{"id":36379,"date":"2026-09-08T13:12:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=36379"},"modified":"2026-09-08T13:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:12:44","slug":"grass-roots-and-rights-watch-stepped-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=36379","title":{"rendered":"Grass Roots And Rights Watch Stepped Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grass Roots North Carolina stepped up to be an amici <\/em>in the amicus brief filed by Gun Owners of America and a number of other groups as well as three firearms manufacturers. This brief argued that AR-15s and similar semi-automatic rifles were in common use and should be protected under existing precedents. Further, it argued that the historical record is clear on dangerous and\/or unusual. Finally, Viramontes <\/em>and Grant <\/em>are not about machine guns or military weapons.<\/p>\n

From the amicus brief<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ultimately, this case is about whether thegovernment gets to decide for \u201cthe people\u201d which bearable \u201cArms\u201d they may own. But the SecondAmendment leaves no room for the government toexercise such power: the right of the people to keepand bear Arms \u201cshall not be infringed.\u201d Whenlegislators and unelected judges override the people\u2019soverwhelming choices, they in a very real way seizepower from the sovereign and transfer it togovernment, endangering the preservation of our \u201cfreeState.\u201d The \u201cassault weapons\u201d bans under review areunconstitutional.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Rights Watch International, the 501(c)3 sister organization to GRNC, was an amici <\/em>on a brief authored by former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. They were joined in this brief by a number of individuals including my Paufellow NRA Directors Rob Beckman and Dennis Fusaro. Additionally, 10 other organizations joined with Rights Watch including the Ohio Rifle & Pistol Association, the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Florida Carry, and the Montana Shooting Sports Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This brief took a historical approach. It argues that the militia clause in the Second Amendment – “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State” – protects semi-automatic rifles because they are precisely the type of weapons of most use to the militia. When lower courts said bans of AR-15s were legal because they were “militaristic”, the courts had it exactly backwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brief <\/a><\/strong>concludes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Arms that bear a reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia \u2014 the ordinary individual arms suitable for the common defense and in common use by law-abiding citizens \u2014 lie at the core of the Second Amendment\u2019s protection, and a State may not prohibit them. The historical tradition of regulating \u201cdangerous and unusual weapons\u201d is a tradition governing the manner of carrying arms and the genuinely exotic; it has never sustained, and does not now permit, a prohibition on
arms in common use. A prohibition imposed because those arms are useful for the common defense is contrary to the Second Amendment\u2019s text, purpose, and history.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Paul Valone, President of Grass Roots NC and Rights Watch International, sent out an email on Sunday discussing the organizations participation in these and other amicus briefs. He took exception to those who argued GRNC and RWI are just in it for the money. He noted that RWI not only joined the militia clause brief but served as a fund-raising conduit for that effort. He goes on to point out a number of cases where GRNC and RWI joined amicus briefs. He concludes with a plea to help fund these efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GRNC legal\u00a0ACTION<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

State v. Ducker<\/strong><\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0At issue is increasing \u201cover-criminalization\u201d of relatively minor offenses which, in the founding days of our nation, would not have deprived citizens of their Second Amendment rights. In NC, for example, it is a felony to pick a Venus Fly Trap. The brief on our felony firearms law, written by attorney Tyler Brooks on behalf of GRNC, argues the NC Supreme Court should overturn a NC Court of Appeals decision against Eric James Ducker. The case is pending.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missouri v. US:<\/strong>\u00a0In defense of Missouri\u2019s \u201cSecond Amendment Preservation Act,\u201d which declares certain federal laws to be infringements on the Second Amendment rights of Missourians. The US filed litigation against MO under the supremacy clause. GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici, arguing the supremacy clause does not protect unlawful or unconstitutional federal actions. SCOTUS denied plaintiffs\u2019 petition for certiorari (\u201ccert\u201d) in the case.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NJ v. Bondi:<\/strong>\u00a0GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici on this case over New Jersey\u2019s refusal to allow return of forced reset triggers (FRTs) after SCOTUS denied the ATF\u2019s attempt to broaden the definition of \u201cmachine gun\u201d in Garland v. Cargill and a national vacatur of the FRT rule by a 5th<\/sup>\u00a0Circuit District Court judge. The case was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff states after ATF committed not to return FRTs in affected states.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NRA v. Glass:<\/strong>\u00a0GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici on this case over Florida\u2019s denial of 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0and 14th<\/sup>\u00a0Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-olds to possess firearms. Unfortunately, SCOTUS denied the case cert.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

S&W v. Mexico:\u00a0<\/strong>GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici in this case to decide if Mexico can sue a US gun maker for shootings in Mexico on the theory that it should have done more to ensure its guns do not get sold to those who might bring them into Mexico to use in crimes. SCOTUS held Mexico\u2019s complaint does\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers\u2019 unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers and that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act bars the lawsuit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

US v. Brown:\u00a0<\/strong>GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici in this case revolving on ownership of machine guns after Judge Reed Carlton in the 5th<\/sup>\u00a0Circuit dismissed charges a Justin Bryce Brown, noting that that because 740,000 machine guns are owned by private citizens, the government failed to meet the standard that they are \u201cunusual.\u201d Elsewhere, in the 6th<\/sup>\u00a0Circuit, a different case, US v. Jermain Brown, upheld conviction of the defendant for possession of \u201cdangerous and unusual\u201d weapons. The potential for a circuit split increases the chance that SCOTUS will take up the case.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

US v. Peterson:\u00a0<\/strong>GRNC and RWI joined GOA and other amici in this case revolving around possession of an unregistered suppressor. The 5th<\/sup>\u00a0Circuit held that because possession of a suppressor under the 1934 National Firearms Act was essentially a \u201cshall issue\u201d scheme, possession of a suppressor not registered under the NFA was presumptively constitutional. Although SCOTUS denied the case cert, suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and \u201cany other weapons\u201d were later the subject of partially successful litigation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryland Shall Issue v. Moore:<\/strong>\u00a0GRNC joined GOA and other amici in this case revolving around Maryland\u2019s handgun purchase permit system, initially ruled unconstitutional by a 3-judge panel of our own 4th<\/sup>\u00a0Circuit Court of Appeals but later reversed and declared constitutional in an en banc (full) hearing of the 4th<\/sup>. Although SCOTUS denied cert, GRNC fortunately chose not to wait for this decision when we instead repealed\u00a0our<\/strong>\u00a0pistol purchase permit system.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These briefs cost serious money<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights Watch International is GRNC\u2019s educational and legal action arm<\/strong>, chartered as an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That means it is not only tax exempt, but donations are tax deductible. And right now, RWI \u2013 which also helps GRNC underwrite the\u00a0Remember in November<\/strong>\u00a0voter education project through which we distribute up to 150,000 voter guides \u2013 is\u00a0strapped for cash<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my seminars, I teach that legal action is generally the last recourse because it is expensive and the outcome is uncertain. So, yes, I\u2019m asking you to make a\u00a0tax deductible<\/strong>\u00a0donation to Rights Watch International by going to:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

rightswatch.org\/donate\/donate<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far from being \u201cin it for the money\u201d like certain other organizations,\u00a0GRNC and RWI use every dime of your hard-earned money to defend your rights<\/strong>. As an all-volunteer organization, we vow to use your money more efficiently and effectively than any other group.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be more briefs that need to be filed. There are magazine ban cases that are currently on hold before the SCOTUS as well as cases dealing with waiting periods, manufacturer liability, 3-D printing, and more. This does not even include the cases that are still sitting in both District and Circuit courts. All of these briefs take money and every donation of whatever size helps. One need only look at the Democrats and ActBlue to see how even the smallest donations can add up into serious money. Unlike the donations to ActBlue, your donation here goes to promote freedom and your gun rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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