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    The Good Ol’ Progressive Contempt for the Founding

    Any conservative who takes his bearings from America’s founding principles can’t help but miss the candor with which the early Progressives dismissed our founding documents as antiquated relics of a bygone era. Unlike liberal politicians from FDR onward who couch their statist agenda in the rhetoric of the Founding, Woodrow … More

    Morning Bell: Senate Gun Control Bill Erodes Your Rights and Privacy

    Since the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama and many in Congress have pushed a “do something” mentality on gun control. Heritage experts urged lawmakers to consider the host of complex factors that contribute to violent outbreaks and to steer away from untested ideas that would restrict the rights … More

    Schumer-Toomey-Manchin Gun Control Bill: Feel Free to Run a Secret FBI Check on Job Applicants

    The gun control legislation proposed by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) lets firearms dealers secretly run government background checks on job applicants—a gross violation of privacy. Private-sector employers should not be able to use non-public government databases like the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background … More

    Schumer-Toomey-Manchin Gun Control Bill: Cuts HIPAA Privacy for Mental Health Records

    American society has long recognized the importance of mental health and has encouraged those in need of mental health care to seek it. Effective provision of mental health services depends in important part upon open and honest communications between a patient and a psychotherapist. To encourage patient candor in the … More

    Morning Bell: Guns, Background Checks, and Your Rights

    Harry Reid has a doozy of a gun plan, but President Obama wants to reassure you that it’s just “common sense.” In a speech Wednesday, Obama said that “opponents of some of these common-sense laws have ginned up fears among responsible gun owners that have nothing to do with what’s … More

    WATCH: Heritage Hangout on Gun Control

    Politico reports that the White House has successfully brought all the gun control activist groups into line behind its leadership. What does this mean for the gun proposals that are out there on background checks, assault weapons, and more? And what do women think about recent advice that they should … More

    Fake Twitter Accounts? Obama’s Political Group Pushes Gun Control

    How far would President Obama’s supporters go to make his message dominant on gun control? Too far, according to Representative Steve Stockman’s (R-TX) office, which identified a number of fake Twitter accounts posting the same message: “I’m one of the 92% of Americans who support universal background checks. #WeDemandAVote.” After … More

    Morning Bell: Heritage Experts Analyze the State of the Union

    President Barack Obama laid out an ambitious agenda last night. Here are some highlights of our experts’ analysis of his claims, his plans, and his promises. Responding to Newtown All Americans, no matter what our backgrounds or political perspectives, abhor the death of innocent human beings. We were shocked by … More

    The So-Called Gun Show Loophole: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

    There is a lot of misinformation circulating about background checks for gun ownership. Under the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act—which created the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)—all federal firearms licensees are required to conduct a background check for all firearms transactions, even if they sell the firearm at … More

    Tales of the Red Tape #31: Charlie Manson for Hire

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has brought forth yet another excuse to punish employers: Conducting a criminal background check of job applicants could trigger charges of race discrimination. No joke. By a vote of 4–1, the commission last week approved its new “Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest … More