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
Lawful Gun Owners Defended Their Lives and Livelihoods in August
It seems as though every day another celebrity or politician demands that we place more severe restrictions on the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Unlike many of these celebrities and politicians, most of us do not live in safe, gated communities or spend much of our…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
A Mom’s Take on Normalizing Gun Deaths in America
When I snapped the obligatory pictures of my seventh-grader and high school senior on the first day of school this year, it looked like pictures from years past. They were two kiddos grinning and bearing it in another one of Mom’s memory-capturing photo shoots. However, this year their back-to-school gear included “bulletproof” backpacks. As an entrepreneur…Dee Dee Bass Wilbon -
- Opinion
Christian Student on Why He’s Suing Chicago Over Free Speech
All they wanted to do was share the gospel message—and they’d been doing it for years in downtown Chicago. But this time, the four Christian college students were shut down by law enforcement. Now, they’re suing the city of Chicago, saying their First Amendment rights to free speech have been violated. One of those students,…Daniel Davis -
- Opinion
Free Speech Is Dying in Britain. Here’s Why the US Has Kept It.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” President-to-be Ronald Reagan warned in an address to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce in March 1961. That’s because, now as then, slavery not liberty, and serfdom not freedom, is humanity’s default setting. Those of us in Britain have seen the fulfillment of Reagan’s prophecy. We…Jules Gomes -
- Opinion
Odd Allies Are Coming Together to Defend Free Speech
It’s amazing to see who comes to the defense of freedom when you least expect it. In July, 12 leading philosophy scholars from around the world signed on to a statement supporting freedom of thought and speech in academia, specifically as those freedoms are being undercut by gender identity ideology. These scholars warned of a…Kristen Waggoner -
- Opinion
Liberals Propose First Gun Grab Since Lexington and Concord
One wishes the media would stop using absurdly lazy phrases like “mandatory gun buybacks.” Unless the politician they’re talking about is in the business of selling firearms, it’s impossible for him to “buy back” anything. No government official — not Joe Biden, not Beto O’Rourke, not any of the candidates who now support “buyback” programs…David Harsanyi -
- News
San Jose Mayor Proposes Mandatory Liability Insurance for Gun Owners
Gun owners in California’s third-largest city are slamming a proposal that would force them to buy liability insurance or be penalized with a fee. “We believe that anything that government does as a prerequisite to exercising an enumerated constitutional right is unconstitutional,” Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, told The Daily Signal…Rachel del Guidice -
- News
Reporter Finds It’s Not Too Easy to Buy a Gun at Walmart
A journalist for Business Insider tried her luck at buying a gun at a Walmart store and said it was “far more complicated” than she expected after leaving empty-handed. Twice. Since 22 people were killed in a shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3, at least six more threats of mass shootings have…Audrey Conklin -
- Opinion
Answers to Common Questions About ‘Red Flag’ Gun Laws
The national gun control conversation often sounds like a broken record, with the same advocates resorting to the same talking points about decades-old proposals, such as banning so-called assault weapons or imposing universal background checks. But, as we noted in our recent article “Answering Common Gun-Related Questions After Recent Shootings in El Paso and Dayton,”…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Answers to Common Gun-Related Questions After the Shootings in El Paso and Dayton
My colleague John Malcolm and I joined 243 other Americans featured on the cover of Time magazine last year for a project dedicated to exploring the various views of gun ownership in the United States. It was an insightful and well-designed project, one to which I was proud to contribute. At times, however, this past…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Guns Saved These Americans From Assault and Robbery in July
In the wake of tragic mass shootings, such as those occurring in recent days in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, it’s understandable that the nation would search for answers. It’s easy to blame the tools used in the killings and call for measures that would broadly restrict public access to them, instead of focusing…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
New York City’s Rent Control Laws Erase Property Rights and Worsen Housing Supply
Owning property means more than having your name on a deed. Lawyers and judges often refer to property ownership as a “bundle of rights,” because with ownership comes more than just the mere right of possession. You also have the right to use, modify, dispose of, and exclude others from your property. You don’t need…Amy Swearer -
- News
Gun Group on Trump’s Response to Shootings: ‘He Doesn’t Know How Volatile This Issue Is’
A gun rights group has warned President Donald Trump not to underestimate the volatile effect proposing gun control legislation could have on his base. Gun Owners of America, a gun rights organization with more than 2 million members, called on Trump and other lawmakers Monday to reject calls for gun control in the wake of the El Paso,…Whitney Tipton -
- News
Dayton Shooter’s Twitter Account Includes Pro-Antifa, Pro-Gun Control Comments
The shooter identified in the deadly attack early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, appears to have had a Twitter account filled with far-left rhetoric and comments about guns. Police said Connor Betts, 24, opened fire in downtown Dayton, killing nine, including his sister, and wounding or injuring 27 others. The attack came 14 hours after police said Patrick…Shelby Talcott -
- News
New York Forbids Teachers From Carrying Guns in Classrooms
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, has signed into law a bill to bar school districts from arming teachers as a way to combat school shootings. Cuomo signed legislation that prohibits school districts from granting permission to teachers or nonsecurity personnel to carry a firearm on school grounds, the governor’s office announced. “The answer to the…Whitney Tipton -
- Opinion
Governor’s Veto Means Hawaiians Will Continue Suffering Property Rights Violations
One of the most positive trends in American law is the nationwide effort to reform civil forfeiture laws. Since 2014, 33 states have taken steps to secure the property rights of their citizens by limiting the practice. Hawaii was poised to become the 34th state, but Gov. David Ige recently vetoed the bill. His veto…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
College Kowtows to Students Saying ‘Free Speech Harms’
It became known as “The Bloody Morning Scout.” In 1755, Ephraim Williams Jr. led colonial forces and some 200 Mohawk allies into battle against French and Indian troops near Lake George, New York. But Williams marched into a deadly ambush. He was killed in the fight, and his troops were driven back, suffering tremendous losses. But…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
Why These Defensive Uses of Firearms Should Disarm Second Amendment Skeptics
At a time when many high-profile politicians are comfortable proposing laws that impose serious burdens on the right to keep and bear arms, including the mass confiscation of commonly owned firearms, it’s important to remember that those same firearms are regularly used by average Americans to defend their life, liberty, and property. While some gun…Amy Swearer -
- Opinion
Our Free Speech Crisis
The First Amendment to our Constitution was proposed by the 1788 Virginia Ratification Convention during its narrow 89-to-79 vote to ratify the Constitution. Virginia’s resolution held that the free exercise of religion, right to assembly, and free speech could not be canceled, abridged, or restrained. These Madisonian principles were eventually ratified by the states on…Walter E. Williams -
- News
Virginia’s Gun Control Debate Begins Tuesday. Here’s What Northam Wants.
Virginia lawmakers will assemble Tuesday for the special session Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam called to debate a package of gun control measures. Northam called the special session in the wake of the Virginia Beach shooting May 31, which killed 12 people, according to The Associated Press. “Virginians deserve votes and laws, not thoughts and prayers. I urge the…Whitney Tipton