Posted on 07/17/2009 7:51:15 AM PDT by pabianice
Other than declaring war, neither house of Congress has a more solemn responsibility than the Senate's role in confirming justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the Senate considers the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Americans have been watching to see whether this nominee - if confirmed - would respect the Second Amendment or side with those who have declared war on the rights of America's 80 million gun owners.
From the outset, the National Rifle Association has respected the confirmation process and hoped for mainstream answers to bedrock questions. Unfortunately, Judge Sotomayor's judicial record and testimony clearly demonstrate a hostile view of the Second Amendment and the fundamental right of self-defense guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
It is only by ignoring history that any judge can say that the Second Amendment is not a fundamental right and does not apply to the states. The one part of the Bill of Rights that Congress clearly intended to apply to all Americans in passing the Fourteenth Amendment was the Second Amendment. History and congressional debate are clear on this point.
Yet Judge Sotomayor seems to believe that the Second Amendment is limited only to the residents of federal enclaves such as Washington, D.C. and does not protect all Americans living in every corner of this nation. In her Maloney opinion and during the confirmation hearings, she deliberately misread Supreme Court precedent to support her incorrect view.
In last year's historic Heller decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees the individual's right to own firearms and recognizes the inherent right of self-defense. In addition, the Court required lower courts to apply the Twentieth Century cases it has used to incorporate a majority of the Bill of Rights to the States. Yet in her Maloney opinion, Judge Sotomayor dismissed that requirement, mistakenly relying instead on Nineteenth Century jurisprudence to hold that the Second Amendment does not apply to the States.
This nation was founded on a set of fundamental freedoms. Our Constitution does not give us those freedoms - it guarantees and protects them. The right to defend ourselves and our loved ones is one of those. The individual right to keep and bear arms is another. These truths are what define us as Americans. Yet, Judge Sotomayor takes an opposite view, contrary to the views of our Founding Fathers, the Supreme Court, and the vast majority of the American people.
We believe any individual who does not agree that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right and who does not respect our God-given right of self-defense should not serve on any court, much less the highest court in the land. Therefore, the National Rifle Association of America opposes the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
- NRA -
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military
Good point.
very good point, but now they need to make some strong opposition public
In the hearings she could not opine on the right of self defense.
That tears it with me.
Would she opine on free speech?
An incredibly well done statement. NRA you rock!
I know.
She “can’t find”, anywhere in our Constitution, the right to individual self defense, or even an individual right to own a gun (despite the fact that that one is actually SPELLED OUT); BUT she has no trouble locating that all important and sacrosanct “right to abortion”.
Maybe we should have a hundred rolls of U.S. Constitution toilet paper delivered to the senate chambers in time for their confirmation vote.
They’ll know what to do with it. After all, they’ve had plenty of practice with the real thing here recently.
Now we know why he chose her. He wants to get SC judges in their to take away our rights so the blame won’t fall on him. POS
lie down with dogs, get up with dogs...
I don’t blame people for hunting out the mistakes, that organizations or individuals make, they should, But the very reason conservatives and gun owners lose on issues is not because of our numbers, it’s because of our seeming inability to agree on anything, or support anyone without finding a reason not to do so. The liberals, although far less of them, stick together on everything. I ask anyone who finds fault with the NRA to reconsider where we’d be without them. They also have to be careful who they agree with or alienate in Washington. Before Clinton was pres. I couldn’t,under any circumstances wander about town with a concealed weapon here in Texas, They helped make this possible during the most anti-gun administration in our history. Now people on our side are complaining that we shouldn’t even have to have a permit to carry. And thats probably right, and the NRA is working on it,And more places either have open carry, or are considering it , or have relaxed their concealed carry requirements some what.
Folks, gunowners have made a LOT of progress in the last 10 years. Try and think where we would be if the NRA had not helped turn over congress during Clintons years. Or if they hadn’t helped get pro gun democrats elected in those positions that the dems were going to win anyway. No, the NRA has done some things I didn’t agree with,but I still support them and will continue to do so.
BTW, I can remember years ago you had to sign for ammuniton to purchase it right here in Texas. The NRA helped get rid of that stupid requirement.
If any of you gun owners are not a member of the NRA or another gun rights group, please join. There are strength in numbers and we need every one to help support the second amendment.
“solemn responsibility”
Ha! That’s rich.
That’s about as relevant in today’s America as the term “principled”.
The ‘wise’ latina, Sotomayor is a lying, racist dunce who can’t even speak our language correctly.
She’s perfect for our dying country.
My guess is that a lot of people on here complaining don’t belong to the NRA anyways. Some of them would rather belong to the GOA that does nothing to advance our rights.
Here's what the NRA can do. They can sell the entire organization to a single person and then the NRA can do nothing except whine and sell t-shirts.
Do I need a sarcasm tag?
When you control the flow of events, you can have all this stuff written up ahead of time. You didn't think porkulus was written in the time they had, did you? It was a grafted conglomeration of off the shelf Democrat legislative 'wish list' units, hammered together and stuffed through before the ink was dry.
Much of what they do works the same, the bills are already written,waiting for a politically opportune event to let the media spin them as "necessary".
OTOH, the NRA, and all of us at this point are in a reactive state, reacting to the actions and proposals of the Dems, and that puts us behind the curve.
Only predicting what they will be up to gives time to prepare, and that takes effort and funding. Such effort will be squandered if the proposal, Bill, or nominee does not come up for discussion, and will consume vast resources to get ahead of the game.
Add in some serious information leakage, and the Dems will be able to stay a jump ahead of the GOP, the NRA, of virtually anyone on the Right.
If Palin's wardrobe cost got leaked, what else will?
The 'pubbies need to purge the ranks of traitors, turncoats, and spies, and I do not see that happening.
While the NRA can anticipate legislative tricks the Dems will attempt to use, such as using 'health care costs" to hammer the Second Amendment indirectly, nominees are difficult to anticipate.
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