Court Rules That Feelings Justify Gun Bans

posted on April 29, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

A federal three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ban on so-called "assault weapons" and "large-capacity magazines" in the city of Highland Park, Ill., in part because it unilaterally decided that "[i]f a ban on semi-automatic guns and large-capacity magazines reduces the perceived risk from a mass shooting, and makes the public feel safer as a result, that's a substantial benefit."

In the 2-to-1 decision, Judge Frank Easterbrook held that "... the Constitution establishes a federal republic where local differences are cherished as elements of liberty, rather than eliminated in a search for national uniformity ..."—apparently using that to justify ignoring the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court precedents, ignoring the U.S. Constitution and allowing local jurisdictions to do whatever they want.

The opinion is worthwhile reading—both for the breathtaking ignorance in the majority opinion, and for the dissent's effective demolition of their arguments.

Latest

procarry.jpg
procarry.jpg

Open Carry in California?

On January 2, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down California’s ban on open carry in most of the state. The panel decision was 2-1.

Gun Skills | Press Check

Back when I was a new gun owner, I drilled in a habit of checking to be sure my firearm was unloaded, which was also a terrific opportunity to work on gun-handling skills like racking the action and activating the controls.

The Incomparable, Inimitable Phil Schreier—1962-2025

The NRA took a serious hit on December 28th. We lost Phil Schreier, director of NRA Museums. He did everything the doctors asked of him and then some. But it wasn’t enough. Leukemia won, and we all lost.

No More Tax on Suppressors!

When President Donald Trump (R) signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) into law on July 4, 2025, he scheduled the end of the burdensome $200 excise tax imposed on suppressors, short-barreled firearms and “any other weapons” as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA). That end came on January 1.

Armed Citizens are the “Rugged Individualists” Mamdani Despises

In his inauguration speech as the new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani said, behind his characteristically easy smile, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

Conscientious Carry

While going about armed, you need to fit into society responsibly and politely. Here’s how.



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.