Gun Control Buried in the $1.2T Spending Bill vs IA Gadsden Plate? What does that headline mean? Well, let’s break this down into two contrasting components to illustrate a succinct point.
First, you have the Fox News Report pointing to $12,500,000.00 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study called the “Prevent Firearm Injury and Mortality research. Of course NIH is “committed to supporting scientific research to develop, evaluate, and implement effective public health interventions to better understand and prevent violence, including firearm violence, and the resulting trauma, injuries, and mortality.” Short version? Taxpayers are being robbed to equip the NIH (AKA big government entities) to “research” gun confiscation and the curtailment of your civil rights and liberties.
Second, you have a bill (HF2639) where people can VOLUNTARILY choose to buy a Gadsden Flag license plate where the funding is made available for grants to further 2A education.
Compare the two. Just ONE of many monster entities with well-paid staff is rolling in money to seek and erect all new facets of gun control – not because we gave the money willingly, but because Uncle Sam took it. Gun control is then further accomplished through policy and practices pushed through the medical community, education community, government programs, etc. Juxtaposed to this, you have volunteer organizations, like IFC, using VOLUNTARY funds to push back on this behemoth with 2A education, grants, scholarships, etc.
If the last 20 years of 2A change in Iowa mean something to you, consider that deeply when it comes to the issue of the Gadsden plate. To quote my friend, Dillon, “The Freedom Amendment set the tone for Iowans 2A liberties. Iowans now are DEMANDING a license plate to reflect that.”
Yes, Gun-Free School Zones Are Unconstitutional! With the help of Mark Smith, on the YouTube channel Four Boxes Diner, I’ll explain why.
Those anti-gun dangerous quacks would have you believe that under the Heller decision, and later affirmed under the Bruen decision, schools are included in the “sensitive spaces” illustration. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only three sensitive spaces were identified by the Supreme Court:
polling places
legislative bodies (the US Capitol Building)
some courts (generally considered the US Supreme Court)
HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
Importantly, the historical record of 1791 at the adoption of the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights must be considered. At the time, only a few colleges regulated the possession of arms by students. The reason for that was that many college students were still not of majority age. That is, they were not over the age of eighteen, able to enter into contracts, vote, or own real property, for example. Mr. Smith points out that Alexander Hamilton entered Kings College in New York City at the age of sixteen! It was very common at the time of our nation’s founding that some college students entered as young as fourteen years of age.
Those 1791 colleges, and their administrators, were acting in the role of loco parentis, Latin for “in the place of a parent”. No sane person that I know of has ever argued against a parent’s right to control the use of firearms by their children. In their loco parentis role, those administrators could regulate the possession of arms by their students under their care and supervision. But clearly at that time, the very same Americans who fought off the British King and gave us the Bill of Rights -including the Second Amendment – would not have prohibited any adult from bearing arms at, near, or in schools.
PRESENT DAY
More importantly, nearly all college students in the present day are over the age of eighteen when they enter college. They are, therefore, legal adults. This prohibits the colleges from regulating their possession of arms! There is no historical evidence that law-abiding adults cannot possess arms in and around schools or school zones, whether they be colleges or your local elementary school.
Mr. Smith goes on to give us a very exhaustive explanation of why that legal issue matters. You can watch his video about this very subject here.
TIME FOR ACTION BY THE IOWA SENATE
IFC and our partners at the NRA are still involved in the legislative fight at the Iowa Senate on important legislation involving the Students First Safety Act, and the Gadsden License Plate initiatives. Please go over to the IFC Action Alert page and use it to reach out to your State Senator encouraging him or her to support these bills.
Personally, I find it repulsive that in the last three years, the Iowa Senate has ignored Iowan’s demands to act on these important issues. They seem to forget that in 2022, 65.17% of Iowa voters (in a bi-partisan vote) supported the Freedom Amendment. Yet the Senate continues to refuse to act to clean up the current Iowa Code to bring it in line with the Bruen decision and the 49th Amendment to the Iowa Constitution.
Yes, it’s obvious from my arguments at the beginning of this President’s Message that the need for the Student First Safety Act should be moot. However, getting things done legislatively is faster than waiting for the US Supreme Court to rule on something that could take a decade to get done. Frankly, when it comes to our kids, Time and Math proves we can’t wait.
Help us defend all Iowan’s rights by joining or renewing your IFC membership here today. And please stay Ready at All Times.
Shoot Straight, Speak The Truth, and Never Surrender Our Liberties.
As I wrote on Good Friday, I’m given, or more accurately, TAKE some liberties with blogging on rare occasions here at IFC. If you author a few hundred blogs, the single-issue advocates within IFC will give you an occasional pass when you depart, for good reason, from the core mission. Similar to what I wrote on Friday, nothing is more central to our cause than a right understanding of the nature of good and evil. Those foundational concepts come from only one place. In case you haven’t considered it, they don’t come from the natural world. Good and evil are not represented in nature.
In keeping with Easter, let’s drop the “happy” part of our address to others. The word “happy” really doesn’t quite do it, does it? What happy thoughts do we have about having enthusiastically murdered the Messiah? None. Can we have happy thoughts about Him having risen from the dead? Yup. But I hope our emotion and energy surpass the word “happy” when we reflect. 😉
To think thoroughly and with devotion could nearly be indescribable. But Charles Spurgeon offers a glimpse into my contemplation with this:
This, then, is the doctrine of the resurrection. We do not believe–at least I do not–that law has been rudely violated in one extraordinary and unparalleled episode. We believe that a universal law of life, overmastering death, and always superior to it, has had once a visible witness.
-Charles Spurgeon
Let that sink in, and then find a suitable replacement for the “happy” part of Easter my friends… <3
Good Friday! As a board member, writer, and general antagonist to my fellow IFC volunteers, I’m given latitude to blog about things not specifically part of our mission and a single issue advocacy group. However, I find nothing more central to our mission, as Christians, than the proper understanding of the Gospel. With that premise, I offer you this short excerpt from Spurgeon:
“I slew him—this right hand struck the dagger to his heart. My deeds slew Christ. Alas! I slew my best beloved; I killed him who loved me with an everlasting love. Oh eyes, why do you refuse to weep when you see Jesus’ body mangled and torn? Give vent to your sorrow, Christians, for you have good reason to do so.”
– adapted from “The Tomb of Jesus” by Charles Spurgeon
We were all part of the destruction of the Messiah regardless of being physically present. The weight associated with the freely offered gift of salvation ought to stir thought and emotion from each of us. May we all ponder and reflect, for we all inhabit an afterlife – each of us lives forever. …Somewhere. Think about that.
The Gadsden Flag Plate is important in Iowa for two simple reasons. 1, Iowans want it. 2, As designed it’ll fund vital local 2A programs.
HF2639 – sailed through the Iowa House with a great deal of enthusiasm. Even during floor debate, Democrats came to offer the rich history of the “join us” mantra the Gadsden flag represented in the formation and keeping of this fledgling nation.
What we want and need:
A Gadsden plate, much like the other dozen+ in America that adequately relays over to an oppressive government, “DON’T TREAD ON ME”
The funding stream should be left as the original content and context and can be used for 2A education, scholarships, grants, information, action, etc.
What we DO NOT want and need:
A change to a sticker away from the full plate design is silly. Nobody wants that. Nobody will buy that. The LSA predicted 3000+ plates in circulation in just the first year. IFC hears a ton of enthusiasm for this plate. Why? Because we explained the bill content and it goes to the heart of the matter, not something else.
Those who value the historical symbolism of “Don’t Tread On Me” are unlikely to be eager to see their $50 upcharge go to some ill-defined GOVERNMENT program. Not only did the Iowa House pass this bill, but the public has been told all along what the funding would do and how it would be used. They’re clamoring to spend the money on them. Let them do it.
Additional thoughts:
Is this a new concept? No, over a dozen other states do this.
Who funds these plates? THE BUYER of the plate/tags. No taxpayer funds are being sent anywhere.
Are there plates the state has that are no longer even valid? Yes. If the argument is there isn’t room in the county courthouse, then take down one of the university plates THAT NO LONGER EXISTS and tack up the Gadsden plate – IFC will supply the nails.
Are there plates without the county listed on the bottom? YES, lots of them.
Does Iowa have several plates? No, not compared to other states. I first thought we did, but when researching I found most states have HUNDREDS of options (over 500 options in Texas alone). You can even design your own individual plates in some states.
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