Originally published Jan. 6; updated on Jan. 20.
ASHEVILLE — Please join us for a conversation about guns and gun policy in North Carolina at the next Carolina Public Press Newsmakers forum, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, at the United Way Building conference rooms in Asheville.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
8:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. Registration and light breakfast
9:25 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Panel conversation and audience Q&A
Free; RSVPs required. (Tickets here or below.)

Going beyond headlines and sound bites, the Newsmakers series brings together the state and region’s top journalists with those making and influencing the news — people such as business leaders, lawmakers, agency administrators, public policy influencers and others — for in-depth, nonpartisan conversations with the public. Newsmakers will break down barriers often felt between journalists and lawmakers, between community members and leaders — all toward building an engaged, informed community.
Panelists include state Rep. John Ager (D-Buncombe), Rep. Susan Fisher (D-Buncombe), Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe) and Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan. The event will be moderated by Frank Taylor, managing editor of Carolina Public Press.
Invitees to this event included several other North Carolina legislators, area sheriffs, and representatives from the N.C. Sheriffs’ Association, the N.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, the N.C. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are required. Free parking is available at the United Way parking lot.
Please note that the United Way Building has a no firearms policy.
For more information, please contact Carolina Public Press at 828-774-5290 or at info@carolinapublicpress.org.
What makes people think that the insane and criminal will obey laws?
The 2nd amendment is a NATURAL RIGHT. We were born with certain “inalienable” natural rights. Natural rights are rights which are “natural” in the sense of “not artificial, not man-made”, as in rights deriving from human nature, or from the edicts of a god. They are universal; that is, they apply to all people, and do not derive from the laws of any specific society. They exist necessarily, inhere in every individual, and can’t be taken away. For example, it has been argued that humans have a natural right to life. They’re sometimes called moral rights or inalienable rights. A right is an inherent, irrevocable entitlement held by all citizens or all human beings from the moment of birth. It is not a privilege granted to one. A privilege can be taken away, a right can not. These natural rights are guaranteed by our Constitution’s Bill of Rights that We The People can keep and bear arms WITHOUT any infringement. Meaning exactly that – NO Rules, Laws or Regulations concerning arms of any type. For is not a rule, law or regulation a infringement? Our Federal Government violated our trust in this concern some years ago and continue to do to this day. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and its rules, laws and regulations along with any other infringement our Federal Government may or has come up with concerning arms are therefore, in my opinion, unconstitutional.
In the Supreme Courts 2nd Amendment Ruling of 6/28/2010, according to reports, Judge Alito, states: that in some instances the right to bear arms can be limited. It, is my opinion he is incorrect, as he seems to forget the last four words of the amendment-shall not be infringed. As a Limit of some type would be an infringement of some type. Nor is any limit implied. I would like Judge Alito to show me were in the amendment the word or words “limit, can be limited to, is limited to, etc appear.”.
We must remember that the Bill Of Rights, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, protects the rights of all citizens of the United States and its territories. And puts limits on the powers of the Federal Government. The 2nd Amendment DOES NOT give the rights to the Militia to keep and bear arms. It only states that a militia is necessary to the security of a free state. A militia is a group of citizens coming together to provide defense against an enemy or its own government that has gotten out of hand. It is not the National Guard ** or the Army Reserve. The government changed (in my opinion) the true meaning of Militia in 1903. The true Militia in my mind is a group of citizens coming together to provide defense against an enemy or its own government that has gotten out of hand. If the government has control of the Militia how do the people protect themselves against the government when all else fails?
Does it not make sense that since the government was formed by us the people that government property belongs to us the people? Its seems to me the government has no right to tell anyone they can not protect themselves by carrying arms on themselves while on government property (our property). The 2nd Amendment of course, also covers ammunition and other items the citizen needs to use the arms. For without these items the citizen can not use his arms and therefore his rights would be infringed.
No Treaty trumps the U.S. Constitution as the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land. “Treaties must be made: “in pursuance” of the Constitution’s delegated powers as well. To do otherwise is a serious usurpation of the very nature of our Constitutional Republic. To allow foreign law to trump the Supreme Law of the Land leaves the people of this nation in a precarious situation at best with their liberties.” – Tenthamendmentcenter.com
The preamble to US Constitution states: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. In other words the government was formed by the people for the people – not for the government. We have a basic right to self-defense. Another very important reason for the 2nd Amendment was so if, our government took these rights from us, we could take them back the same way our forefathers did. If, other ways failed to do so. – Fremont V Brown III