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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Trump Scraps Obama-Era UN Arms Treaty Opposed by Second Amendment Backers
President Donald Trump announced Friday the United States is pulling out of the international Arms Trade Treaty, a treaty signed by the Obama administration—but never ratified by the Senate—that concerned many Second Amendment advocates. Trump called it a “badly misguided” treaty when speaking Friday at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis. “We will…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Arizona Case Shows the Difference Between Campus Free Speech and Harassment
Three Arizona students may soon learn a valuable lesson: There’s a difference between exercising your free speech on campus and blocking someone else’s attempt to do the same. In March, three University of Arizona students shouted down a group of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, and then chased them to their cars, hurling insults…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
Tackling Questions About Colorado’s Red Flag Law and the Second Amendment
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, this month signed into law a bill allowing a person to be temporarily disarmed if a court finds that he or she poses a significant risk of harm to self or others. This makes Colorado the 15th state to enact such a law, known in Colorado as an extreme…Peyton Smith -
- Opinion
The Pivotal Gun Case Likely Going to the Supreme Court, Explained
Could the manufacturer of the gun used in the tragic Sandy Hook shooting be sued? That’s what’s at stake in a new case that the Supreme Court has been asked to hear. Heritage Foundation legal expert Amy Swearer breaks down this case, plus what needs to be done to make our schools safe. Read the…Rachel del Guidice -
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Gun-Maker Will Appeal to the Supreme Court in Sandy Hook Victims’ Lawsuit
Gun manufacturer Bushmaster Firearms will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after a panel of Connecticut judges said nine victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre can sue the company despite a federal law shielding gun-makers from most lawsuits. Bushmaster produced the XM15 rifle shooter Adam Lanza used to kill 26 people at…Kevin Daley -
- Opinion
Latest News of Self-Defense With Firearms Contradicts Gun Control Rhetoric
Gun control advocates long have controlled the narrative about defensive uses of firearms, calling the “good guy with a gun” scenario a “myth meant to scare people into buying guns for self-defense.” This is a false narrative that does not reflect reality. Despite a backdrop of rhetoric asserting that “the average person … has basically no…Amy Swearer -
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Trump’s Executive Order to Colleges: Protect Free Speech or Risk Billions in Federal Grants
Polly Olson, a student at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, last year handed out homemade Valentine cards on her campus with Christian messages until college officials told her she was restricted to a “free speech zone.” On Thursday, Olson told her story at the White House before President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Founder of Black Guns Matter Speaks Out: ‘Gun Control Is About People Control’
Maj Toure, founder of Black Guns Matter, comes from inner-city Philadelphia, where he teaches black youth about their Second Amendment rights. Read the interview posted below, or listen to the podcast. We also cover these stories: President Donald Trump is in favor of the public having access to special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report. Sen….Daniel Davis -
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Second Amendment Groups Speak Out Against Suing Gun-Makers
The Connecticut Supreme Court’s Thursday ruling allowing victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre to sue gun manufacturer Bushmaster Firearms left Second Amendment groups bewildered. The 4-3 decision found that the plaintiffs—the families of nine victims—can sue Bushmaster under state unfair trade practices law, despite a federal statute that protects the gun industry from most lawsuits….Kevin Daley -
- Opinion
The Facts About Gun Control and Homicide Rates
Are there really fewer homicides in countries with gun control? Are other countries besides the United States dealing with mass shooting? John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center joined The Daily Signal at the Conservative Political Action Conference to share the data about gun use the mainstream media isn’t highlighting. Read the transcript posted…Katrina Trinko -
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Podcast: Dennis Prager Discusses Anti-Semitism, Free Speech at Colleges
Radio host and columnist Dennis Prager joins us to discuss his upcoming movie “No Safe Spaces” and the rise of political correctness on college campuses. Prager, who is Jewish, also discusses the rise of anti-Semitism. Plus: We talk about the old radio interviews Tucker Carlson did that Media Matters unearthed. We also cover these stories:…Katrina Trinko -
- Opinion
We Hear You: Guns and How We Treat the Mentally Ill
Editor's note: Amy Swearer's commentaries on mental illness, gun control, and the anniversary of the Parkland shooting stirred responses from our audience. We lead off with some of them. Don't forget to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Amy Swearer hit the nail squarely on the head with her commentary article about the…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
It’s Time for Congress to Defend Free Speech on Campus
As an undergraduate student during the ‘60s, the Vietnam War was often on our minds and in our conversations. I vividly remember the discussions. Students were debating professors and each another. Ideas were being exchanged, opinions formed, and unique perspectives shared. I saw firsthand how college campuses across the nation were hubs of free speech—and…Rep. Phil Roe -
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Trump Vows to Cut Funding to Colleges That Don’t Protect Free Speech
President Donald Trump prompted a thunderous chant of “USA, USA” from an audience of conservative activists Saturday when he announced actions to protect free speech on college campuses. Trump made the announcement after inviting Hayden Williams, 26, who says he was assaulted for his beliefs Feb. 19 at University of California, Berkeley, to come onstage…Fred Lucas -
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House Eyes Votes on 2 Gun Control Measures
The Democrat-controlled House is expected to vote this week on two gun control bills, one of which would subject gun sales by licensed dealers to federal review while the other would impose a universal background check on gun owners. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed both measures on a 23-15 vote along party lines….Joshua Q. Nelson -
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The US ‘Has the Most Mass Shootings’—and Other Bogus Gun Research
Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., warned President Donald Trump that if he declared an “emergency” to build a wall, “think what a president with different values can present. … Why don’t you declare [the epidemic of gun violence in America] an emergency, Mr. President? I wish you would. … A Democratic president can…John Stossel -
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This County Declares Itself a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ and Others May Follow
New Mexico’s Quay County is pushing back against the state’s gun control bills by declaring itself a “Second Amendment Sanctuary County.” The Quay County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday supporting the resolution to protect its citizens’ gun rights. Among the bills pending in the state Legislature that the commision is responding to is House Bill 8,…Joshua Q. Nelson -
- Opinion
We Don’t Need a Sweeping Overhaul of Gun Laws
On Valentine’s Day one year ago, a young man with a gun left 17 dead at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Since then, as part of its School Safety Initiative, The Heritage Foundation has taken on the task of finding real solutions to the complex issue of firearm-related violence. That’s also why my colleague…Amy Swearer -
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A Year After Parkland Shooting, Gun Control Activists Still Misdiagnose the Problem
Any credible doctor will say that having the right diagnosis is important. If a patient receives the wrong diagnosis, he is almost certain to begin the wrong treatment. That can mean not just that the patient doesn’t get any better, but that the “treatment” actively harms him. Imagine, for example, starting chemotherapy for a broken…Amy Swearer -
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Republican Who Survived Shooting Says Democrats Wouldn’t Let Him Testify at Gun Control Hearing
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee blocked him from appearing at a hearing Wednesday on gun control to testify as the victim of the shooting during a congressional baseball practice two years ago. Historically, Scalise said, members of Congress normally are given the opportunity to testify before a…Joshua Q. Nelson