The American tradition of home gunsmithing was not specifically codified in the Constitution.
Perhaps it should have been.
I understand why the Founders left it out. They were practical men, of course, chock-full of
common sense. They knew Americans couldn’t fully enjoy their newfound right to keep and bear arms without the ability to build and maintain firearms in their homes, so why add unnecessary verbiage to a document that was already running a bit long.
Unfortunately, the Founders had no idea how their brilliant composition would be misused,
misquoted and misinterpreted a couple centuries later, by prosecutors, judges and politicians
whom they would have tarred, feathered and run out of town on a rail.
I had never built a firearm in my home or anywhere else until last year, when 80% Arms offered
to send me two GST-9 pistol kits. They were looking for someone with zero gunsmithing
experience—I certainly qualified—to build the pistols and chronicle the experience.
From start to finish the entire build process was incredible, but truth be told, I was a bit nervous
during the first one. However, both pistols turned out perfectly, function flawlessly and look
great. I walked away from the experience with more than a couple reliable shooters. Building a firearm in your home is a uniquely American experience, one which we all should be able to enjoy. For a brief period, I had something in common with gunsmiths of old—something more than a shared passion for liberty and good whiskey.
Dexter Taylor, a law-abiding 53-year-old data engineer and father from Brooklyn, will spend the
next 10 years in a New York state prison for his home gunsmithing experience. His only crimes were living in a state that does not recognize his Second Amendment rights, and appearing
before a fruitcake of a judge who feels the same way.
Taylor’s home gunsmithing hobby somehow came to the attention of both the New York City
Police Department and the ATF. On April 6, 2022, these Redcoat-wannabes executed a search
warrant of Taylor’s home in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
According to a press release from Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, officers recovered
“four AR-15 style assault weapons, five handguns, four rifles and over 50 rounds of ammunition
in addition to gun powder, shell casings, triggers, a 3D printer, and various upper and lower
receivers used to build firearms.”
Fifty rounds? What an archcriminal.
Things went from bad to worse when Taylor went to court. Judge Abena Darkeh famously told
Taylor’s defense attorney: “Do not bring the Second Amendment into this courtroom. It doesn’t
exist here. So, you can’t argue Second Amendment. This is New York.”
Truer words have never been spoken. The Second Amendment does not exist in New York.
Last month, a New York City jury convicted Taylor of “two counts of second-degree criminal
possession of a weapon; three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon; five
counts of criminal possession of a firearm; unlawful possession of pistol ammunition; and
prohibition on unfinished frames or receivers.”
On Monday, Taylor was sentenced to 10 years in a state prison. After the sentencing, District Attorney Gonzalez said in a statement, “Ghost guns are a threat to New Yorkers everywhere, and my Office is working tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement to stop their proliferation. Today’s sentence should send a message to anyone who, like this defendant, would try to evade critically important background checks and registration requirements to manufacture and stockpile these dangerous weapons. Every ghost gun we take off the street is a win for public safety.”
Taylor never tried to evade anything. Gunsmithing was his hobby. He was never accused of
misusing his homemade firearms. Mere possession was enough to revoke his liberty for the next decade.
Taylor’s case highlights the incredible dichotomy between free states like Florida, where I can
build as many homemade firearms as my budget will allow, and tyrannical blue states like New
York, where a single “ghost gun” coupled with a lunatic of a judge ends in imprisonment. Taylor
got caught behind enemy lines trying to exercise a tiny bit of freedom, and the Statists stomped
on his head as a result.
To be clear, Dexter Taylor is a prisoner of war—a prisoner of Joe Biden’s war on our guns.
A GiveSendGo account was created to help Taylor’s legal defense. So far, it has raised more than
$200,000. Also, a Change.org petition was created to remove Judge Darkeh from the bench. So far, it has more than 2,600 signatures.
Article courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. This project wouldn’t be possible without the support of gun owners. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support pro-gun stories like this.
Judge Kaczmaryk Rules That American’s Can’t ‘Just Trust’ The ATF > https://www.shootingnewsweekly.com/2024/05/21/judge-kaczmaryk-ruled-that-americans-cant-just-trust-the-atf/
“The absurdity that the statute’s safe harbor provision provides no safe harbor at all for the majority of gun owners,”
If this is used as precedence this is of critical importance. The way that engineering of firearms and related items now is that you send something to the ATF, they “test” it then if it’s ruled allowed they send it back. If it’s not legal they destroy it. For them to approve something you can’t furnish diagrams, you must potentially violate the GCA or NFA and send it to them.
Because self-incrimination makes their job so much easier.
AMERICANS CANNOT TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT- PERIOD. NOT TO PROTECT THEM. NOT TO OBEY THE LAW. NOT PROTECT THEM FROM PANDEMICS. NOT TO POISON THEM FROM VACCINES. AND NOT TO MURDER THEM IN THEIR HOMES.
“Your Civil Rights Shouldn’t Depend On Your Address Or Your Judge”
Of course.
Nevertheless, are we going to operate according to how we wish our world to be? Or are we going to operate according to how our world is?
I discovered just yesterday that a power steering hose on my car sprung a leak and left a large puddle of power steering fluid on my driveway. Of course that isn’t how cars are supposed to operate. So, do I ignore the leak and drive my car anyway? Or do I face the fact that I have a power steering system failure, fix it, and resume driving my car?
Yes, our rights are not supposed to be a function of whimsical legal positions. And yet here we are. Rather than gazing at navel lint, we should be determining our best course of CORRECTIVE action.
Corrective action would be subjecting the judge to a flogging or a good, old fashioned, public stoning so that everyone can participate?
Close. Unless that’s a starting point.
Most likely there is a paper trail on Mr. Taylor’s receivers and other parts. Strange how the BATF and state police can track down some schmuck who is a hobbyist but can’t track down actual felons who commit the crimes they complain about. Kind of like how the Secret Service can’t figure out who brought cocaine into the White House or who posted threats to conservative Supreme Court Justices, but knows the intimate details of every person who was in DC for the Jan. 6 Trump rally etc.
The citizens in NY should have the same rights and freedoms as someone here in Alabama. But, Dementiacrats can’t understand the Constitution doesn’t grant rights. But, limits the authority of the government in infringing upon and impeding the pre-existing rights of a free people.
Sadly this kind of crap is exactly what the majority of voters in NY support in their misguided demand for the Government to do something to protect them from themselves. Clearly forgetting they are ultimately responsible for their own safety and well being.
DHS worked with credit card companies to track purchases and forward the activities to NY agencies from the best we have been able to piece together. Think of it as a test run before going national.
Old Man in AL,
The explanation is simple: Progressives use the justice system however it suits them to give themselves a pass and to suppress, silence, crush, and eliminate their political enemies.
The mechanism is simple. If a Progressive violates some law, Progressive Prosecutors refuse to prosecute the violator citing “prosecutorial discretion” (and its variants). If a Conservative violates some law, Progressive Prosecutors unleash all available resources and “interpret” rules and laws any way necessary to secure a conviction.
We are no longer a nation of laws: we are a nation of men who do whatever they want for personal gain and to neutralize their political enemies.
Quit calling them “progressives.” They’re f*ing communists. Don’t use their obscuring and imprecise language, especially to describe them.
Johnny LeBlanc,
I am happy to call them Communists if that is what they actually are.
I have to think on that a bit. My understanding of classic communist nations is that the Central Party runs the nation and, while Central Party members live much more comfortably than the masses, only a handful (something like 20) of the highest members have a life style approaching what our nation’s Ruling Class Elite enjoy. If that is accurate, then I am not convinced that “Communist” is the most accurate label.*
* Our Ruling Class Elite has 10s of thousands of members who envision all of themselves living a life of ultra lux-surey (can’t use the real word which trips the moderation function) that far exceeds the life style of the upper echelon of historical communist nations. That expectation, which is incompatible with historical communism, is why I am not immediately ready to use the “communist” label.
Johnny LeBlanc,
As a follow-up to my response to your comment, I am leaning toward the “fascist” label as being most accurate. Our Ruling Class Elite want virtually unlimited power, wealth, and control–and a corresponding nation where the rules apply to the masses but not to them. And they want incestuous relationships between ultra-wealthy individuals, corporations, and the highest levels of government. Off the top of my head that sounds like fascism rather than communism since communism does not allow for corporations, ultra-wealthy individuals, nor private ownership of anything.
“…I am leaning toward the “fascist” label as being most accurate.”
Leftist-fascist may be an alternative…
They do profess lef.tism but practice fas.cism.
Geoff,
Been using almost that exact formulation, on THIS site, for years (among other things, to ACCURATELY describe MajorLiar and dacian the demented).
Uncommon. The supposedly commune-ist china is awash in millionaires and billionaires. No way that happens in a commune-ist nation.
Billionaires bought the left and converted it to fascism.
Stalin was one of the richest men in history. There are still rich people in communist nations, it’s just the members of the inner party.
Make no mistake. Most of these billionaires here in the US are nothing but useful idiots for the communists. The commies will confiscate their wealth and put them in the gulag with everyone else.
Sic ’em Johnny
Name calling don’t get nothing done.
Communist, Facist, Dictatorship, whatever, don’t matter what they are called until you can call them defeated
“Clearly forgetting they are ultimately responsible for their own safety and well being.”
Woah there, Old Man. I pay plenty of taxes to have government protect me from all dangers and inconveniences, and I demand to get my money’s worth, annually.
Sam,
When, EXACTLY, have you EVER gotten your money’s worth from out benevolent government???? Let me know if it actually happens. My dear Daddy (a lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, AND a Union member) used to say “the Governmnt could f*ck up a one car parade”. He was not wrong, which is why I could never understand why the old man voted for Dimocrats.
“When, EXACTLY, have you EVER gotten your money’s worth from out benevolent government????”
There’s always tomorrow, eh?
Always hated government that paid for people to not actually do any work….wait, I am retired from government, don’t do any work, and get a nice pension for not doing it…..
Speaking of corrective actions (mentioned in my comment above), I have to believe this case is the epitome of “low-hanging fruit” from a legal perspective: it has to be absolutely ripe for appeal and overturning.
Given the recent U.S. Supreme Court Second Amendment cases and their binding precedent, I have to believe that an appeal of this man’s conviction would overturn all of the laws that New York used to convict him. And that would be a legal win for our side.
The larger question is whether or not the convicted man could get the U.S. District Attorney to prosecute the judge in this case as well as the New York District Attorney for “Deprivation of rights under color of law.” I won’t be holding my breath on that one.
That is some of what we are hopeful for but this was stupidly brazen on the legal appeals side of things so we do worry there is more at play. Fuck it though new lawsuit to keep funded.
“…I have to believe that an appeal of this man’s conviction would overturn all of the laws that New York used to convict him. And that would be a legal win for our side.”
Meanwhile, he rots in prison as the case winds through the courts… 🙁
That was always the outcome for standing to sue and speedy trial in criminal proceeding (less ability to drag it out as we have seen for almost 2 years in the 2nd circuit)
No American is free if the rights of just one are routinely being violated.
That’s how they like it…
“No American is free if the rights of just one are routinely being violated.”
Maybe. If the rights of someone I don’t like are being violated, I am all for that; me first, you? maybe.
Just look at the farce playing out in a Manhattan courtroom. The obvious bias against Trump is an absolute joke. The judge is literally burning down the justice system before our eyes. The DA is another disaster, prosecuting this case while criminals in the city literally kill and rape at large.
The commies don’t gaf about anything but their own power. Any sane person still living in a blue state needs to GTFO as soon as they can.
Can you help me to understand why Donald Trump said he would testify, and then failed to do so before resting his case?
Why would he not take the opportunity to present his side of the story and clear his good name?
No knowledge of basic courtroom tactics with regard to the law and constitutional rights or are you just being disingenuous again fishing for reactions?
Obvious, Minor69er loves his blue state justice system, because it allows him to get away with 69ing minors.
Still speaking up for pedo joe, miner?
Trump repeatedly said he would testify, his attorneys said he would testify, but then he chickened out.
How surprising, an adulterous whoremonger promises to testify in order to clear his name…
Then he is a no-show.
your brain is a no-show Miner49er.
Seriously, you can’t recognize the reasons he didn’t testify? Its obvious. It would have helped you greatly had you known what context means.
Disingenuous fishing for reactions it is.
“Disingenuous fishing for reactions it is“
Nope, I was replying to the white toilet’s comment:
“Johnny LeBlanc
May 21, 2024 At 09:27
Just look at the farce playing out in a Manhattan courtroom. The obvious bias against Trump is an absolute joke“
Obvious bias? So you believe multiple federal, as well as state grand juries are ‘obviously biased’ against Donald Trump?
And I suppose the juries that found him liable for sexual assault and business fraud are also somehow compromised?
May I remind you, this article is about Donald Trump, so expect comments about Donald Trump.
Or, just like the House Republicans, censor the inconvenient fact of his criminal prosecution in multiple venues if it makes you ‘feel’ better.
MajorLiar,
” . . . an adulterous whoremonger . . . “. Hunter Biden was supposed to testify???? That’s surprising, since he never bothered to appear to testify in any of his child support hearings.
You are such a pathetic, prevaricating, propagandizing, pusillanimous piece of excrement, MajorLiar. First of all, you know EXACTLY why Trump didn’t testify (particularly in THAT kangaroo court!!) – no competent defense attorney lets their client testify in a criminal trial (or, perhaps, you are so stupid and/or partisan that you are unaware of that), and Judge Merchan is going to get his biased, bigoted, totally unfair and ignoring of the Constitution and normal procedure shoved up his butt sideways by the first appeals court that sees this case (but perhaps, being a partisan Dimocrat, Merchan LIKES things shoved up his butt, sideways?). I wasn’t even watching wall-to-wall, and I picked up WELL over a dozen clear reversible errors.
The whole “illegally donating to Biden” and “his daughter is a Dimocrat ‘consultant’ and fundraiser” thing is just icing on the cake.
Hunter Biden has never held political office, nor is he a candidate at this time for any office under the United States Constitution so whatever crimes he may have committed or a little interest on the national scale.
On the other hand, it is a publicly known fact Donald Trump admitted he committed adultery in his first 2 marriages, and paid a porn star $130,000 to keep quiet about his 5 minutes of fumbling premature climax.
America’s best Christian leader is, without question, an actual whoremonger.
MajorLiar,
“Hunter Biden has never held political office, nor is he a candidate at this time for any office under the United States Constitution so whatever crimes he may have committed or a little interest on the national scale.”
Oh, that sh*t is RICH, particularly coming from a lying, partisan propagandist like you. Hunter isn’t important on a “national scale”, DESPITE the FACT that he was his father’s international bag man to peddle influence to enrich the Biden Crime Family????
Hunter Biden’s KNOWN and obvious adultery and whoremongering are irrelevant, while Trump’s are supposedly dispositive and disqualifying??? Nice argument, d-bag; now do Billy Zipperpants, Al Gore, Jack Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi’s husband (and HOW much has his net worth increased, thanks to Nancy’s BRILLIANT trading on inside information???).
F*ck right the hell off, MajorLiar. If it weren’t for double standards, no “progressive” would have any standards at all.
We don’t elect popes, you moron, we elect representatives. I neither want, nor expect, my elected leaders and representatives to be moral role models – I want them to do their damn jobs, hopefully reasonably competently. I am willing to accept, arguendo, that the Peanut Farmer was probably a “good man”, certainly in his own mind. And he was one of the most incompetent Presidents in our history. Joe Biden is most assuredly NOT a “good man”, and he is THE most incompetent President in our history.
Pick a position (other than just biting your pillow), and try to stay with it from one post to the next. Ah, apologies . . . you do have ONE uniform position . . . “conservatives = BAD, even if they are doing the same damn thing my side has done even more”.
What an @$$clown you are.
Poor man should have left New York when he had the chance.
Sicko Gun Control democRats…Inching their way to rounding up Gun owners like nazis rounded up Jews for concentration camps and racist mobs rounded up Blacks for a lynching…When it comes to a History Confirmed diabolical agenda like Gun Control only a complete ignorant mealy mouth pos like void would ignore the writing on the wall.
I thought they rounded up Blacks for slaves?
“Hey yo, whaz up?” (in that tree)
Ahh nuthin man, just hanging around
WHat’s an unarmored possum called?
AN armadillo!
I’ll take all I can get. Them F150’s are getting faster.
Watch for those Tesla trucks, won’t even hear them coming.
No burning oil either.
Aww still butthurt at having your incompetence exposed? LOL cry me a river racism was always a bit player, it’s about power and you have none especially with your arguments.
It’s the average 85 IQ of her particular demographic shining through.
“rounding up Gun owners like nazis rounded up Jews for concentration camps“
Like Trump posted, it’s time for a “unified Reich”.
It is amazing, Trump tells you he wants to be a “dictator” over a “unified Reich” in plain English, and still they support him.
The only conclusion is the Trump supporters are craving another authoritarian tyrant, groveling before their dictator.
See Kyle before you fuck off.
We already have that under pedo joe.
You really are low iq, miner.
Vaporizing the vapor perpetually.
It all started with a bunch of magnets, 23 tons of fishing sinkers, an old washing machine, a Briggs&Stratton 5hp motor hooked up to a spin around on the go faster, some AV fuel, a trip to Antarctica, and a cardboard box full of Neutrinos.
Gunms, I don need no steenking gunms.
Sorry you ran afoul of the NY Gestapo buddy. Good luck!
Yeah, turns out billing as ‘legal expenses’ hush money payments to your prostitute to ‘catch-and-kill’ her story the week before the election is a crime, who knew?
I think we may be seeing more business fraud charges related to the Trump Media fiasco, their latest financial statement is rather sad…
$700k income, $327million loss in 3 months.
Money laundering? Tax fraud? Great business man?
Which has what to do with the topic here again? Oh right you have an agenda. Kindly go somewhere else with that.
His agenda is to protect the pedo in the oval office.
How many high dollar paintings did son hunter sell, along with his dads influence?
MajorLiar,
“Yeah, turns out billing as ‘legal expenses’ hush money payments to your prostitute to ‘catch-and-kill’ her story the week before the election is a crime, who knew?”
Well, to name two normally-authoritative sources who didn’t know, I could cite the FEC and the DoJ, who BOTH declined to prosecute the case.
Among the MANY facts of which you are apparently unaware:
1. “Hush money” is not illegal (in fact, it is quite common in normal business; check out the next termination or severance contract you come across, nitwit);
2. Even the magpies at the lying CNN acknowledged, ON AIR, that there is no evidence tying the payment to Trump;
3. Even the lying liar Cohn (must be a friend of yous; like you, he hasn’t even a speaking relationship with anything truthful) admitted (before he changed his story for a THIRD time, and lied again), that Trump had not known of the payments that COHEN engineered and made;
4. Juan “The Fixer” Merchan committed so much reversible error in that case that any competent lawyer looking at it can see no way for ANY judgement against Trump in that case to survive appeal.
Y U always B lyin’, MajorLiar????? And, when it comes to being an authoritarian, fascist dictator, what would you call a (putative) President who defied both Congress AND SCOTUS to illegally forgive BILLIONS in student loans (probably mostly taken out by idiot Leftist/fascists such as yourself)?? Sounds pretty fascist to me, MajorLiar.
And naturally my adventures on building a PerpFushenNutrinoBlom was moderated, again
“Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country”
Ahhh men, she said
1. Judge Abena Darkeh – DON’T get a urban quota baby broad for a Judge.
2. GTH out of NYC moron.
Time to secede
Success would be nice.
I keep voting, so far no luck, maybe I’m not voting L O U D enough
“…maybe I’m not voting L O U D enough”
Try voting from the rooftop… 🙂
… or use the other side’s proven tactics – vote early, vote often , vote even if you’re deceased. And bring others with you to vote, even if they’re only guest voters.
… but that would NEVER happen, right Miner – everyone knows that it’s easier to anonymously purchase 2 million rounds of ammo and a crate of machine guns than it is to cast a ballot.
… can we expect a brilliantly worded response from you Minor Irritant?
In 3 or 4 days from now like usual, asshole?
“In 3 or 4 days from now like usual, asshole?“
Patience, grasshopper.
Some folks just spout whatever bullshit pops into their mind in the moment, I prefer to research the subject before expressing my view.
Hold tight everyone while Miner researches what his opinion on voter ID should be.
@Miner49er
“I prefer to research the subject before expressing my view.”
Seriously? I can’t find one instance of your posts here in the last year where you actually recounted anything from your so called ‘research’ that was anything other than your own confirmation biased view that lacked any actual context applicable to the discussion, or wasn’t a result of confirmation biased Trump Derangement Syndrome, or a very shallow and stupid and context lacking and ignorant confirmation biased view of religion or the bible.
So stop spouting your BS about having a ‘view’ – you don’t have a ‘view’ – you have just more of Miner49er BS trolling with ignorance.
MajorLiar,
You do “research”, you claim??? In what alternate universe is reading propaganda and lies from “Mother Jones” or “Slate” or “Gun Violence Policy Center” considered “research?”
Give us your detailed analysis of how Article I, Section 8 authorizes universal gun control, MinorMoron.
“…so why add unnecessary verbiage to a document that was already running a bit long.”
Might want to consult the Anti-Federalists about that.
Comments are closed.