I witnessed something sublime this week — something a man could only really see here in this greatest of countries. I watched a United States federal court hearing where a small group of patriotic American orthodox Jews are fighting to regain their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Maryland Montgomery County Democrats just passed a law outlawing the right of Jews with concealed-carry permits to bear arms in their own synagogues. Rabbi Menashe Shapiro and members of Silver Spring Jewish Center are suing the Democrats for this shameful, anti-American, egregiously unconstitutional law. It came as an emergency appeal because next week is Rosh Hashana, one of the holiest days of the year. It’s a day where we now tragically live in an America full of tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of Jew and America- haters. Most of these are here because of the new core of the Democrat party, people who have abandoned Americanism for leftism, radical Islamism, and open-border policies. Thousands of these people are intent on harming or killing Jews anywhere they gather.
Read more The Democrats’ War on Children: A Systematic Assault On Innocence, Family, And The Future Of America
Such a law has never before been seen in America. It basically states that even though a good American citizen may have a concealed-carry permit issued by Maryland, he is not allowed to bring a gun into a synagogue, church, or any other place of religious worship. He also cannot carry a gun in hundreds, if not thousands of spaces designated as ‘sensitive” zones. Breaking this law, a citizen would be subject to civil and potentially criminal sanctions.
This is another prime example of how the core part of the new Democrat party relentlessly, passionately, and in a very organized and well-funded fashion attack the foundations of American life. What was so admirable today was to see America-supporting David stand up to the Goliath of the state intent on weakening America. Conservative Maryland Jews stood up strong and proud, articulately, civilly, and intelligently arguing, “no, this is not who we are as a people. This is not America. This is wrong. ”
This David basically made two key arguments. The law was an egregious violation of our First and Second Amendments.
Read more Datacenter Towns Hold All the Cards Before the Golden Shovel Hits Dirt
Rabbi Shapiro, the lead attorney and plaintiff for Silver Spring Jewish Center, along with the great attorney and non-Jew Mark Pennak, representing Maryland Shall Issue argued that the Second Amendment says what it means and means what it says. Multiple Supreme Court decisions have agreed. A good American man or woman may own and carry a gun (not necessarily visible) in public. That man or woman does not have to ask government for permission. That citizen does not have to fear that 51% of fellow Marylanders may vote to deny him of such a right. That is what is meant by our “inalienable rights” in our founding document. That citizen does not have to present to government any compelling reason to own and bear such a weapon. And limitations by governments in the states must be very narrowly tailored and meet strict scrutiny over their intent and consequences. Governments like that of Democrat Maryland cannot try to do the opposite, make an end-run around the Constitution and slowly bleed the Second Amendment to death by a thousand cuts — namely, doing what this new law does, banning the meaning of concealed carry, creating hundreds of “sensitive” zones and 100-yard perimeters all around such sensitive areas. And of course, the Democrats choose not to include the gathering of their supporters in their law. There is no banning of guns for gatherings of climate activists, pro-abortion supporters, No Kings protestors, anti-Israel gatherings, or pro-Democratic Party supporters.
The second argument was that the new law directly violates the Jewish plaintiffs’ First Amendment right of free expression of religion. The belief of the plaintiff and his associates at his Jewish synagogue are that Jewish values demand that a Jew protect himself and his neighbor if evil comes his way. Many traditional Jewish texts can be referenced regarding this: “If a man comes to do you evil, kill him before he kills you.” In the Psalms it says, a man who loves God must hate evil. That does not mean he must call 911 if evil comes his way. It means he must fight it. No state actor can do what Maryland did according to our First Amendment, namely, selectively deprive Americans of exercising their very basic and life-sustaining religious beliefs as they see fit.
We are in a constant battle now between those who do not respect or understand the nature of our American civilization and those who do. It was enriching and hopeful today to see America-loving and America-understanding Jewish Davids go up against the America-weakening and denigrating Democrat state Goliath.
Read more Communism’s Insidious Change of Priorities
