In recent years, America’s courts have taken a dangerous turn in interpreting the Second Amendment, driven by decisions made by judges appointed during Donald Trump’s presidency. These rulings have emboldened the proliferation of dangerous firearm modifications, such as Glock switches and bump stocks, creating a toxic environment where mass shootings are more frequent and deadlier. With the June 2024 Supreme Court decision in Garland v. Cargill—striking down the federal ban on bump stocks—the consequences of this judicial extremism are becoming increasingly deadly.
The recent mass shooting in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, is just one horrifying example of how dangerous gun accessories are devastating communities across the country. Police believe Glock switches were used in the incident, which left four people dead and 17 others injured. These small, easily concealable devices convert semi-automatic Glocks into fully automatic weapons, capable of firing hundreds of rounds in seconds. While these switches are classified as machine guns under the National Firearms Act, recent judicial rulings, such as one by Trump-appointed Judge John W. Broomes, are undermining the very laws designed to keep these devices off the streets.
In the Kansas case, Judge Broomes dismissed federal charges related to the possession of a Glock switch, citing the Second Amendment and recent Supreme Court rulings on gun rights. The decision follows the logic of the 2022 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case, which set a new standard for gun regulations, requiring them to be consistent with historical analogues. This judicial standard has proven disastrous in modern America, where advanced firearms technology, like Glock switches, can turn a routine altercation into a mass casualty event in mere seconds.
The issue goes beyond Glock switches. On June 14, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on bump stocks in a 6-3 decision in Garland v. Cargill. This decision legalizes bump stocks—devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire at near-automatic speeds—in many states across the country. With this ruling, up to 34 states, lacking specific legislation against bump stocks, will now see these dangerous accessories become legal overnight.
This decision not only undermines efforts to prevent mass shootings but also ignores the bipartisan consensus that arose after the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, where a bump stock was used to kill 60 people and wound over 400 in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Following the Las Vegas shooting, even Republican governors in traditionally pro-gun states like Florida signed legislation banning bump stocks. This bipartisan consensus showed that outlawing these devices was not just common sense, but a necessary step to prevent future tragedies. Yet, the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision ignores the lessons learned from past mass shootings and puts the public at risk once again.
The dangers of these rulings cannot be overstated. In Birmingham, law enforcement officials have been dealing with crime scenes littered with hundreds of shell casings, as Glock switches allow shooters to fire 75 to 100 rounds—or more—in a matter of seconds. Operation Flip the Switch, a joint initiative between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the ATF, and local police, is working to remove these deadly devices from the streets, but it faces an uphill battle in the courts. Judges like Broomes, who was appointed by Trump in 2018, continue to block efforts to prosecute those in possession of machine gun conversion devices, citing the Second Amendment.
These rulings are not happening in a vacuum. The courts, now dominated by Trump appointees and other conservative judges, are rolling back gun control measures that were once considered untouchable. The Garland v. Cargill decision is only the latest example of this trend, and it signals that even devices like bump stocks, which make it easier to commit mass murder, are now deemed legal under the Constitution.
What’s even more troubling is the rationale used by these courts. Judge Broomes, in dismissing charges against a man possessing a Glock switch, argued that the government failed to provide sufficient historical precedent for regulating such devices. The Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen has set an impossible standard for modern gun control: regulations must now align with 18th-century firearm laws, even though the firepower of today’s weapons far exceeds anything the Founding Fathers could have imagined. One person today with a Glock switch or bump stock can fire as many rounds as an entire military battalion from the 18th century, that is a group of 1000 soldiers for those counting.
The result is that the judiciary, once a guardian of public safety, is now a tool for radical gun rights activists to dismantle common-sense regulations. The courts are failing to protect Americans from the escalating gun violence that plagues our cities and towns, instead prioritizing an absolutist interpretation of the Second Amendment over public safety. And with rulings like Garland v. Cargill, even more deadly accessories are becoming available to the public, putting countless lives at risk. Their rulings are basically saying it is ok for US citizens to walk around with battalion level firepower in their pocket. What could possibly go wrong with that?
As mass shootings continue to rise and communities like Birmingham reel from the devastating impact of these judicial decisions, the need for change is urgent. Operation Flip the Switch and similar initiatives can only do so much when judges are working against the very laws that keep dangerous devices off the streets. It is time for a serious reckoning with how Trump’s judicial appointees are turning America into the very “toilet” country he once derided. By allowing the proliferation of weapons of war on our streets, these judges are making it easier for mass shootings to occur, and harder for law enforcement to keep communities safe.
The public deserves better. America’s judiciary must recognize that the Second Amendment cannot be used as a shield for unchecked gun violence. As long as Trump-appointed judges continue to prioritize ideology over reason, the nation will remain trapped in a cycle of mass shootings and preventable tragedies. It’s time to hold the courts accountable and demand that public safety takes precedence over the dangerous obsession with unregulated gun rights.
