By Gary Hunt ——Bio and Archives--June 8, 2015
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As detailed below, Massey's Motion to Dismiss focuses on the alleged unconstitutionality of Section 922(g), which makes it a crime for a person who has previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year "to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce." 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). For the following reasons, the Court denies Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment.First, he implies that the entire question rests on "the alleged unconstitutionality of Section 922(g)". Though challenges to constitutionality were made, there was an even stronger argument made with regard to the grammatical context of the statute, which, if correct, would allow other aspects of the law to fit, neatly, into earlier Congressional interpretations of the extent of the "commerce clause". This will be addressed in the third point.
The Second Amendment, at its core, protects "law-abiding" citizens. See Heller, 554 U.S. at 635. It is clear that convicted felons are not such citizens and thus fall outside of the Second Amendment's protection. Accordingly, the Court need not consider the second inquiry because Section 922(g)(1) does not burden conduct falling within the scope of the Second Amendment.So, unlike Texas, that being the location of the private property in which the alleged crime (possession) was committed, he determines that the rehabilitation program, under the various penal systems, cannot achieve its stated goal of rehabilitation, during the course of one's life. In direct contravention of that "philosophy", we have the opportunity to look at Massey's life, since that rehabilitation, in "Who is K. C. Massey?". What he does not address is the question of jurisdiction. If the "crime" was committed on private property (affirmed, in the next argument), is it constitutional to supersede Texas law absent an act that was committed on public lands? This doesn't address an even more serious breach of jurisdictional limitations, which is quiet apparent in Massey's case, as Massey was absolutely sure that they were on private land, with permission of the owner, to protect the owner's property.
Mr. FREDERICK. That takes me into the purposes of this bill. This bill, as I see it, is intended to be a bill for the suppression of crime and is proposed to the United States Congress which ordinarily has no power in such matters, under the guise of a revenue raising bill.So, we have, "which ordinarily has no power in such matters, under the guise of a revenue bill". Now, they were using the commerce clause, as that original acts required that interstate commerce be involved. However, since they had no power to "suppress crime", they used their power to tax ("revenue raising bill"), to both fund and track firearms. That was the only way that they could mount a challenge to the Second Amendment -- by taxing, not by criminal charges, unless the tax was ignored. That was what the Constitution, even loosely construed in the act, allowed. There are no amendments that would extend that authority beyond what existed in 1934 -- except the machinations of "case law", which disregards the Constitution if one can manipulate the words of a previous decision to extend government authority where it had no constitutional authority to go. This is precisely why I suggest that we, the People, need to interpret Our Constitution, as the government is intent upon subverting it.
18 USC 922 (g) It shall be unlawful for any person -There are two key elements that we need to consider. First, "possess in or affecting commerce". "In" is easily understood. That would clearly be in the act of shipping or transporting. "Affecting", while that would mean that the possession affected, had an effect on, the transporting. Here, the Judge cites United States v. Rawls, 85 F.3d 240, 242 (5th Cir. 1996), which says that the "in or affecting commerce' element can be satisfied if the firearm possessed by a convicted felon had previously traveled in interstate commerce." Damn, I need to return to school and take English Grammar all over, again. I cannot draw the same conclusion that the Court did in Rawls, though apparently, Judge Hanen apparently, can make that broad leap -- away from the Constitution and into the lap of a government that wants to have absolute control over every aspect of our lives (Hint: That was once known as slavery). So, in a sense, the wording from Rawls rewrites the wording of the statute (922 (g)(1)) into something that is not written as law, rather, is interpreted into something that is not written in law, thereby making it law because the judges of the Fifth Circuit wanted it to be; not what it was intended to be when passed into law (or regulation). It is bad enough when the Congress can go from taxing to criminalization, however, when they allow the Courts to go even further and make something that does not exist, and then they can be described as nothing less than a Kangaroo Court. But, wait, we're not done, yet. That second part of the statute states, "to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate... commerce", was discussed in A Favorable Ruling?. This, too, stretches our comprehension of the English Language. Here is how it is presented in Massey's motion:(1) who has been convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
The word "has", as opposed to the word "had" was used in the statute. "Has" is the third person singular, present indicative, verb meaning active in the action just completed, where "had" is past tense and participle of the verb have, meaning in a previous situation. So, if one were the direct recipient, then the word "has" would be appropriate. However, if it were expansive, intended to include any firearm shipped in interstate commerce, then "had" would be the proper verb. The use of "had" would have meant to include any and all that "had" been so transported any time prior.
... did knowingly possess in and affecting interstate commerce a firearm . . . said firearm having been shipped in interstate commerce.And the statute:
... to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.Darn look at that. They have introduced another verb, "having". "Had" and "having" are both past tense, as described in the First Supplement. However, "has", is present tense (present indicative). So, the statute says "has", while the proper verb should have been "had", if what the government claims was intended was really intended when the statute was written. However, the Grand Jury was led to believe the even more broadly expressed "having", which is very inclusive.
It poisons the blessing of liberty itself. It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?They will be "incoherent" if the Courts use a different language than the People. We cannot know what the law is, today, if that law is not based upon the language that we understand. The law is little known and less fixed when previous decisions of the courts have redefined the words, moving slowly but steadily away from the Constitution, for it is unfixed with subsequent decisions, and little known unless we make a daily habit of reading what the courts have done to both our language and the Constitution. There is even more that troubles the patriot's heart, and you will find those points highlighted in the linked Order. Suffice to say that if we fit the analogy of frogs in the water approaching its boiling point, we have, so far complained of the rising temperature, have failed to get out of the water.
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Gary Hunt was a Professional Land Surveyor. Having been the County Surveyor for Orange County, Florida from 1974 to 1978, he began private practice in 1978 and continued as such until 1993, when events in Waco, Texas caused him to leave his business in pursuit of restoring the Constitution.
In 1989, he began researching, investigating and studying history, law and events where the government was “pointing its guns in the wrong direction”. He began publishing a patriot newspaper, “Outpost of Freedom”, in February 1993.
Since that time, he has investigated numerous occurrences, including, Waco, the Murder of Michael Hill, Ohio Militia Chaplain, Oklahoma City Bombing, and other events. He has attended the sites to investigate the events, and has reported on his investigations.
He has continued to report on his findings on the Internet, as well as write articles about other current events; about the history of the Revolutionary era; and the founding documents.
His Internet home page is outpost-of-freedom.com