Amicus: The Right to Bear Arms and Terrorize Your Partner
Nov 4, 2023
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Shannon Watts, gun safety advocate, joins Dahlia Lithwick to discuss the Supreme Court case on gun rights and domestic violence. They explore how originalism affects gun laws, the threat to women and families, and the influence of the gun lobby. The podcast also highlights the impact of guns as an organizing principle and the connection between domestic abusers and violence against women.
United States vs. Rahimi case could potentially weaken laws protecting domestic partners from gun violence.
The Bruin decision has invalidated numerous state and federal gun laws, highlighting the need for continued advocacy and election efforts to protect and strengthen gun safety laws.
Deep dives
The Case of United States vs. Rahimi
The podcast focuses on the upcoming Supreme Court case of United States vs. Rahimi, which challenges the current conservative super majority's gun rights test set forth in the Bruin decision. The case raises questions about whether dangerous domestic abusers should have access to firearms and could potentially weaken laws protecting domestic partners from gun violence. The podcast highlights the shocking facts of the case, including Rahimi's history of violence and multiple incidents involving firearms. It emphasizes the need to protect women and families from gun violence and calls for greater regulation and enforcement of firearm restrictions for domestic abusers.
The Impact of Bruin Decision on Gun Laws
The podcast discusses the significant impact of the Bruin decision on gun laws across the United States. It reveals that since the Bruin decision, more than a dozen state and federal gun laws have been invalidated, including bans on assault weapons and gun safety requirements for young adults. The podcast highlights the alarming statistic that 30% of civil cases and 4% of criminal cases cite Bruin as the reason for invalidating gun control measures. It emphasizes the need for continued advocacy and election efforts to protect and strengthen gun safety laws.
The Connection between Domestic Violence and Gun Violence
The podcast explores the strong correlation between domestic violence and gun violence. It reveals that in about half of the cases where domestic violence petitions are granted, guns are present, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death. The conversation highlights the need for stronger laws to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and offers insights into the work done by organizations like Mom's Demand Action to pass laws that protect domestic partners from gun violence.
The Call for Women's Activism and Political Engagement
The podcast emphasizes the importance of women's activism and political engagement in addressing gun violence and protecting gun safety. It acknowledges the power of an army of women advocating for change and highlights the success of organizations like Mom's Demand Action in passing gun safety laws and electing gun sense candidates. The podcast encourages women to run for office at all levels of government and emphasizes the moral imperative for women to be actively involved in shaping policies that protect their communities and families.
Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in one of the most significant—and potentially deadly—cases of the term - United States v Rahimi. The case, a follow on fromNew York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, has the potential to weaponize the court’s Second Amendment extremism against victims of domestic abuse and protect adjudicated abusers. Dahlia Lithwick is joined by gun safety advocate Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, to find out the potential real life-and-death consequences of pursuing originalism literally back to when women were property and muskets were muzzle-loaded. They also discuss why the right is so keen to pursue gun rights through the courts, rather than through the democratic process.
In this week’s Amicus Plus segment, Dahlia is joined by Jay Willis, editor in chief of Balls and Strikes, to discuss oral arguments in a pair of cases concerning First Amendment concerns when politicians block dissenting voices on social media, the Trump-related trademark t-shirt dispute that is barely SFW, and Justice Clarence Thomas’s personal luxury RV loan forgiveness program.