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Second Amendment
9 stories on Second Amendment. For each one: what the left says, what the right says, and what both agree on. RSS feed
- DOJ Won't Enforce Handgun Ban for 18- to 20-Year-Olds
Sep 20, 2026
Left: The DOJ opinion represents an executive branch decision not to enforce a law Congress passed and never repealed, raising separation-of-powers concerns about prosecutors overriding legislative intent.
Right: Eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds can vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face the death penalty, making it inconsistent to deny them the same Second Amendment rights afforded to other adults.
- Hegseth Ends Gun-Free Zones on Military Bases After Decades
Apr 3, 2026
Left: Allowing personal firearms on military bases could increase risks of accidents, domestic violence incidents, and impulsive violence among stressed service members
Right: Trained military personnel deserve the same Second Amendment rights as other Americans and should not be defenseless on their own bases
- Federal Court Strikes Down NJ's AR-15 and Magazine Ban
Jul 18, 2026
Left: New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport argues the ruling is legally incorrect and warns that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines contribute directly to the ongoing epidemic of mass shootings in the country.
Right: This marks the first time any federal appeals court has struck down a state's assault weapons ban, a landmark and long-sought victory for gun rights advocates nationwide.
- Trump DOJ Sues Denver Over AR-15 Ban as Constitutional Violation
May 6, 2026
Left: Denver's 1989 ordinance was enacted to protect public safety following mass shootings and restricts high-capacity magazines that enable rapid-fire casualties
Right: AR-15 rifles are owned by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans and represent the most popular rifle platform in the country for lawful purposes including self-defense
- Trump DOJ Lets Ruling Stand, Silencers Now Unregistered
Aug 14, 2026
Left: A single federal judge in Texas has effectively dismantled a 92-year-old public safety framework requiring registration of silencers and short-barreled firearms, and the Trump administration chose not to appeal or seek a stay, letting the decision take immediate nationwide effect.
Right: Gun rights advocates view this as a long-overdue correction of a New Deal-era law that they argue never should have subjected these firearms accessories to onerous federal registration in the first place.
- Federal Court Strikes Down New Jersey's Assault Weapons Ban
Jul 18, 2026
Left: Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines have played a defining role in mass shootings, and New Jersey's law was a deliberate, evidence-based attempt to reduce that carnage.
Right: The ruling affirms that semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15 and standard-capacity magazines are commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes and therefore fall squarely under Second Amendment protection.
- Virginia Governor Signs 'Assault Weapons' Ban, Faces Multiple Lawsuits
May 16, 2026
Left: The law protects public safety by removing weapons designed for maximum casualties from civilian circulation
Right: The ban violates Second Amendment rights by prohibiting commonly owned firearms used by millions of law-abiding Americans
- Virginia Governor Signs Assault Weapons Ban, Sparks Immediate Lawsuits
May 15, 2026
Left: The law removes military-style weapons designed for maximum casualties from civilian streets, protecting families and communities from mass violence
Right: The ban targets commonly owned firearms like the AR-15 and standard-capacity magazines used lawfully by millions of Americans for self-defense, sport, and hunting
- Mother Bought Shotgun Used in Oregon School Shooting
Oct 17, 2026
Left: The shooting underscores how easy legal access to firearms can still result in catastrophic harm, even when a gun is purchased through lawful channels by a parent rather than illegally acquired.
Right: A law-abiding mother legally purchasing a shotgun for lawful purposes does not equate to government overreach being warranted on broader gun ownership rights.