judge's 2022 decision that sharing such data violates privacy rights.

What is the background?

Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 signed into law a measure allowing the state’s Department of Justice to share identifying information of more than 4 million gun owners with qualified research institutions to help them better study gun violence, accidents, and suicides, the AP said.

The information includes data such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and criminal records, all of which are collected during background checks, the AP said.

While the researchers can use the information and make their findings public, they can’t release gun owners' identifying information, the outlet added.

More from the AP:

In response, gun owners and organizations sued the state, arguing that the disclosure of their information violates their privacy rights. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal ruled to temporarily block the law last October.

But on Friday, a three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeals for the Fourth District found that the lower court failed to consider the state’s interest in studying and preventing gun violence in its analysis before halting the law. In the opinion, Associate Justice Julia C. Kelety sent the case back to the lower court and said the preliminary injunction must be reversed.

Lawyers representing the gun owners and firearms groups suing the state didn’t immediately respond to calls and an email seeking comment.

“The court’s decision is a victory in our ongoing efforts to prevent gun violence,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, according to the outlet. Bonta also said the law “serves the important goal of enabling research that supports informed policymaking aimed at reducing and preventing firearm violence," the AP noted.

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American Jews are rushing out to buy firearms and practice shooting in the face of terrorism abroad and anti-Semitism at home



In the wake of the latest Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel and amid rising anti-Semitism at home, multitudes of American Jews are making sure that they won't be found defenseless if and when trouble strikes.

Firearm instructors and gun sellers have reported seeing a major influx of Jewish clients.

David Prince, the owner of Eagle Gun Range in Farmers Branch and Lewisville, Texas, told WFAA-TV that he saw a 300% increase in gun sales in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks.

"It's been a really big change this last three or four days. ... The people coming in and saying they are scared for their lives, because of their religion they are expecting to be attacked," said Prince.

"As long as they want to protect themselves and their families, that's all we care about," continued Prince. "We don't care about anything else. We sell them for defensive purposes, and that's what we're here for."

"We've definitely seen a tremendous increase in religious Jewish people, Orthodox people, purchasing firearms," David Kowalsky, the owner of Florida Gun Store in Hollywood, Florida, told NBC News. "I've seen a surge in interest in individual training as well as group training."

Local synagogues have reached out to Kowalsky to host training and shooting sessions.

"These are mothers, teachers, the majority of them are mostly people who have never interacted with firearms or thought about owning them," said the gun seller. "There's a safety concern. I think people are nervous about what's going on and what can happen."

Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, who runs Magen Am, a Los Angeles non-profit that provides firearm training to the Jewish community, indicated his organization has received over 600 calls in the past week alone.

"The calls for self-defense training, situational awareness training — 'How do I make my shop or my institution a harder target?' — has just been really, really nonstop," said Eilfort.

Endi Tennenhaus, a preschool director in Hollywood, Florida, told NBC News that she helped organize a gun safety training for between 25 and 30 women in her synagogue last week.

"If all of our husbands are buying guns, we want to make sure we also know how to use them and also to be able to protect our children and be able to keep guns safe in our homes," said the mother of seven.

Political strategist Hank Sheinkopf indicated this trend is at odds with the the purported tendency for American Jews to be supportive of gun reform, gun control, and altogether "opposed to personal gun ownership," adding "Jews with guns were always seen as an odd event."

An unidentified Jewish woman who has long been for curtailing Second Amendment rights indicated death threats in recent days prompted her to take an interest in the gun training sessions. She said it's not a happy decision, but rather no decision at all.

"I have no choice," said the anonymous woman. "It's a very sad thing."

The Telegraph reported that since Hamas' attacks earlier this month, there have been reports of hundreds of anti-Semitic incidents across the United States.

There tend to be spikes in anti-Semitic crimes in the U.S. every time a Middle Eastern conflict kicks off. For instance, during the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2021, there was reportedly a doubling of anti-Semitic attacks, reported ABC News.

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California Democrats Admit It’s Unconstitutional To Ban Gun Ownership

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Navy and Marine Corps veteran Montel Williams says viewing video from Texas outlet mall shooting reminded him why he doesn't own a gun anymore



Montel Williams declared on Twitter that he has given up firearm ownership because he has been impacted by engaging with people who were impacted by shootings.

"Watching the video from the #allenoutletmall shooting reminds me why I am no longer a gun owner. I choose to be the change I want to see in the world," he wrote, referring to the Saturday shooting in Allen, Texas, that left eight victims dead.

"I am no longer a gun owner because I have looked victims of school shootings in the eye, and the look in their eyes is seared in my mind. I've listened to other parents like @fred_guttenberg, educators like @fetchik_andy, and teenagers who survived shootings. That's why," he explained.

\u201c2/ I am no longer a gun owner because I have looked victims of school shootings in the eye, and the look in their eyes is seared in my mind.\n\nI\u2019ve listened to other parents like @fred_guttenberg, educators like @fetchik_andy, and teenagers who survived shootings.\n\nThat\u2019s why.\u201d
— Montel Williams (@Montel Williams) 1683464472

Williams engaged with people on social media who replied to his remarks.

"How is disarming yourself, a safe gun owner, stopping any criminals? That's not change," someone asked.

"Hi Alexi - thanks for asking a substantive question It's appreciated. I concede your point - it will have no real world impaxt. It mattered to me. I don't need to own a gun right now. If I decide in the future I do need one, I will buy one," Williams replied.

\u201c@AKudej25 Hi Alexi - thanks for asking a substantive question It\u2019s appreciated.\n\nI concede your point - it will have no real world impaxt. It mattered to me. \n\nI don\u2019t need to own a gun right now. If I decide in the future I do need one, I will buy one.\u201d
— Montel Williams (@Montel Williams) 1683464472

"That's a dumb take. Afraid you were going to shoot innocents?" someone else wrote to Williams.

"Nope. It's because I'm a father who has been profoundly impacted by spending lots of time with suvivors, their families, and their teachers. I'm not suggesting what I did will have an impact, but I needed to do something. Thank you for your service. Go Navy!" Williams responded.

Williams is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and a Navy and Marine Corp veteran, according to his Instagram profile.

\u201c@Jack_Ham79 @fred_guttenberg @fetchik_andy Nope. It\u2019s because I\u2019m a father who has been profoundly impacted by spending lots of time with suvivors, their families, and their teachers. \n\nI\u2019m not suggesting what I did will have an impact, but I needed to do something. \n\nThank you for your service. Go Navy!\u201d
— Montel Williams (@Montel Williams) 1683464472

"Each person has the right to do what is best for them. With that said, and I am not being snarky here, all you really did was make sure that if your family gets caught a dangerous situation, you have no way to protect them now," someone else wrote.

Williams replied by noting that he lives in Miami, and that if her were in danger he would seek help from police. "We have police in this country m'am. I live in Miami - there is a constant police presence in my area, so I’d call 911," Williams tweeted.

\u201c@SusanDuclos We have police in this country m\u2019am. I live in Miami - there is a constant police presence in my area, so I\u2019d call 911.\u201d
— Susan Duclos (@Susan Duclos) 1683479014

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Mike Lee leads Senate Republicans in effort to expose 'secret internal guidance' ATF used to go after gun owners



Republican lawmakers are demanding answers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives after a conservative gun rights group leaked documents showing the agency developed purported "secret guidance" regulating various firearms accessories.

A group of 20 U.S. senators led by Mike Lee (R-Utah) have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland and acting ATF Director Marvin Richardson to turn over "all internal instructions, directives, or guidance" related to the regulation of "solvent traps" and "forced reset triggers" as "unregistered silencers and machine guns, respectively."

"We write to express our grave concern over the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ (ATF) continued pattern of enforcing secret guidance. This secret guidance was brought to our attention by those who have received recent threatening letters where the ATF makes blanket threats based on the recipient allegedly purchasing and possessing various firearms accessories, none of which are illegal based on any statute or regulation,” a letter sent to the Department of Justice on Friday states.

The Republicans cited internal ATF technical bulletins first published by Gun Owners Foundation, a charity that promotes public education about the Second Amendment and gun ownership. A spokeswoman for ATF said these law enforcement bulletins are periodically issued to employees and to law enforcement partners.

"The bulletins are issued to ensure awareness of issues that impact officer and public safety and are appropriately classified as 'Law Enforcement Sensitive.' They are not categorized as 'Secret' and should not be described as such," April Langwell, the chief of ATF's Public Affairs Division, said.

"Providing these bulletins is a core function of ATF as the Department of Justice agency responsible for administering the federal firearm and explosives laws," she added.

The bulletins give guidance to ATF personnel on how to "differentiate so-called 'solvent-traps' from firearm silencers." Another bulletin cited by the letter assists agents "with identifying certain machine gun conversion devices," referring to forced reset triggers.

A solvent trap is a firearm barrel cleaning accessory, a (typically metal) cylinder that can be attached to a gun barrel and used to catch cleaning fluid poured through the firearm. ATF claims that these accessories "contain multiple design characteristics of firearm silencers" and can be used as such to muffle the sound of a fired weapon.

Forced reset triggers are devices that can increase the speed with which a shooter can fire a semi-automatic firearm. They cannot convert a semi-automatic weapon into a "machine gun." The devices work by resetting the gun trigger after a shooter fires, pushing the trigger finger forward as the weapon readies to fire again.

According to the lawmakers, ATF has sent letters to gun owners in possession of these accessories, threatening them with "criminal prosecution" and possible jail time if they refuse to surrender their devices.

"Despite the significant criminal consequences attached to the unlawful manufacture, sale and possession of [National Firearms Act] items, ATF has never issued any public guidance differentiating a silencer from a solvent trap, or informing the public that it considers certain forced reset triggers to be machine guns," the letter noted. The Republicans argued that classifying these accessories as illegal is "contrary to the plain language" of federal law.

“We find the ATF’s attempt to conceal its interpretations of the law disturbing. In a free society, ‘Every citizen is presumed to know the law.’ Thus, as the Supreme Court has said, ‘it needs no argument to show that all should have free access’ to [the law’s] contents,” the letter stated.

The Republicans continued, “With this attempted secret regulation, the ATF shows an abject disregard for the fundamental principles of due process and accountable governance. Federal agencies cannot enforce the law in this manner."

The lawmakers requested that the Department of Justice and ATF turn over documents related to the internal guidance and deliver explanations on how this guidance is used by law enforcement and why it has not been made available to the public by March 25.

ATF disputes the Republicans' claims. With regard to the solvent traps, Langwell said, "ATF has for many years examined numerous devices to include fuel filters, plastic bottles, oil filters, and similar articles that if designed or redesigned to silence, muffle or diminish the report of a firearm, they would be considered 'firearms' under Federal Law defined in 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(3) or 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(7)."

"ATF has performed numerous evaluations / examinations on 'forced reset triggers' and has made specific determinations in which 'forced reset triggers' have been classified as machineguns regulated under the NFA," she added.

Gun rights advocates applauded Sen. Lee and the other Republicans for taking action to investigate ATF's "secret guidance."

"The ATF’s recent abuses — to include the use of secretive rules and documents — is a gross dereliction of fundamental regulatory ethics and we are proud to stand with Senator Lee and his colleagues in the Senate in demanding answers from ATF,” Travis R. Stevens-White, president and CEO of the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, said.

Aidan Johnston, the director of Federal Affairs for Gun Owners of America added, "The ATF will stop at nothing to criminalize gun owners and attack the Second Amendment. This time, their scheme is to criminalize solvent traps -- tools that gun owners use while cleaning their firearms. By mislabeling solvent traps as silencers, the ATF makes it clear that they not only do not understand how firearms really work, but also that they are willing to turn law-abiding Americans into criminals overnight to push their anti-gun agenda.”