Amy Swearer
Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Amy:
Second Amendment a Blessing, Not a “Curse,” in End-of-Year Examples of Defensive Gun Use
The editorial board of a major New Jersey newspaper started the year off with an anti-Second Amendment screed, decrying the right to keep and bear arms as a “curse” perpetuated by a “fanatical” interpretation created by the Supreme Court in 2008. → Read More
Second Amendment Liberty’s Most Essential Safeguard 200 Years Later
The right to keep and bear arms has a prestigious and gloried history. Titans of constitutional law such as St. George Tucker and Joseph Story referred to this protection as the “true palladium of liberty”—the bulwark that preserves all other inalienable rights. They, like the Founders, understood that the Second Amendment’s purpose was to ensure that the people were armed and always capable of… → Read More
12 More Incidents in Which Lawful Gun Owners Stopped Criminals
In a case called New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court in June struck down concealed carry permitting frameworks in several states that effectively prohibited ordinary Americans from carrying firearms in public for self-defense. → Read More
Yes, Democrats, Sometimes a “Good Guy With a Gun” Does “Stop the Bad Guys.” Here’s Proof.
In a press conference defending the state’s new restrictions on concealed carry permit holders, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters last month: “This whole concept that a good guy with a gun will stop the bad guys with a gun, it doesn’t hold up. And the data bears this out, so that theory is over.” With all due respect to the governor, she clearly hasn’t actually looked at the… → Read More
Second Amendment Isn’t About Deer in Kevlar Vests, Mr. President, as These 11 Incidents Show
President Joe Biden’s most recent speech on gun control showed, once again, that he has little respect for gun owners or the Second Amendment. Consider, for example, where Biden mocked (and not for the first time) gun owners as being afraid of “deer in Kevlar vests” simply because they want to defend themselves and their families with the same guns that law enforcement officers use to protect… → Read More
Debunking Myths About the Big, Bad Gun Industry
A decades-old gun-control narrative has been resurging in recent months, sweeping across the national scene in everything from celebrity Twitter accounts to The Atlantic magazine articles to congressional hearings. → Read More
The 5 Most Unserious Things Biden Said in His Gun Control Speech
President Joe Biden recently gave a speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, touting his “Safer America Plan” and a gun control bill he had signed into law. → Read More
The ATF Moves To Unilaterally Define What a Gun Is
Last spring, President Joe Biden publicly touted his administration’s gun-control agenda, which included, among other things, directing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to issue new regulations on the un-serialized, privately made firearms labeled by the anti-gun movement as “ghost guns.” When the agency issued a draft of the new rule in May of 2021, many gun owners… → Read More
These 11 Defensive Gun Uses Show Protective Benefits of Second Amendment
I testified before Congress’ Joint Economic Committee last month in a hearing focused on “the economic toll of gun violence.” Of course, there’s no doubt that gun violence imposes a tremendous cost on society, both financially and in far less readily calculable ways. How does one measure, for example, the mental and emotional toll of being shot? → Read More
What Economists Can’t Tell You About the Costs of Gun Violence
"The Economic Toll of Gun Violence: How Our Nation Bears the Costs" Hearing before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee July 20, 2022 Amy E. Swearer Legal Fellow, Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies The Heritage Foundation Chairman Beyer, Ranking Member Lee, and distinguished members of Congress, → Read More
Second Amendment Protects Everyone, as 12 Examples of Defensive Gun Use Show
The Supreme Court last month struck down a New York law that effectively prohibited ordinary citizens from carrying handguns in public for self-defense. As some New Yorkers joined gun control activists in decrying the decision as making them less safe, one young woman explained how, for her, the high court’s opinion meant she was one step closer to sleeping soundly for the first time in months. → Read More
Supreme Court to New York: Second Amendment Means What It Says
The Supreme Court on Thursday issued its first significant opinion in a Second Amendment case in well over a decade, striking down a New York state law that effectively denied ordinary residents the right to carry a firearm in public for self-defense. This decision, in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, is a major victory for the sanctity of the Constitution, the integrity of… → Read More
We Have Effective Gun Violence Solutions. You Just Won't Listen.
Since our founding in 1973, The Heritage Foundation has been working to advance the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. → Read More
Raising Red Flags on Federal Red Flag Gun Laws
Tragedies like those recently suffered in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, cause many Americans to voice an understandable—if misguided—urge for politicians to “just do something.” Many of the laws for which they reflexively call—such as universal background checks and bans on so-called assault weapons—suffer from a host of constitutional and practical defects. → Read More
11 Examples of Defensive Gun Use Dispel NYC Mayor’s Concerns on Public Carry
Any week now, the Supreme Court will render its decision in the pivotal Second Amendment case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, where a majority seems poised to strike down New York laws that effectively prohibit law-abiding citizens from carrying firearms in public for self-defense. → Read More
11 Examples of Defensive Gun Use Dispel NYC Mayor’s Concerns on Open Carry
Any week now, the Supreme Court will render its decision in the pivotal Second Amendment case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, where a majority seems poised to strike down New York laws that effectively prohibit law-abiding citizens from carrying firearms in public for self-defense. → Read More
These 10 Incidents Highlight Importance of Second Amendment for Women
Since 1987, the United States has recognized March as Women’s History Month to celebrate the vital role of women in American history. Unfortunately, far too often we find that the armed women of history are overlooked or completely forgotten, and the vital role of the Second Amendment in the lives of American women is ignored. → Read More
8 Problems With San Jose’s Gun Insurance Mandate and Gun Ownership Tax
Lawful gun ownership in San Jose, California, is about to become more expensive and onerous after the City Council passed a measure imposing two unprecedented burdens on the possession of firearms inside city limits. → Read More
No Quick Fixes: Debunking the Illusion of Easy Answers and Simple Solutions to Recent, Unprecedented Spikes in Gun Violence
Since our founding in 1973, The Heritage Foundation has been working to advance the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. → Read More
Yes, a Black Kyle Rittenhouse Would Still Be Acquitted
A jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse last month on charges related to his Aug. 25, 2020, shooting of three white men during a chaotic, destructive night of civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. This came as little surprise to anyone who watched the trial with an open mind. → Read More