{"id":32890,"date":"2023-02-07T01:07:34","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T01:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=32890"},"modified":"2023-02-07T01:07:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T01:07:39","slug":"is-body-armor-protected-by-the-second-amendment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=32890","title":{"rendered":"Is Body Armor Protected By The Second Amendment?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='__iawmlf-post-loop-links' style='display:none;' data-iawmlf-post-links='[{&quot;id&quot;:2343,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\\\/faces\\\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB92&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260416012805\\\/https:\\\/\\\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\\\/faces\\\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB92&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-24 05:11:33&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:2344,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.spartanarmorsystems.com\\\/california-body-armor-ban&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260416001504\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.spartanarmorsystems.com\\\/california-body-armor-ban&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-24 05:11:34&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:47&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:47&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:2345,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.law.cornell.edu\\\/supct\\\/html\\\/07-290.ZO.html&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260326232044\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.law.cornell.edu\\\/supct\\\/html\\\/07-290.ZO.html&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-15 23:49:08&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-24 05:11:33&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:2346,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\\\/views\\\/search.php?term=arms&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260416001506\\\/https:\\\/\\\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\\\/views\\\/search.php?term=arms&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 18:57:46&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:2347,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/babel.hathitrust.org\\\/cgi\\\/pt?id=mdp.35112103369031&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=181&amp;q1=defence&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:612,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.supremecourt.gov\\\/opinions\\\/21pdf\\\/20-843_7j80.pdf&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260406040916\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.supremecourt.gov\\\/opinions\\\/21pdf\\\/20-843_7j80.pdf&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-15 07:36:05&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-18 12:13:53&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-22 01:20:58&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-26 07:39:43&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 16:34:15&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-03 14:32:02&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-03 14:32:02&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;}]'><\/div>\n<p>Existing California law makes it a felony for a convicted violent felon to purchase, own, or possess body armor. A new bill before the California Assembly would change this so as to make it a felony to commit a violent felony with a firearm while also wearing body armor. Unfortunately, the California Assembly would also make it a misdemeanor for <em>anyone <\/em>to purchase or possess body armor as well to sell it or deliver it. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB92\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AB-92 Body armor: prohibition<\/a><\/strong> does make exceptions for people in certain professions such as law enforcement, the military, building inspectors, and security guards. However, the average homeowner or non-exempt business owner who wants such protection is out of luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sponsor of AB-92, Rep. Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael), <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/Read more at: https:\/\/www.sacbee.com\/news\/politics-government\/capitol-alert\/article271292827.html#storylink=cpy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">made this claim in support of the bill<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cSimply put, the widespread availability of military-grade body armor <strong>helps mass shooters and criminals kill more people<\/strong>,\u201d Connolly said in a statement. \u201cIt is clear that the sale of body armor<strong> has empowered violent criminals, including mass shooters, to harm, kill, and prolong their rampages<\/strong>. This ongoing and unnecessary epidemic of violence must be stopped and AB 92 will help <strong>protect innocent bystanders<\/strong> and our peace officers.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I was alerted to this new bill by a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spartanarmorsystems.com\/california-body-armor-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blog post I was sent from Spartan Armor Systems<\/a><\/strong>. I agree with the author of this post that such a bill would not make the average public safer. What really caught my eye in this post was the claim that such a ban would be unconstitutional. That spurred some research on my part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Second Amendment says, in part, &#8220;the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.&#8221; Justice Scalia in <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/supct\/html\/07-290.ZO.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DC v Heller<\/a><\/strong><\/em> went to great lengths in his opinion to show that &#8220;the people&#8221; was much more than merely the militia. He said the strong presumption was that the Second Amendment was a right that is &#8220;exercised individually and belongs to all Americans.&#8221; Thus, it should be assumed that any law which restricts possession of an item to a select class of individuals is suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But would body armor be considered &#8220;arms&#8221; in the meaning of the word when the constitution was ratified? <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32893\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-1.png 500w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption>Spartan Armor Systems Concealable IIIA Certified Wraparound Bulletproof Vest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The answer is yes. Justice Scalia helpfully points out a couple of early definitions of arms as it would have been understood by James Madison and the other architects of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, from Dr. Samuel Johnson in his <a href=\"https:\/\/johnsonsdictionaryonline.com\/views\/search.php?term=arms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><em>Dictionary of the English Language<\/em>, 1755, (online edition)<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Arms.\u00a0<em>n.s.without the singular number.<\/em>\u00a0[<em>arma,<\/em>\u00a0Lat.]<\/p><p>1.\u00a0Weapons of offence, or <strong>armour of defence<\/strong>. (emphasis added)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, from Timothy Cunningham in his <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/babel.hathitrust.org\/cgi\/pt?id=mdp.35112103369031&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=181&amp;q1=defence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>A New and Complete Law Dictionary, 1764<\/em><\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong>Armour or Arms<\/strong>, (<em>Arma<\/em>)  In the understanding of law, are extended to <strong>anything that a man wears for his defence<\/strong>, or takes into his hands, or useth in wrath to cast at or strike another. (emphasis added)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In both cases, arms were understood to be more than weapons of offense such as a sword or a musket. Arms could also be a means of defense that was meant to be worn. Thus, a suit of armor or even a chain mail vest would have been understood to be arms at the time of the ratification of the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32895\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-2.png 400w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-2-200x300.png 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption>From Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If one applies the newer standard of text, history, and tradition as expressed by Justice Thomas in <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/21pdf\/20-843_7j80.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NYSRPA v. Bruen<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, it seems obvious to me that body armor would be a constitutionally protected &#8220;arm&#8221; that one could keep (possess) and bear (wear).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One would hope that wisdom might prevail in the California Assembly but that often is fleeting.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Existing California law makes it a felony for a convicted violent felon to purchase, own, or possess body armor.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6343,6346,6345,5832,6344,19,6347],"class_list":["post-32890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-body-armor","tag-california-ab-92","tag-dc-v-heller-2","tag-nysrpa-v-bruen","tag-samuel-johnson","tag-second-amendment","tag-timothy-cunningham"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32890"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32897,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32890\/revisions\/32897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}