U.S. Constitution News
The Daily Signal provides reporting and analysis on the U.S. Constitution, including court rulings, separation of powers, and the defense of individual rights.
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- Opinion
12 Times Gun Owners Defended Themselves and Others
Many lawmakers around the country welcomed in the new year by pursuing legislation that would severely curtail the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Meanwhile, law-abiding citizens began 2020 just as they ended 2019—by showing repeatedly just how instrumental that right is to the security of a free state. According to almost…Amy Swearer -
- News
This County Is Utah’s First Sanctuary for Second Amendment
A county in Utah has shot down the idea of more gun control by becoming the first county in the state to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary. The three-member Uintah County Commission voted unanimously to pass an ordinance making the county a stronghold that refuses to comply with federal or state laws on firearms…Allison Schuster -
- Opinion
Noncompliance With New Gun Laws Follows Historical Precedent
On Jan. 20, as Americans remembered civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr., an estimated 10,000 people peacefully rallied in Richmond, Virginia, to protest the recent introduction of highly contentious gun control bills into the state Legislature. Motivated in part by the “Second Amendment Sanctuary” movement that has seen more than 100 Virginia counties and…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
We Hear You: From Gender Identity in Sports to Second Amendment Rights
Editor's note: We're back with another batch of your emails on our coverage of the nation's policy debates. Got a point to make? Write to [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Kelsey Bolar’s treatment in her video report of the issue of transgender athletes in girls sports is more in depth than a previous article I…Ken McIntyre -
- News
These 10 Colleges Are Ranked ‘Worst of the Worst’ for Curbing Free Speech
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a group dedicated to standing up for free-speech rights on U.S. college and university campuses, this week released its annual report chastising the Top 10 schools where it says those rights are most infringed. Among the schools taken to task in this year’s report, “The 10 Worst Colleges for…Allison Schuster -
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Virginia Gun Control Bills Firing Up Second Amendment Backers
Proposed gun control legislation in the Virginia General Assembly has many Second Amendment advocates in the state literally up in arms, prompting strong pushback from gun rights groups and firearms owners. Groups including the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-Second Amendment nonprofit organization, and the National Rifle Association are taking the lead in opposing enactment…Allison Schuster -
- Opinion
The Media’s Shameful Depiction of Pro-Second Amendment Protests in Virginia
It’s the tea party all over again. Way back in 2009 the press, followed by a gaggle of left-wing commentators and politicians, did a number on tea party protests, often portraying them—with little evidence—as driven by racist rage against President Barack Obama rather than principled opposition to his administration’s policies. These same tactics were on…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
2019 Ended With Heroic Actions by Lawful Gun Owners
As we enter 2020, lawmakers in several states are gearing up for high-profile fights over gun control legislation that could severely limit the Second Amendment rights of many law-abiding citizens. This makes it all the more critical that we continue to emphasize the important role lawful gun owners play—not just as a long-term protection against…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Problematic Women: The Demise of the Women’s March
This Saturday is the fourth annual Women’s March in Washington, D.C.—but it’s not clear that the march will attract many women. We analyze the protest’s history from its strong start in 2017 to its drastic decline. We also talk about states considering legislation to regulate high school transgender athletes. Plus: Our take on “Toy Story…Lauren Evans -
- Opinion
Virginia’s Would-Be Gun Grabbers Likely to Face Blowback
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam apologized for his medical school blackface stunt, but he will have much more to apologize for if he signs into law a bill that attacks Virginia residents’ Second Amendment rights. The measure is Senate Bill 16, which would ban “assault” firearms and certain firearm magazines. Since Democrats have seized control of…Walter E. Williams -
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11 More Examples of How Firearms Save Gun Owners’ Lives, Property
At a time when some gun control advocates appear intent on painting lawful gun ownership as a danger to society, and the Second Amendment as little more than an outdated protection of a person’s right to hunt, it’s important to remember the regular role armed citizens play in defending inalienable rights. As the Centers for…Amy Swearer -
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Supreme Court Should Keep NYC Gun Case in Its Sights
It’s not often that the Supreme Court agrees to hear a Second Amendment case. It’s been nearly 10 years since the last one, despite numerous petitions asking the justices to review state and local government attempts to regulate away the right to keep and bear arms. Last January, however, the justices agreed to review New…Elizabeth Slattery -
- Opinion
Supreme Court to Hear Gun, Obamacare Cases
The Supreme Court will return Monday for oral arguments in what is shaping up to be a blockbuster term. During the high court’s two-week December sitting, the justices will hear arguments in some important cases, including ones regarding the Second Amendment and Obamacare. The justices already have heard arguments in a case involving the Trump…Abigail Klose -
- Opinion
These Law-Abiding People Used Guns to Defend Themselves in October
Far too often, those who disagree with supporters of the Second Amendment about firearm-related policies resort to assertions that we simply care more about our guns than about the lives of innocent people, and that the right to keep and bear arms has little beneficial purpose in modern America. Despite claims by many gun control…Amy Swearer -
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Conservative Law Professor Challenges Campus Left on Free Speech (and Wins Them Over)
The family who runs a 130-year-old bakery in Ohio was accused of racism after having an Oberlin College student arrested for shoplifting. Hostilities and boycotts against Gibson’s Bakery escalated into a court case debating free speech. Legal Insurrection, a website on politics and law, has followed this case since its beginnings in 2016. Bill Jacobson, founder…Robert B. Bluey -
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The Students Who Fight for Free Speech, and Win
Free speech has seen better days on the college campus. Increasingly, conservative ideas are unwelcome and even shouted down. At some schools, religious groups are being kicked off campus for not allowing nonbelievers to run their organization. It’s a concerning state of affairs—and yet, many students are pushing back and winning in the courtroom. In…Daniel Davis -
- Opinion
Justices Set to Weigh Fourth Amendment Traffic Stop Case, Trump’s DACA Stop Sign
The Supreme Court returns for oral arguments Monday in a term that already is shaping up to be an exciting one. The justices already have heard arguments in cases involving the insanity defense; whether Title VII’s prohibition on “sex” discrimination covers sexual orientation and gender identity-based discrimination; and the constitutionality of former President Barack Obama’s…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
Kentucky Supreme Court Sides With Christian T-Shirt Maker in Free Speech Case
The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that a printer cannot be forced to print T-shirts that violate his faith. In a case that dragged on for seven years, Blaine Adamson, owner of Hands On Originals, a promotional printer in Lexington, declined to print T-shirts for the Lexington Pride Festival, hosted by the Gay and…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
California’s Politicians Step Up Their Disregard for Second Amendment
California long has been known as a place where leaders have little regard for the Second Amendment. But the state has outdone itself in recent weeks. First, San Francisco’s city government adopted a resolution condemning the National Rifle Association as a “domestic terrorist organization” for having the audacity to insist that the constitutional rights of…Patrick Featherston