The major Supreme Court decisions we are seeing are thanks to former President Donald Trump.  We can all tell how important they are by the wailing and gnashing of teeth by the leftists in Congress, the media, and pundits.  With all these decisions, the fight is not over.  The well-funded socialists and communists on the left will attack in different ways.  I believe there will be an attempt to pack the Supreme Court or destroy its credibility in some way.  It is the left that must be destroyed along with their front groups and funding sources.  George Soros comes to mind but there are many more.  This is going to get ugly, I believe. 

There is no doubt the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v Bruen was a great victory.  Gaining such an important victory takes time and must be done one piece at a time.  It is arduous, slow, painstaking, careful, frustrating, sometimes disappointing, and always expensive work.  If you are a quitter or a hothead, this isn’t the job for you.  This victory was more than twenty years in the making.  It did not come easy.  We should remember that this victory started with the Heller decision.  The ISRA was one of several groups that supplied an amicus brief (Friend of the Court) in support of Heller.  The next step was the McDonald case in which the ISRA was one of the plaintiffs.  In fact, this was originally an ISRA case and Second Amendment Foundation case.  We were later joined by the NRA.

As expected, we are seeing anti-gun politicians and bureaucrats going around kicking and screaming about the Supreme Court decision and they are already trying to find ways around it.  The “May Issue” states of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Hawaii will be the most affected by this decision.  While many of these states have already taken out phrases like “Justifiable Need” and “Good Cause”, they have added that a person must be of “Good Moral Character“.  It seems to me that if you pass a federal background check that should suffice, but it does not say that.   What does good moral character mean?  There is no definition included.  Who decides if a person is of good moral character?  How does the applicant know if the person who decides if they are of good moral character is of good moral character themselves?  We don’t!

As a result of the New York case, the Second Amendment Foundation has filed for an injunction against New York City which has its own concealed permit system.  It has a “good cause“ phraseology as a requirement.  This is the beginning of a litany of these types of suits.

New York handgun restrictions go back to one of the most corrupt organizations that ever existed, Tammany Hall.  Tammany Hall was an Irish organization that used politics and muscle to get money and power.  They operated as a gang as well as a political organization.  One of the leaders was a guy by the name of “Big Tim Sullivan” who represented Tammany Hall to the New York City Council and the State Legislature in Albany.  Tammany Hall wanted to eliminate competition with other gangs.  Big Tim got the New York City Council to pass the Sullivan Law which outlawed the carrying of firearms.  Of course, if you were a member of Tammany Hall, it didn’t apply to you.  This type of motive is often at the root of gun prohibitions.

One other part of the New York decision that is important is that Justice Thomas points out that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right.  For years, the anti-gun crowd has claimed that there is something different about the Second Amendment.  Clearly that is not the case.

There are several Second Amendment cases which now may move forward or be changed.  They are:

Duncan v Bonita: This is a California magazine ban case.  The California ban should be struck down, but this is in the Nutty Ninth Circuit.

ANJRPC (Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs) v Bruck: This is another magazine ban case.  This should also be struck down.

Bianchi v Frosh: This is the Maryland “Assault Weapons“ case.  This goes to the common use arguments.  There are more semi-automatic firearms in “common use” than any other type.  Maryland’s law has a test to own these firearms, but that test was struck down in the New York Case.

Young v Hawaii: This is similar to the New York case.  Hawaii has routinely denied permits to qualified people.  This case is also in the Nutty Ninth.  The Ninth Circuit ruled the Second Amendment did not apply outside the home.  This should go the way of the New York case.

How this will impact things like national reciprocity, I don’t know.  All of this is still too new.  I do think it will also impact the laws in some states and local ordinances.  There is somewhere around 46,000 of them out there.  Someone will have to complain that it is affected in those jurisdictions.  I would think, in many cases, the jurisdictions may simply take it off the books.  I have seen that before after the McDonald case.  This will need a little time to shake out.

Midwest Training Group (MTG) which will be holding an Advanced Handgun Skills Course at our range in Bonfield, Illinois, on August 6^th and 7^th.  Designed by Bob Houzenga and Andy Kemp as an addition to Massad Ayoob’s LFI curriculum and originally taught as LFI Advanced Handgun Skills, this two-day course is fast paced and demanding, focusing on high-speed drills designed to build the optimum blend of speed and accuracy.  Ideal for the advanced shooter who wishes to hone and fine-tune his techniques.  Novice shooters move up to the next skill level.  Emphasis on individual diagnostics and the subtle nuances used by six-time National Champion, Bob Houzenga.  From fast and furious, up-close shooting, to accuracy work at 25 yards, this program offers students of any skill level, an opportunity to take their skills to the next level.  Recoil management for super-fast follow up shots, rapid first shots from the holster, swift engagement of multiple targets, strong and weak hand techniques, “catching the link”, and shooting “out of the notch” are just some of the topics covered. Many students find their speed doubles or triples with better accuracy.  1200 rounds required.  Prior formal instruction is a pre-requisite.  Contact Andy Kemp at 208-771-3413 or Andy1911@imaxmail.net or visit www.midwesttraininggroup.net

Hats off to the Boy Scouts and their response to the Amtrak derailment in Mendon, Missouri.  You all did a great job.  It is nice to know not all young people are self-absorbed couch potatoes.

Tidbits:
July 1, 1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg begins.  Both the Union and Confederate armies were marching toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The Union Army was under command of General George Meade and the Confederate Army was under command of Robert E. Lee.  In the morning of July 1, advance units of both armies came in contact with each other.  Skirmishes broke out.  Neither army was at full strength yet, but the Confederates were way ahead of the Union Army.  It would be nightfall before the Union troops would arrive.  The stage was set for who would win the Civil War.

July 1, 1898 - Future President Theodore Roosevelt and the First Volunteer U.S. Cavalry were about to become famous.  San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill overlooked the City of Santiago, Cuba.  Whoever controlled those hills, controlled Santiago.  Whoever controlled Santiago, controlled Cuba.

Because the 1st Volunteer Cavalry never got their horses shipped to Cuba, they were fighting as infantry.  The 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry were alongside of Roosevelt.  The 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry were “Buffalo Soldiers” or black soldiers.  San Juan Hill was defended by 500 Spanish soldiers, but they were equipped with 7mm Mauser rifles which was far superior to the .45-70 trapdoor single shots the U. S. troop had.  Roosevelt’s troops were equipped with .30-40 Krags, better, although not as good as the Mauser.  By sheer courage and numbers, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill were taken and the siege of Santiago began.  On July 17, Santiago and Cuba were surrendered to the United States.

July 2, 1863 - The day that marksmanship saved the Union.  Troops on both sides were getting in their positions.  Neither side knew exactly where the other side was.  General Lee sent the 15th Alabama to find the left flank of the Union Army.  The 15th Alabama was one of the best units Lee had.  Throughout the Civil War, Union Generals had trouble securing their flanks.  Lee knew that.  If he could find it and attack, the South would be the winner.

General Meade sent a force of 300 men to the left flank to see if they could find any Confederate forces.  100 of the Union troops sent were the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters.  This was an elite group of marksmen.  They were all trained by Colonel Hiram Berdan who was the best shot in the army at the time.  The requirements were that to be a Sharpshooter, the soldier had to put 10 shots into a bullseye at both 200 and 100 yards.  If any shot was more than 5 inches from the bullseye, the soldier was disqualified.  At 200 yards a rest could be used, but 100 yards was fired offhand.  They were equipped with Sharps breech loading rifles using a linen self-contained .52 caliber round with double set triggers.  Not only were these rifles accurate, they could be fired at a rate of 10 rounds per minute, devastating when compared to a Springfield or Enfield muzzle loader.

On the morning of July 2^nd, the two groups found each other on the left flank near a hill known as Big Round Top.  The Union troops were outnumbered 10 to 1.  The Sharpshooters and the 200 marines equipped with muzzleloaders would find cover and hold that position as long as they could, and then retreat and take up a new position.  The 15th Alabama, under command of Colonel William Oakes, thought they were up against a much larger force.  They were being torn apart by the devastating rifle fire of the Sharpshooters.  The Union troops retreated up the side of Big Round Top and down the other side on to the next hill known as Little Round Top.  Colonel William Oakes of the 15th Alabama realized he could keep this hill and fortify it; artillery batteries would destroy the Union lines.  He was still under heavy fire from the Union Sharpshooters.  At about 5:20, the Sharpshooters and the rest of the Union contingent were holding the crest of Little Round Top but they were out of ammunition.  They were fixing bayonets.  At that very moment, two regiments of the Union infantry arrived and forced the 15th Alabama to retreat.  The 15th Alabama had suffered 40% casualties.  William Oakes went on to become the Governor of Georgia.  Years later, he wrote a letter to one of the Sharpshooters telling him that if it had not been for the 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters, the South would have won the Battle of Gettysburg.  July 2, 1863, was the day marksmanship saved the Union.

July 2, 1776 - The Continental Congress adopts a resolution, written by Richard Henry Lee, for independence from Great Britain.  New York abstained keeping it from being unanimous.  Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson continued to work on the Declaration of Independence.

July 3, 1863 - Robert E. Lee decides to attack the Union in the center of their defensive line and overwhelm the Union Army.  He orders General George Pickett and 15,000 soldiers to attack.  After an hour of bombardment by Confederate artillery, what became known as Pickett’s Charge began.  Pickett’s troops had to cover about one mile of open field before they would reach the Union line.

Union artillery opened up on Pickett’s charge.  On top of the Cemetery Ridge, thousands of Union Soldiers waited, including the 1st U.S. Sharpshooters.  By the time the Confederate soldiers got to Cemetery Ridge, 7000 had already been killed or wounded.  A few made it through the Union line but they were killed immediately.  The rest ran back to the Confederate line.  Lee’s plan failed.  The Confederate soldiers went to Gettysburg believing they would be victorious.  Now their will was broken and along with it, the hopes of the Confederacy.  On the evening of July 4, Robert E. Lee retreated to Virginia.  Both armies were exhausted.  Lincoln was furious with Meade for not following Lee and the Army on Northern Virginia and destroying them.  Lincoln overlooked the fact that the Union Army was out of rations.  They also lacked one other important thing, shoes.  There were supposed to be 100,000 pairs of new shoes to the troops when Meade got there.  They never showed up.  In those days, troops marched everywhere.  The Union Army shoes were shot.  Meade would have been marching away from his supplies while Lee was marching toward his supplies.  Lincoln didn’t care he fired Meade.  Nevertheless, this was the high-water mark of the Confederacy.  Had the Confederacy won, Great Britain and some other countries would have helped them, but it didn’t happen. 

July 4, 1776 - The Declaration of Independence is adopted.  Copies were quickly printed and spread throughout the colonies.  George Washington had it read to the troops everywhere and it was a great lift to the American's spirit.  American now knew what they were fighting for.  Happy Birthday USA!

July 5, 1865 - The Salvation Army is born in London’s East End.  Minister William Booth and his wife Catherine formed the Christian Mission but later changed the name to the Salvation Army.  Booth and his wife were officers, and the volunteers were recruits.  In 1880, the first American branch was started in Pennsylvania.  The headquarters for the Salvation Army remains in London to this day.

July 5, 1946 - The bikini bathing suit is introduced.

July 6, 1957 - Althea Gibson becomes the first African American to win Wimbledon.

Happy 4th of July! 

Thanks for being a member!

Upcoming Events:  ISRA Calendar
For more information, visit www.isra.org

Thursday, June 30 & July 7, 2022
ISRA Smallbore Prone/F-Class League

Saturday, July 2, 2022
Range Work Day
ISRA Steel Challenge

Sunday, July 3, 2022
Bonfield Muzzle Loaders
ISRA 3Gun
Independence Day 800

Monday, July 4 & 11, 2022
Military Bench Rest League

Tuesday, July 5 & 12, 2022
Tuesday Night Irregular Rifle League

Wednesday, July 6 & 13, 2022
F-Class Rifle League
Bench Rest League
Paper & Steel League

Thursday, July 7 & 14, 2022
ISRA Smallbore Prone/F-Class League

Saturday, July 9, 2022
ISRA Academy NRA Range Safety Officer Class

Sunday, July 10, 2022
Handgun Drills
Marksmanship League
CCL Training-Day 2

Gun & Trade Shows

Crown Point Gun Show – Crown Point, IN
Lake County Fairgrounds
Dates: July 2 & 3, 2022
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-5:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $5.00

Belleville Knife Expo – Belleville, IL
Belle-Clair Fairgrounds & Expo Center
Dates: July 8 & 9, 2022
Hours: Friday: 1:00-7:00
             Saturday: 9:00-4:00
Admission: $4.00

Bloomington Gun & Knife Show – Bloomington, IL
Interstate Center
Dates: July 23 & 24, 2022
Hours: Saturday: 9:00-3:00
             Sunday: 9:00-3:00
Admission: $6.00