{"id":3331,"date":"2024-05-23T19:50:26","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T19:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=3331"},"modified":"2024-05-23T19:50:26","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T19:50:26","slug":"ny-congresswoman-seeks-to-outlaw-civilian-body-armor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=3331","title":{"rendered":"NY Congresswoman Seeks to Outlaw Civilian Body Armor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical.jpeg\" data-caption=\"Civilian body armor courtesy of 221B Tactical\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"415\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-696x415.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-696x415.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-300x179.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-700x418.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-768x458.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-150x90.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-1068x637.jpeg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-704x420.jpeg 704w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical-560x334.jpeg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Civilian-body-armor-courtesy-of-221B-Tactical.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"\" title=\"Civilian body armor courtesy of 221B Tactical\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Civilian body armor courtesy of 221B Tactical<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In more anti-everything wackiness from the Empire State, New York Democratic Congresswoman Grace Meng apparently wants to make it easier for criminals to shoot you. Meng has reintroduced legislation \u2013 for the third time \u2013 that would ban <a href=\"https:\/\/classic.avantlink.com\/click.php?tool_type=ml&amp;merchant_link_id=303907a7-2fae-4dc4-a2bf-a4add37b6776&amp;website_id=4e8a62e5-c9f2-4169-947d-06856fc118da\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">civilian body armor<\/a> if it can defeat rifle ammunition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meng\u2019s bill, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/3247\/committees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">H.R. 3247, which is titled the \u201cAaron Salter, Jr., Responsible Body Armor Possession Act,\u201d<\/a> would ban the \u201cpurchase, ownership, or possession of enhanced body armor by civilians.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bill defines <em>enhanced<\/em> body armor as having the ballistic resistance that meets or exceeds Level III standards as defined by the National Institute of Justice. Level III and Level IV are designed to stop rifle rounds. The legislation would also ban helmets and ballistic shields if they are Level III or greater.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, Meng\u2019s bill contains a carve-out for law enforcement and members of the military. There is also a grandfather clause for civilians who purchase armor before the bill takes effect. Currently, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/118th-congress\/house-bill\/3247\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">H.R. 3247<\/a> is stalled in the House Judiciary Committee. The bill has nine cosponsors, all Democrats, including five from New York.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meng, a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, announced she was reintroducing the legislation on the two-year anniversary of the 2022 Tops Friendly Market grocery store shooting in Buffalo, New York, during which the shooter, who was wearing body armor and a ballistic helmet, killed 10 Black customers and wounded three more.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The shooter, who wrote in a manifesto that his actions were racially motivated, was sentenced last year to 11 consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. The bill was named in honor of Aaron Salter, Jr., a retired Buffalo police officer who got off several rounds but was killed during the mass murder.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt should not be the case that anyone with internet access can purchase equipment designed to stop military-grade ammunition,\u201d Meng said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/meng.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/meng-and-kennedy-introduce-legislation-keep-enhanced-body-armor-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Officer Salter\u2019s gallantry notwithstanding, Meng\u2019s bill is an unconstitutional nightmare that will do nothing to reduce violent crime. Like all gun control initiatives, law-abiding Americans will be left unprotected, and criminals will continue to armor up despite any new law. In other words, it would make it even more difficult for good people to protect themselves.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Congresswoman Meng\u2019s communications staff did not return calls seeking her comments for this story.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FBI Data Ignored<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the FBI\u2019s landmark study, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/file-repository\/active-shooter-incidents-20-year-review-2000-2019-060121.pdf\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Active Shooter Incidents 20-Year Review, 2000-2019<\/a>,\u201d roughly 5% of the active shooters wore body armor during their mass murders \u2013 16 of the 345 shooters \u2013 five at open areas, four at business open to the public, three at government buildings, two at high schools, and two at universities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neither Meng nor her cosponsor Congressman Timothy Kennedy, a Democrat representing New York\u2019s 26<sup>th<\/sup> District, cited this FBI data in their press release announcing the bill\u2019s reintroduction. Instead, they used another data source.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAccording to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been over 150 mass shootings in 2024,\u201d their <a href=\"https:\/\/meng.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/meng-and-kennedy-introduce-legislation-keep-enhanced-body-armor-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release <\/a>states.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/thegunwriter.substack.com\/p\/special-report-the-gun-violence-archive?utm_source=publication-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gun Violence Archive has been debunked<\/a> more than a dozen times just on this site alone. Even some in the gun-ban industry have moved on from the GVA and are using other, less-notorious data sources. The GVA uses an overly broad definition of a mass shooting, which creates inflated statistics designed to hoodwink the public. For example, according to the GVA\u2019s all-inclusive definition, there were 417 mass shootings in 2019. The FBI says there were 30, because it uses a much narrower and more realistic definition.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mainstream Appeal<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/classic.avantlink.com\/click.php?tool_type=ml&amp;merchant_link_id=aedbc5be-828e-447d-8b84-ca1e67e83ab2&amp;website_id=4e8a62e5-c9f2-4169-947d-06856fc118da\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Body armor<\/a> has increased dramatically in popularity. Millions of law-abiding Americans have incorporated flexible armor and\/or plate carriers into their home-defense plans. Even <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4e37Hjk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a> now offers hundreds of options, although you need to shop carefully as many of the options are inferior Chinese designs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No group has embraced <a href=\"https:\/\/classic.avantlink.com\/click.php?tool_type=ml&amp;merchant_link_id=303907a7-2fae-4dc4-a2bf-a4add37b6776&amp;website_id=4e8a62e5-c9f2-4169-947d-06856fc118da\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">body armor<\/a> more than combat veterans, and there are <em>millions<\/em> of combat veterans. They wore plates overseas while defending this country. Now, they want a similar rig at home. Meng\u2019s bill would stop all of this. There is no carve out for military veterans in her legislation, despite their valorous service.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scott Burton, editor of the Netherlands-based industry newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodyarmornews.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Body Armor News<\/em><\/a>, pointed out that most Americans purchase body armor solely for defensive applications.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn shooting incidents, the instinctive target for many individuals is often the largest and most visible body part: the chest,\u201d Burton said Monday. \u201cBody armor, as a protective measure worn over this vital area, can therefore prove highly effective during shooting incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burton was not sure how many sets are sold each year to law-abiding civilians, but believes the numbers are high.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEstimating the exact figure is difficult. However, I am sure that tens of thousands of ballistic vests are being purchased by civilians annually. Perhaps even a hundred thousand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Infringement<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Industry experts point out that body armor is protected by the Second Amendment, and Meng\u2019s bill is a clear infringement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs body armor is basically used for personal protection and self-defense, we think banning it would violate the Second Amendment,\u201d Burton said. \u201cA successful ban on body armor could potentially serve as an initial step toward implementing stricter regulations on firearms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They point to the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case <a href=\"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/554\/570\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>District of Columbia v. Heller<\/em><\/a>, which held that Americans have a right to keep and bear arms for self-defense and protection in their home. Banning law-abiding Americans from purchasing another means of self-defense would infringe upon their Second Amendment rights.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides, most states have already enacted laws regulating body armor that do not infringe on anyone\u2019s constitutional rights.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Arizona makes it illegal to wear body armor during the commission of a crime by adding additional charges and penalties.<\/li>\n<li>Arkansas allows civilians to purchase body armor unless they have been convicted of a felony.<\/li>\n<li>California bans convicted felons from owning body armor, which is already federal law.<\/li>\n<li>Delaware makes it illegal to wear body armor during the commission of a crime.<\/li>\n<li>Florida makes it illegal to wear body armor during the commission of a crime, and anyone can make a purchase unless they have been convicted of a felony.<\/li>\n<li>Hawaii allows civilians to purchase and wear body armor unless they have been convicted of a felony.<\/li>\n<li>Massachusetts makes it a felony to wear body armor during the commission of a crime. Anyone can purchase body armor unless they have a felony conviction.<\/li>\n<li>New Jersey allows anyone to purchase body armor unless they have a felony conviction. If it is used during a crime, prosecutors can add separate charges and penalties increase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Takeaways<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a tactical perspective, Congresswoman Meng\u2019s legislation is a headscratcher. She believes Americans deserve protection from handgun rounds, but not rifle ammunition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does this make sense?<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is little doubt that Meng resurrected her body armor ban for a third time without some input from the White House, specifically the <a href=\"https:\/\/thegunwriter.substack.com\/p\/how-joe-bidens-office-of-gun-violence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Office of Gun Violence Prevention<\/a>, which is orchestrating Joe Biden\u2019s war on our guns.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given all of the convicted criminals, military-age males and terrorists Biden has allowed to cross our border unmolested, rather than backing a ban, perhaps the administration should consider issuing plate carriers to every law-abiding American. We are going to need them eventually. It\u2019s only a matter of time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>The Second Amendment Foundation\u2019s Investigative Journalism Project wouldn\u2019t be possible without you. Click <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/secure.anedot.com\/saf\/donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em> to make a tax-deductible donation to support pro-gun stories like this.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/546821-2\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Civilian body armor courtesy of 221B Tactical Next Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6 In more anti-everything wackiness from the Empire State, New York Democratic Congresswoman Grace Meng apparently wants to make it easier for criminals to shoot you. Meng has reintroduced legislation \u2013 for the third time \u2013 that would ban civilian body armor if it can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3332,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3331","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}