A spokesman for the group explains why the respondents’ brief needed to be filed.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Pennsylvania recently called for an appeal of a lower court ruling that recognizes that young adults in the 1-20 age group enjoy the Second Amendment right to bear arms. As such, the Second Amendment Foundation, alongside the Firearms Policy Coalition, have filed a respondents’ brief, stating that they wish for the high court to deny certiorari.
The groups noted in a statement, “The issue—whether adults between 18 and 21 years old have full Second Amendment rights—is undoubtedly important. But the lower courts have had no trouble deciding it under the Bruen standard and are in broad agreement. The courts of appeals are 2–0 post-Bruen in holding that 18-to-20-year-olds have full Second Amendment rights and the district courts are (to the best of Respondents’ knowledge) currently 4–1 on the same issue, with several appeals (and one en banc reconsideration) still pending.
“The Court should not grant certiorari to review at this stage but should permit the ordinary percolation process to continue and reserve its intervention for the point at which, if it comes at all, the courts of appeals are actually divided.”
Alan Gottlieb, who serves as founder and Executive Vice President of the Second Amendment Foundation, believes the case doesn’t deserve Supreme Court review. “Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris is trying to create a dispute where none exists, and he is using old case law which was essentially nullified by the Bruen ruling in 2022. Prior to the Bruen decision, courts applied intermediate scrutiny and ‘interest-balancing’ to such cases, but the high court has rejected that strategy as ‘one step too far.’ Here, the commissioner is highlighting cases that are irrelevant.”
A spokesman for the group joins us now to discuss the matter further.
Q&A:
- Why would the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania see the need to file an appeal that would limit the rights of young gun owners to begin with?
- Gottlieb believes that the State Police Commissioner is trying to create a dispute where none exists. Why do you think he would do this?
- Are people really willing to go this far to limit the rights to private gun owners? Do they believe a ban or restriction will decrease gun violence?
- What do you hope will come from the filing of the respondents’ brief?
- For the longest time, you’ve spoken about the necessity of Concealed-Carry, which many states have already put into effect. Why do you believe this is a necessary solution against violence, particularly “active shooter” events?
- Where can we learn more about the Second Amendment Foundation?
a. You can visit our official website at http://www.saf.org.
Second Amendment Foundation spokespersons available to be your guest:
ABOUT CHRIS CHENG (In Pacific Time)
Chris Cheng serves on the advisory council to the Second Amendment Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is the History Channel’s Top Shot Season 4 Champion and author of the book “Shoot to Win.” Cheng is an Asian D&I advocate in the gun community; a former Google employee who went from self-taught amateur to pro shooter.
ABOUT CAM EDWARDS (In Eastern Time)
Cam Edwards is the editor at Bearing Arms-dot-com and hosts the popular podcast Cam & Company that focuses on Second Amendment news and information. Cam is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has worked in radio, television, and online media for over two decades. He currently lives on a small farm with his family near Farmville, Virginia, and is a member of the board of Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms.
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a member of the board of directors for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. As a nationally syndicated host of two talk radio programs, Armed American Radio and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense, Mark is heard on hundreds of stations weekly across the country. Mark is the co-founder of Armed American News and the recipient of the 2015 “Gun Rights Defender of the Year award.” In addition, Mark Walters is co-author of three books, including Lessons from Armed America, Lessons from Unarmed America, and Grilling While Armed.
ABOUT LEE WILLIAMS (In Eastern Time)
Lee Williams is also known as The Gun Writer and has been writing about the Second Amendment, firearms, the firearms industry, and the gun culture for more than ten years. He is the Chief Editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Reporting Project and is a frequent contributor to Ammoland News and Armed American Radio. In addition, Lee serves as a board member of Florida Carry, Inc. He was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming a newspaper editor, Lee was an investigative reporter in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. Lee has earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter and three medals of valor as a police officer.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com. He writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line, and is communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and co-authored seven books with Second Amendment Foundation Alan Gottlieb. Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry, and gun politics.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing, and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 700,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
CONTACT: Todd Baumann at 512-966-0983 or by email Jerry McGlothlin at jerry@specialguests.com.
