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Saira Rao, the former Colorado congressional candidate and co-author of White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism and How to Do Better, was lying in bed on the night of March 27, dwelling on the persistent issue of gun violence in America after the school shooting that day in Nashville, when she had an idea.

Rao would like to see the Second Amendment dismantled nationwide, starting in Colorado. That night, she dreamed up the idea for Here4TheKids, which calls for women of color to use the power of white women to achieve that goal.

"White women have the most power in the country, and they have the most privilege. They can actually effect change," says Rao.

And Here4TheKids is taking aim first at Colorado, a state where guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, and at Governor Jared Polis whose voting base is made up largely of white women, Rao notes. Tens of thousands of white women have signed up to participate in a sit-in at the Colorado Capitol that will start at 5 a.m. June 5, she says; Rao expects that number to grow over the next few weeks.

Rao and business partner Regina Jackson who co-authored White Women and is afounding member of Here4TheKids started Race2Dinner in Denver in 2019. The pair met when Rao ran for Congress in Colorado's 1st Congressional District in 2018 in the Democratic primary against Diana DeGette; Jackson worked on her campaign. After Rao lost against the longtime incumbent with 31.8 percent of the vote, she and Jackson began hosting dinner parties with groups of liberal white women, which grew into Race2Dinner.

Saira Rao and Regina Jackson at the Race2Dinner table.

Race2Dinner

The pair will host four dinners this year, at $2,500 per guest. All four are already sold out.

In the years since it started, Race2Dinner has attracted national attention and plenty of controversy. The New York Post called it a "for-profit money grab" last year. Still, Rao and Jackson have amassed a dedicated following of racially conscious white women, whom they now plan to weaponize for their current priority: getting rid of guns.

According to Rao, this movement of white women is the country's "only chance of getting a repeal of the Second Amendment." Following decades of never-ending violence against children in schools, "we have been abandoned," by our politicians, she says.

"I mean, look at your brave blue state legislature that just killed an assault weapons ban on the eve of the Columbine anniversary," Rao notes, pointing to House Bill 23-1230, which was voted down by a committee during an April 19 hearing at the Colorado Legislature.

The Here4TheKids Instagram pagejust became active on April 12 and already has over 40,000 followers. It's gotten shoutouts from such celebrities as Yvette Nicole Brown, who starred on the popular sitcom Community. But does that mean Here4TheKids will be effective?

"How do we know it's going to work?" replies Rao. "Because if history is any guide, it always does."

Rao believes a nationwide gun ban will be necessary, saying that blue states "will become target practice" if guns are banned there and not in red states. Still, she chose Colorado as a starting point for the larger goal because of her personal connections with the state as well as Colorado's blue governor and "inordinate amount of school shootings," starting with Columbine and recently spreading to East High, where a student shot two deans on March 22 and later committed suicide.

Rao lived in Denver until she moved to Virginia last August; if she'd stayed here, her daughter would have gone to East High School. "It's a war zone there. ... It's like target practice," she says.

And Here4TheKids is serious about stopping the violence and making schools safe by giving real momentum to the anti-gun cause. "Republicans have been playing chess; we have been blowing bubbles," Rao says. This movement, on the other hand, "is coming and showing up for the game."

The women who participate on June 5 won't be like the "pink pussy hat"-wearing protesters who demonstrated against Trump, she says. "No, these are white women putting their bodies on the line. They're coming to sit, and they're not going to leave until they get this executive order from Jared Polis."

"I'm planning on wearing a diaper," says Wolf Terry, one of the white women who will be at the Capitol on June 5.

A freelance writer living in Lakewood, Terry says she only recently learned of Rao, when a friend messaged her suggesting she check out the Here4TheKids movement. Terry responded to a post from Rao on social media calling for volunteers; five minutes later, she says, she got a call back.

That was April 27. Since then, Terry has put the rest of her life on pause in order to throw herself into the movement. "We are running this sort of like a campaign," she says. Under the direction of Tina Strawn, one of the other founders of Here4TheKids, Terry and other white women dedicated to the movement have been working hard in Denver, meeting, organizing and canvassing to build their coalition.

Terry was drawn to the movement "so that we can go to the grocery store without the fear of being shot," she says. "My kid's autistic, by the way; if there's an active shooter at his school, he's going to be the first one killed."

Getting involved in Here4TheKids is about "putting aside our white woman fragility, getting comfortable with the discomfort, leaning in and organizing to actually make change happen with the help of Black leaders who are leading the way," Terry notes.

She'll be at a community-organizing event hosted by Here4TheKids at 11 a.m. on May 17 at the Evans Schoolin the Golden Triangle.Saira Rao and other co-founders will be there, pushing the June 5 action at the State Capitol and explaining why it's important.

"I would like for everybody to know that June 5 is more than just a bunch of people getting together for a hopeless cause," says Terry.

"This is civil disobedience," Rao says. "This is a sit-in. This is a rising up of the people we have never seen in America in our lifetime."

And it's just the start."It's literally history," she continues. "This is going to be probably the biggest thing that will have happened in any of our lifetimes. This is going to be a 'Where were you on June 5?' And I hope all you white folks are able to say, 'I was in Denver.'"

Read more here:
Here4TheKids Using the Power of White Women to Get Rid of Guns | Westword - Westword

Truth is often stranger than fiction. Examples that amaze and delight us get a smile, even a laugh out loud. But other examples can confound us, pulling out of us an anguished groan.

Imagine a teen boy who wants to play kickball with his buddies in the street outside his house during a block party. Dad, can we? His father says, The street is blocked off, so sure, go and play in the street. It was raucous but safe, and a good time was had by all.

A few days later, the father sees the boys out in the street, playing just like before. He storms out and shouts, Get out of the street! You wanna get killed? His son says, You said, sure, go and play in the street. Dad says, Dont play games with me! Dont quote back the part you wanted to hear and blow off the rest. Youre putting your lives at risk! Thats a good, responsible parent.

Thats fiction. But heres the ugly, even appalling truth: The Second Amendment stipulates that gun ownership is permitted for people who are or can be members of a well-regulated militia. In context, it was passed in colonial days, when our nation was just getting organized and had no standing army to face off against the army of a hostile power.

Our context is totally different. So calling gun ownership and bearing arms a God-given right has allowed our society to descend into the great chaos we see daily. That demand flies in the face of the amendments purpose and intent no matter that the Supreme Court blatantly ignores the historical context in which it was formulated.

Give full and due consideration to the facts, legislators at all levels of government, and pass laws that put stringent limits on who can possess these tools of mayhem and death and, in particular, forbid anyone outside our well-regulated and disciplined military to have military-grade weapons like AR-17s in their hands.

Dont allow this situation to continue to be the truth that is truly stranger than fiction in the worst possible way.

Fred ReklauOak Park

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Second thoughts on the Second Amendment - Oak Park - Wednesday Journal

The Ider Police Department made an arrest over the weekend after a homeowner called them stating he had a burglar held at gunpoint. The incident happened Saturday night in the area of County Road 732, in the small DeKalb County town.

The homeowner told police he saw the suspect entering the house, and when he approached him, the suspect went under the house to hide. Police said the suspect eventually took off into the woods but later came out of the woods with a knife. The homeowner called the police, and a heated exchange between the two could be heard on the call.

"During the call to police, you could hear both the victim and suspect yelling at one another, the victim pleading for the suspect to drop the knife," Ider Police stated in a press release. "The victim stated he put the knife away, and acted as if he was going to surrender. Allegedly the suspect attempted to stand to his feet and brandished the knife again at this point is when the victim held him at gunpoint advising him he would shoot if the suspect did not drop the knife; the suspect complied."

John Mitchell, 38, of Gaylesville, was taken into custody when police arrived. He was booked into the DeKalb County Detention Center and charged with menacing, second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal trespass. He posted a $20,000 bond and was released Monday morning.

"I'm thankful that the victim exercised his Second Amendment right," Ider Police Chief Stephen Malone said. "If not, this incident could have had a tragic ending for both parties. This case is a prime example of how important it is to exercise your rights and legally carrying to protect yourself, family and property. I'm relieved that in this case the victim, suspect, and officers were all unharmed and the only damage done was to the home. Property can be replaced, but people can't."

The Henagar Police Department, Sylvania Police Department and Dekalb County Sheriff's Office assisted.

Mitchell is considered innocent until proven guilty.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.

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Ider police chief thankful citizen exercised Second Amendment right, - 1819 News

Darrell M. Allen| Carlsbad Current-Argus

What does the Second Amendment look like in a quiet, residential neighborhood? How does it work? More specifically, 1) who gets to bear arms, 2) what arms can they bear, and 3) who gets to shoot first?New Mexico got a raw look at these questions in the April 5 shooting of Robert Dotson in Farmington at the hands of the Farmington Police Department.The answer to these questions seems to be: anyone without a felony conviction; any weapon; and the fastest on the draw.

Robert Dotson of Farmington, New Mexico, is dead.He was defending his home, his wife and his daughter on April 5 when he was shot to death by officers of the Farmington Police Department.Mr. Dotson was a Second Amendment warrior in the best sense.He likely believed he had the right, the duty, to bear arms in defense of his home and family.And so he exercised his right and did his duty; having done so, he is now dead. His wife widowed, his daughter fatherless.

Three members of the Farmington Police Department, those who killed Mr. Dotson, are not dead. They were defending themselves and their right to go home alive at the end of their shift.They too are Second Amendment warriors, and as front line law enforcement officers they are at war every day.Being on the front line means they see both good guys and bad buys bearing arms, every day. The line between seeing good guys and bad guys may not be seen in the split second it takes to pull the trigger, but the imperative is to go home alive at the end of the shift.So the Farmington warriors rightfully pulled the trigger in a split second judgment.

In the case of Mr. Dotson, the Farmington police warriors mistakenly did not see that he was a good guy with a gun in that split second.He was an unknown guy with a gun who could do harm to them.So they opened fire.The result was death, widowhood, and fatherlessness.The Farmington warriors did not wish for this to happen, but it did.

What we have here is a Second Amendment incentive structure that encourages private citizens to arm themselves to the teeth against enemies and home intruders, and a Second Amendment that simultaneously encourages front line law enforcement officers to guard themselves against anyone who has a gun.Or to guard themselves against anyone who may have a gun, which is another way of saying anyone.You know, constitutional carry, permitless concealed carry, stuff like that. Anyone, because that is the law of the land enshrined in the Constitution.

This is a self-harming circle.More guns in more private hands means that more law enforcement officers will see guns in private hands as a threat, even when the gun is in the hands of a Second Amendment warrior like Richard Dotson. I am confident the Farmington warriors do not fault Mr. Dotson for bearing arms in defense of his home, but when that firearm was visible to their own eyes it became a mortal threat to them.Instantly.And so they opened fire, even though, unbeknownst to them, Mr. Dotson was defending his home and family.The result was the death of Richard Dotson, widowhood for his wife, and fatherlessness for his daughter.

In the end, we have a dead man, a widow, a fatherless daughter, and three police officers possessed both of law enforcement authority and questionable judgment.Does anyone really think this is an acceptable result of a responsible, functional Second Amendment?

Does anyone really think that doing nothing will yield a different result?

Darrell M. Allen is a retired criminal defense attorney and employment attorney. He lives with a nice Republican lady north of I-40, where they run one head of dog and two of cat.

Originally posted here:
Permission to fire granted - Carlsbad Current Argus

With all due respect to the Washington Post, the headline to the recent article referenced in the title of this piece reminds us of the iconic phrase uttered by the character Inigo Montoya in the 1987 film Princess Bride.

You keep using that word (in this case, words, as in courts and win). I do not think it means what you think it means.

A headline announcing using the courts to win ongun control would lead one to believe that the ensuing article would have a few references to impressive successes through the judicial process; or even one success.

But one would be wrong to hold such a belief.

When it comes to discussions about gun control, the article does refer to anti-gun state attorneys general lobbying in support of state legislatures imposing new restrictions on law-abiding gun owners, but there is not a single reference to any activity in the courts.

Washington AG Bob Ferguson (D) is mentioned as having helped push a ban on semi-automatic firearms and standard capacity magazines through the legislature, but that had nothing to do with his job as Washingtons litigator. The article goes on to mention it took him six years of lobbying to help get the unconstitutional law enacted, but is that even worthy of praise?

Remember, Washington has been a fairly reliable Democrat stronghold for several decades, and the Democrat Party, at virtually every level, has adopted banning what it labels as assault weapons for quite some time. The state has voted for Democrat presidential candidates every election cycle since 1988, and hasnt elected a Republican for US Senate since 1994. The governor, Jay Inslee (D), has been in office since 2013, and has been pushing for banning guns for even longer than Ferguson.

In that context, six years seems like an awfully long time, and likely attributable to NRAs efforts to oppose both Ferguson and Inslee.

So, the Washington AG has had some success as an anti-gun lobbyist, but Fergusons ability to defend anti-gun laws in court will soon be truly tested, so well have to wait and see how well the Posts headline holds up.

Oregon AG Ellen Rosenblum (D) is also referenced as addressing gun control, and lobbying hard for a package of gun control measures in the legislature, but there is also no mention of her success in the courts when it comes to attacking the Second Amendment. Of course, that could be because her efforts in the courtsas they relate to infringing on the rights of law-abiding gun ownersare probably better described as failure after failure after failure.

The bottom line is that the Washington Post headline is, at a minimum, misleading. More likely, it is intentionally false, and designed to present the mirage that the courts are on the side of anti-gun extremists, in spite of the courtroom losses that their policies keep piling up. Starting with the landmark ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), and culminating (thus far) in last years NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022), the US Supreme Court, along with countless lower courts, are consistently recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to acquire, possess, carry, and use firearms.

Of course, weve become accustomed to the Washington Post failing at journalism when it comes to covering firearms and the Second Amendment. We recently pointed out a series of editorials designed to vilify the venerable AR-15, arguably Americas most popular firearm, that ended up promoting just how popular it is, and further solidified the fact that law-abiding citizens owning that very gun is clearly protected by the Second Amendment.

Therefore, it comes as little surprise that the papers new attempt to paint gun control through litigation as a winning strategy would be not just lacking of any mention of courtroom victories, but be also completely bereft of any litigation, whatsoever.

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Washington Post: Democratic AGs are Using the Courts to Win on ... - NRA ILA