Why NRA opposes Garland's Supreme Court nom

[summer]

By Chris W. Cox March 18


Chris W. Cox is executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action.



Last month, Second Amendment advocates and other patriotic Americans were shocked by the news of the sudden passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. His death was a tragedy for our Constitution and our country. For supporters of the Second Amendment, his death could result in the end of individual gun ownership in the United States.



In 2008, the Supreme Court answered the question of whether individual citizens have a right to own a firearm in their homes for self-defense. It was Scalia who wrote the majority opinion in that case, District of Columbia v. Heller. That landmark decision made clear that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. Shockingly, the decision was only 5 to 4. Two years later, in McDonald v. Chicago, Scalia joined Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s opinion holding that that individual right is fundamental and applies to all Americans regardless of where they live. Once again, the decision was 5 to 4.



With Scalia’s tragic passing, there is no longer a majority of support for Heller and McDonald among the justices. Four justices believe law-abiding Americans have the right to own a gun for self-defense, including handguns. Four justices do not. The math is simple — and frightening. So it’s no exaggeration to say that the future of gun ownership hangs in the balance. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for example, was unequivocal in a speech to the Harvard Club in the District, saying that she looked forward to a day when a future court overturns Heller. The men and women of the National Rifle Association will not sit idly by and watch that happen.



The truth is that President Obama has lost all trust and credibility when it comes to law-abiding gun owners. During his two presidential campaigns, Obama repeatedly paid lip service to gun owners. But during his presidency, he has made his contempt for the Second Amendment unmistakably clear. When Congress refused to pass his gun-control proposals, he said they behaved shamefully and pledged to act without them. In addition, he has called his inability to enact nationwide gun control the biggest frustration of his presidency. Perhaps most revealing of his true intentions, Obama praised the gun confiscation policies of Great Britain and Australia — policies that forced their citizens to surrender lawfully owned firearms to the government for destruction, on pain of imprisonment if they refused.



Obama has already nominated two Supreme Court justices who oppose our fundamental individual right to own firearms safely and responsibly. The NRA knows better than to expect anything different with his third choice. On Wednesday, he nominated Judge Merrick Garland, a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to replace Scalia on the Supreme Court. From upholding a federal registry of law-abiding gun owners derived from the instant-background-check system created by the Brady Bill to siding with the District government by voting for a do-over in a Second Amendment decision that invalidated the D.C. handgun ban — exactly what the Supreme Court rightfully struck down in Heller — Garland has proved, the NRA believes, he does not support the Second Amendment.





If Garland joins Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan on the court, we believe they will overturn Heller and McDonald at the first opportunity. While claiming to support Heller during her Senate confirmation hearings, Sotomayor wasted no time in trying to overturn that historic decision. Kagan spent her time in the Clinton White House pushing for gun control. Breyer has made his opposition to Heller and McDonald abundantly clear through his dissents in those cases. And as mentioned previously, Ginsburg publicly spoke about her desire for a future court to overturn Heller.



Make no mistake about it: We believe this would mean the end of the fundamental, individual right of law-abiding Americans to own firearms for self-defense in their homes.



The overwhelming majority of Americans support their right to own a firearm for self-defense. Therefore, the NRA strongly opposes the nomination of Garland to the Supreme Court. Nothing less than the future of our Second Amendment freedom is at stake.

[ttt]

Well that's one strong argument in his favor.

[aurora]

Interesting.

I looked at Fox News a few days ago (after the Garland announcement) and the huge headline was about gun rights ending. So apparently that is the focus of the conservative opposition to Garland.

[centralsquare]

OMG WHO CARES. Fuck them.

[WOT?*]

I have no problems with guns. I grew up with them. I know how to use and store them safely. I also don't depend on them to keep me safe in the event I'm caught up in a mass shooting by some psycho who has ready access to guns because "Guns Ooh-rah!"

I have even less problem with a Supreme Court that restricts guns and overturns Heller in favor of strict gun controls so kids stop getting shot and angry citizens can't just whip out their trusty firearm to "defend themselves" in an argument and white guys can't just roam WalMart with an AK or an AR strapped to their backs while blacks get shot in the same store for carrying a BB-gun through the store en route to purchasing it for their child - who would no doubt get shot for carrying it anyway because dark skin is scary skin.

[cville]

You know the NRA has most GOP senators on a short leash. No wonder they won't even take a damn vote.

[elleblue]

Mar 20, 2016 17:15:01 GMT -5 cville said:

You know the NRA has most GOP senators on a short leash. No wonder they won't even take a damn vote.

NRA apparently gets to weigh in on approving the nominee according to Mitch McConnell. link 

[WOT?*]

Mar 20, 2016 17:18:57 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Mar 20, 2016 17:15:01 GMT -5 cville said:

You know the NRA has most GOP senators on a short leash. No wonder they won't even take a damn vote.

NRA apparently gets to weigh in on approving the nominee according to Mitch McConnell. link 

FUCK YOU Mitch McConnell. The NRA doesn't guide me in my life and my decisions and my interpretation of the Second Amendment.

[isabel]

Mar 20, 2016 17:18:57 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Mar 20, 2016 17:15:01 GMT -5 cville said:

You know the NRA has most GOP senators on a short leash. No wonder they won't even take a damn vote.

NRA apparently gets to weigh in on approving the nominee according to Mitch McConnell. link 

It boggles my fucking mind how they get away with this shit! I can't even wrap my brain around why he is allowed to make blatant statements like this and be influenced by the NRA.

[StrawberryBlondie]

Here's my guess what's going on with him: Scalia' death was a huge huge surprise. Whether it should've been is debatable. McConnell sees the writing on the wall that the country is getting more socially liberal and the Republicans chance of winning the white house isn't great this year. So he's clinging to the sinking ship to exert whatever power he can to prohibit that from happening.

I'd bet serious dollars this is going to backfire signifiantly. I think this is going to be his "segregation now, segregation forever" sort of moment.

[wambam]

Can I just say how creeped out I am that this story is happening in HoC? It's like they knew the future.

[aurora]

Mar 20, 2016 18:35:43 GMT -5 wambam said:

Can I just say how creeped out I am that this story is happening in HoC? It's like they knew the future.

Yes! I binge watched this week and there are some eerie similarities.

[starlily]

Yeah, I got into it with someone on FB the day of the announcement because he was all "2nd amendment!!11!!" He said that information was enough for "conservative thinkers" to make up their minds without any hearings.

[isabel]

Mar 20, 2016 18:35:43 GMT -5 wambam said:

Can I just say how creeped out I am that this story is happening in HoC? It's like they knew the future.

I really need to watch this. DH didn't like the first couple episodes and I just never continued it on my own.