Former ESPN host J.A. Adande took heat after responding to a U.S. Appeals Court ruling by asking now “high capacity” magazines can be constitutionally protected since “they didn’t exist when the Second Amendment was written.”
Adande was reacting to the August 14, 2012, ruling by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Breitbart News reported that the panel found California’s ban on “Large Capacity Magazines” unconstitutional.
The New York Times tweeted the ruling and Adande responded:
How can high-capacity gun magazines be covered by the second amendment when they didn’t exist when the second amendment was written? https://t.co/NT6Gb64ZmJ
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) August 14, 2020
Former NYPD detective Rob O’Donnell responded to Adande by tweeting, “As you write this on a cell phone or computer via the internet on a cyber social media platform.”
As you write this on a cell phone or computer via the internet on a cyber social media platform. ♂️ https://t.co/A3W8Wd0k4A
— Rob O'Donnell (@odonnell_r) August 15, 2020
O’Donnell’s point is that none of those platforms existed as the First Amendment protections on free speech were written.
Another Twitter user sent a similar tweet, saying, “The web didn’t exist then either, but free speech is protected on the Internet.”
The web didn't exist then either, but free speech is protected on the Internet. https://t.co/Wp7LjXsOg0
— Robert Meyne (@RobMeyne) August 15, 2020
New Hampshire Rep. JR Hoell responded to Adande, writing, “Is this like asking: ‘How can the internet be covered by the first amendment when there were no phone lines or computers when the constitution was written?'”
Is this like asking: "How can the internet be covered by the first amendment when there were no phone lines or computers when the constitution was written? https://t.co/rc0xFye0Rc
— Rep. JR Hoell (@NH_Braveheart) August 15, 2020
Twitter user @PereGrimmer responded to Adande’s query, writing, “How can the Bill of Rights refer to “persons” when no person alive today was then in existence?!”
How can the Bill of Rights refer to "persons" when no person alive today was then in existence?! https://t.co/VmUT7QxjIR
— Out Of Likes Derek (@PereGrimmer) August 15, 2020
Micheal Wilkerson responded to Adande by simply tweeting, “Dumbest take ever.”
Dumbest take ever. https://t.co/dRyjmEWARV
— Michael Wilkerson 🇺🇸 (@mwilkers1969) August 15, 2020
On March 3, 2017, Adande wrote tweet expressing surprise that people do not blame Chicago crime on guns. He wrote, “It’s amazing the lengths people will go to avoid blaming guns for gun violence.”
It's amazing the lengths people will go to avoid blaming guns for gun violence https://t.co/iaCScRL3w1
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) March 3, 2017
Adande did not mention all the gun controls in place in Chicago–both at county and state levels–nor did he note that when Chicago hit its apex of gun control, a total handgun ban from 1982 to 2010, they witnessed homicides at levels that were even higher than what is being seen today.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.