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.
How do the Feds have authority over a private church?
It doesn’t appear this is limited to churches and is worded so broadly it could outlaw a boxing or MMA gym.
This is an obvious contradiction to the 2nd amendment.
We already have one.
Maybe Ed Markey and his twisted fascist crowd should move to one that would be more agreeable to them - like Red China!
What if there’s no obvious command structure? (No walkie-talkies, etc.) Some of the people at church have concealed carry; it would be up to them to fire or not if there was an incident.
Every member of Congress and the Senate is a bribe taking criminal, they only go there to get rich.
Your 10 thousand dollar fine is chicken feed to them; make it 10 million or a 100 million and you might get their attention.
Every member of Congress and the Senate is a bribe taking criminal, they only go there to get rich.
Your 10 thousand dollar fine is chicken feed to them; make it 10 million or a 100 million and you might get their attention.
The Army of Satan strikes again.
How would those Senate Democrats like a law that criminalizes THEIR armed security?
The Capitol police have killed more innocent people than any armed church security of which I am aware.
They should be forced to give up their security details.
Wouldn’t THEIR security details count under this law as well?
DOA
As long as you all do it separately and not part of a security team, this abomination should not apply to you.
We have several people in our congregation who carry. I am positive of one of them, and the rest I can guess by attendance at men's events that involve range time.
Live Free of Die, baby.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4218043/posts
metmom: “ They [ the US Senate ] should be forced to give up their security details.
Wouldn’t THEIR security details count under this law as well? "
Specifically, the article stated : “ 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. “
(My Opinion) : "An armed society is a polite society " -- There is much wisdom in that statement .
There is nothing polite in the US Senate, that wants a disarmed community, nevertheless a religious community, to be sacrificed
Me thinks that the Senate have partaken too much of the barbarian Palestine wine, and are sotted with power.
This kind of tyrannical BS will be completely ignored once the Sleeper Cells coming in with the invaders are activated.
CARRY! CARRY EVERYWHERE! ALWAYS CARRY!
Church militia, huh? Yeah, right. More like modern day shepherds protecting their flocks from the wolves. Shame on them.
Lol- yhr bill says “the power to enforce... comes from co stitution”
Really? the very same constitution that the left ignore when it is convenient for them to do so?
They are so full of crap. There is nothing in the comstitution which prevents even civilian training. The bill itself is unconstitutional, yet they cite the constitution as their “power of enforcement”?
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