Posted on 02/17/2024 10:10:38 AM PST by Morgana
A recent Lifeway survey of Protestant pastors shows that armed congregants protect more than 50% of protestant churches. While these security arrangements vary in their level of sophistication on a church-by-church basis, nearly the same number of pastors who report the use of armed congregants report that there is an intentional plan in place to prepare for threats posed by an active shooter. Though various state and local laws currently regulate and limit the use of concealed carry weapons by church security teams in various locale, a proposed federal law would criminalize the preparations made by many armed church security teams across the United States.
Sponsored in the U.S. Senate by Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and cosponsored by Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA), the Preventing Private Military Activity Act of 2024 widely defines a paramilitary group as any group of 3 or more persons who function under a command structure as a “security services unit.”
If passed, the bill would make it illegal to “publicly patrol, drill, or engage in techniques capable of causing bodily injury or death.” Power to enforce this law would be derived from the interstate commerce clause of the constitution, as the proposed bill would be applicable whenever a church security team utilizes either weapons or ammunition that have “traveled in interstate or foreign commerce,” a clause that applies to nearly every weapon and round of ammunition in circulation. Additionally, even the act of training to engage in an activity that could cause bodily injury or death, such as an active shooter drill, would be considered a violation of federal law under the proposal.
Penalties for violating the training prohibitions of the Preventing Private Military Activity Act of 2024 would range from 1-year probation to 2 years in prison plus applicable fines and civil forfeiture of any property, “personal or real,” involved in or “intended to be used” in a manner that violates the law. Presumably, civil forfeiture would include the loss of any firearm reserved for use by a security team member, but broader interpretations of the law could include the forfeiture of real estate associated with the violation.
Additionally, if an active shooting situation took place, and the shooter was killed or injured by the church security team, the proposed law would make members of the security team subject to criminal penalties that range from 5 years to life in prison. The act would also give a surviving shooter or his surviving family the right to bring a federal civil lawsuit against members of the church security team if he is injured or killed.
The Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024 has also been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by eleven democratic house members. Notable amongst the bills’ house sponsors is representative Henry “Hank” Johnson, a representative with cognitive function comparable to that of President Biden, who once expressed concern that the island of Guam could become so overpopulated that it would “tip over and capsize.”
While the checks and balances of the legislative system will hopefully keep this bill from becoming the law of the land, it is truly frightening to see so many legislators who would turn brave church security team members into criminals, in what would be a severe miscarriage of justice.
Hamas stores and deploys missiles from; schools, hospitals, mosques and UN buildings. These same politicians are supporting them.
Make the same law apply to the U.S. Capitol building.
Ironic, isn’t it?
You see, Edward Markey has a security detail.
Remember the Secret Service agents who shot (and missed) at the guys attempting to carjack an empty car in D.C.? Were they charged with a crime like anyone else would be? Of course not.
I’ve read that the 2nd Amendment term “well regulated” meant a militia that drilled and had training.
Seems like this Bill would make that impossible.
Part of the crudity…
F them. Ignore them.
Do not comply.
Do not obey.
Molon Labe.
And as a matter of fact… Show up with a battle rifle strapped on your back.
Just to give them a giant, American middle finger in their face
No armed security for Congress too. How about that Eddie boy?
We need our Own Homeland !
That's confusing. Since the closing appositive comma makes it seem as if Biden is the one who expressed concern, I would replace it with "and":
representative Henry “Hank” Johnson, a representative with cognitive function comparable to that of President Biden and who once expressed concern that the island of Guam could become so overpopulated that it would “tip over and capsize.”
FROM ARTICLE:
“...defines a paramilitary group as any group of 3 or more persons who function under a command structure as a “security services unit.”
If passed, the bill would make it illegal to “publicly patrol, drill, or engage in techniques capable of causing bodily injury or death.”
BASICALLY this bill outlaws militias? Unconstitutional on its face??
dems want some insane, angry thing unsure of its sex to burst into a church and kill people.
The word most feared in DC is 'accountability'. How about a ten thousand dollar fine for any member of congress who passes a law later determined to be unconstitutional.
They acted outside their scope of constitutional authority and should pay a price for their failure to follow their oath of office.
the only problem will be that liberals will expect the gop to be subject ot that law, while liberals can ignore it at will because they own or control all the power, and the gop either can’t or won’t do anything to dispute that-
Laws are meant to be ignored...especially these days..
Antifa hates competition. Also, Democrats are indeed Communists, so let's be sure, this November, to "teach the GOP a lesson" for being dumb enough to support Yew Crane.
I’m sure such things have attended some churches- and noticed the security and decided to behave.
Given that this is a complete non-starter and just kneepad service to gun-grabbing nutroots like Gabby “1-2-3...Potato!” Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions, which has now ensared the Sandy Schnook Leftards, anything that gives Senator Laphonza Butler even some faux gravitas when she throws her substantial weight behind Barbara Lee to beat Schiff is fine by me.
Well, the only hope of beating Schitt now is Trump landslide and hopefully Garvey gets smart and hires a couple of Youngkin's advisors, who walked the perfect tightrope.
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