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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Air Force Error Allowed Texas Shooter to Pass Firearm Background Check
The U.S. Air Force failed to report Texas church shooter Devin Kelley’s misdemeanor domestic violence charge to the FBI, allowing him to legally purchase firearms. The U.S. armed forces are required to report dishonorable discharges and misdemeanor assault charges to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, that in turn would alert a firearms seller to deny…Saagar Enjeti -
- Opinion
Current Gun Laws Should Have Made It Impossible for Texas Shooter to Buy Gun
On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 5, Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire on the congregants of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The attack killed 26 people, including a pregnant woman and a number of children. A man living nearby heard the shots, grabbed his own firearm, and pursued Kelley. Kelley was found dead…Amy Swearer -
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Texas Gun Owner Stopped Church Shooting Rampage
A church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was stopped after a local gun owner grabbed his rifle and began returning fire at the shooter, police announced Sunday. Police say the shooter, who has been identified as 26-year-old Devin P. Kelley of New Braunfels, Texas, walked inside the church and opened fire just before 11:30 a.m. local time. Kelley…Anders Hagstrom -
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Trump Says Church Shooting Is Mental Health Problem, Not Gun Problem
President Donald Trump said the church massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas, was not a gun problem, but a “mental health problem at the highest level.” Trump confronted news of the worst church shooting in American history Monday in a televised address from Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in which he called the shooting an “act of…Joshua Gill -
- Opinion
Fact Check: Do Drug Overdoses Kill More Americans Than Gun Homicides and Motor Vehicles?
During a speech Thursday on the opioid epidemic, President Donald Trump said that “more people are dying from [drug] overdoses today than from gun homicides and motor vehicles combined." Verdict: True In 2015, deaths in the U.S. from drug overdose surpassed deaths from gun homicides and motor vehicles combined. Although finalized overdose death data have…Kush Desai -
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Jeff Sessions Stands Up for Student in Free Speech Lawsuit
Attorney General Jeff Sessions filed a statement of interest into a student’s free speech lawsuit against his school Tuesday. The Department of Justice called Los Angeles Pierce College’s speech policies an “unconstitutional prior restraint,” according to a press release obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Plaintiff Kevin Shaw sued the school in March for banning free…Rob Shimshock -
- Opinion
As Trump Renegotiates NAFTA, Intellectual Property Rights Should Top the Agenda
It now appears that President Donald Trump’s intention regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement is to mend it, not end it. That’s good news because the trade deal has been a stunning economic success for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Freer trade has meant steady increases in the volume of trade, greater competitiveness,…Stephen Moore -
- Opinion
When Will Florida Courts Start Protecting Property Rights?
Ten years ago, Florida’s DeSoto County put out the red carpet for Tom Finney, owner of an excavation business. County staff invited him to buy a million-dollar piece of property in the county to use and support his family business. County commissioners then pulled that rug out from under him, vetoing his plan for the…Mark Miller -
- Opinion
We Hear You: The Las Vegas Massacre and Gun Control
Editor's note: We asked for your thoughts on the slaughter in Las Vegas, including the immediate calls for more restrictions on gun ownership. Here's some of what you said. Write us about our news and commentary at [email protected] —Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: I appreciate your asking for our opinion. I consider myself a conservative Republican….Ken McIntyre -
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Hey, Jimmy Kimmel: Here’s What the Founders Really Thought About Guns
With Jon Stewart off the air, it seems the left has found a new progressive comedian it can look to for all the big cultural and public policy debates. After spending September lobbying on air to keep Obamacare, Jimmy Kimmel went on a rant this week on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” TV show about the…Jarrett Stepman -
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Forget Gun Control. America Needs Fallacy Control.
Enough is enough. It’s epidemic. It’s dangerous. And the time has come to demand its end. In the aftermath of the horrific massacre in Las Vegas, America needs fallacy control. Yes, we must declare war on fallaciousness. Now more than ever, the nation is suffering from an outbreak of illogical thinking. In response to senseless…Michelle Malkin -
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Here’s What a Gun Fired With a ‘Silencer’ Really Sounds Like
Eight hours after the mass shooting in Las Vegas began, which left nearly 60 dead and more than 500 wounded, Hillary Clinton turned the conversation political, tweeting about gun silencers. She said: The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots. Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make…Kelsey Bolar -
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‘We Already Have Laws Against Murder’: Gov. Matt Bevin Explains Why Gun Control Isn’t Answer
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood about the call for gun control following the terrible shooting in Las Vegas. Watch the video above to get his take. And if you want to see his full Daily Signal interview, watch this:Daily Signal Staff -
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Here’s the Truth About Gun Control and Crime
“The crowd fled at the sound of gunshots. Imagine the deaths if the shooter had a silencer, which the NRA wants to make easier to get,” Hillary Clinton tweeted. “Our grief isn’t enough. We can and must put politics aside, stand up to the NRA, and work together to try to stop this from happening…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
ACLU Goes Soft on First Amendment Rights of Gun Carriers
On the heels of deadly protests and counterprotests in Charlottesville, Virginia, the American Civil Liberties Union has stated it will no longer defend the First Amendment rights of “hate groups” seeking to lawfully exercise their right to openly carry firearms. This announcement followed a highly circulated article published by Slate, which accused open carry militias…Amy Swearer -
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Yale Covers Up Gun in Stone Carving of Puritan, Indian
Yale University has covered up a musket on a stone carving depicting a hostile interaction between a Puritan settler and an American Indian, leaving the latter's bow and arrow uncovered. Yale’s head librarian, Susan Gibbons, and the school’s Committee on Art in Public Spaces decided the carving’s presence at a reopened entrance to the school’s library was…Rob Shimshock -
- Opinion
In NAFTA Negotiations, Trump Must Ensure Protection of US Property Rights
The Trump administration has called for an “America first” trade policy. An important aspect of such a policy should be to protect Americans’ property from being stolen by foreign governments. Most U.S. trade agreements include a version of the Constitution’s “takings clause,” which requires governments to compensate Americans if they expropriate (i.e. steal) their property….Bryan Riley -
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North Carolina Acts to Protect Free Speech on Campus
On Monday, North Carolina lawmakers took a bold stand in favor of free speech on public college campuses. The time is ripe for such reforms, as free speech is under attack on campuses around the country. North Carolina lawmakers refused to retreat and became the first to enact a law based on a proposal developed…Jonathan Butcher -
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We Must Protect Free Speech on College Campuses
“The history of intellectual growth and discovery clearly demonstrates the need for unfettered freedom, the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable, and challenge the unchallengeable.” This quote, taken from the 1974 Woodward Report at Yale, summarizes the policy that was, for years, the gold standard of what free speech on campus should look…Rep. Jim Jordan -
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5 Ways to Convince College Students That Free Speech Matters
In recent days, college students have shouted down, pepper-sprayed, punched, and otherwise shut down the campus guests whose ideas they considered offensive. The most prominent recent cases have included Milo Yiannopoulos (University of California, Berkeley), Charles Murray (Middlebury College), and Heather Mac Donald (Claremont McKenna College), but a number of institutions have disinvited scheduled speakers…Bruce Ashford