By Miguel A. Faria, M.D
In an article earlier this summer Dan Zimmerman, editor of The Truth About Guns, opined that the Supreme Court had been neither denying nor granting certiorari in Second Amendment cases. He wrote:
Ten gun rights-related cases are still awaiting a determination by the Supreme Court. The cases involve everything from ‘may issue’ carry permits to banning ‘assault weapons’ to the interstate sales of handguns. After the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association case was declared moot by the Court, gun rights supporters have had high hopes that the Justices would grant cert to one or more of these for consideration next term. But that hasn’t happened.
The Court later denied cert to the ten cases waiting SCOTUS consideration.
Many of us agreed at the time with the four conservative justices’s judgment in holding off on the Court making any Second Amendment rulings — very likely because of the unreliability and unpredictability of Chief Justice John Roberts, who has transformed himself into a flip-flopping liberal in an attempt to keep the Supreme Court “apolitical.”
But this may change sooner than we expect with the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Trump has vowed to proceed with the nomination of a new justice, a woman. Senator Mitch McConnell has likewise vowed to proceed with a vote on the Senate floor as soon as possible.
Two fantastic judges with incredible legal credentials are said to be at the top of the list of nominees; Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa. I think conservatives and constitutionalists in general and Second Amendment proponents in particular would be happy to see either one of those women on high court.
Trump and the GOP leadership want to move toward nominating and confirming the nominee without delay, before Election Day on November 3 or during the lame-duck session.
But as I write these words, a great brouhaha has ensued as the Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media want to hold off on filling the vacancy until after the election. Obviously, they have shown that is not what they would do if they themselves held the Presidency and the Senate.
I’m standing with @RepAOC at Madison High School—Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s alma mater, my alma mater
We’re here to remember RBG—champion for justice, trailblazer for women
Dems are united in fighting to honor her last wish and all that’s at stake for health care & Americans’ rights
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 20, 2020
It was Democrat Senate leader Harry Reid who changed the rules to allow for speedy confirmation of judges by allowing simple majority vote for Circuit Court nominees. Of course, at that time, the rule favored the Democrats. Justice Ginsburg herself was nominated and confirmed within 42 days. So there is no reason why this process should not proceed without delay.
🚨 Pelosi is refusing to rule out impeaching @realDonaldTrump again solely to delay the Senate filling the Supreme Court vacancy.
Impeachment was never about a “crime” for Dems.
They only care about one thing: their own power—and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. Scary. pic.twitter.com/5UEFmuzsUJ
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) September 20, 2020
Democrats and their minions have responded with their usual tactics; intimidation and even the threat of violence. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has threatened to recommence impeachment proceedings against Trump, if he moves forward with the nomination. Radicals have threatened to shut down the country and presumably recommence rioting, looting, and burning.
If they even TRY to replace RBG we burn the entire fucking thing down.
— Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) September 19, 2020
But I think radicals have worn out the patience of the American people, who have had enough of “mostly peaceful” protests that by in-large have turned out to be not so peaceful, but rather violent and destructive.
More than five million people have bought firearms for the first time this year. Wanting to protect their homes, their families and their livelihoods, they bought guns because Democrats, who run most of the major cities where most of the civil unrest has been allowed to continue, have failed to protect local citizens and their businesses.
With either Barrett or Lagoa, the Supreme Court should finally be able to deal with outstanding Second Amendment issues that have been disturbingly ignored for so long. It is time the SCOTUS rules on issues such as the right to carry outside the home, the constitutionality of “assault weapons” bans, magazine capacity limits, and more. I say, let’s move full steam ahead with the SCOTUS nomination and confirmation process and let the chips fall where they may.
Miguel A. Faria, M.D., is Associate Editor in Chief in socioeconomics, politics, medicine, and world affairs of Surgical Neurology International (SNI). He was appointed and served at the behest of President George W. Bush as member of the Injury Research Grant Review Committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2002-2005. His recently released book is America, Guns, and Freedom: A Journey Into Politics and the Public Health & Gun Control Movements (2019).