In a victory for Second Amendment rights, a St. Louis couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, have successfully reclaimed their AR-15 rifle after a five-year legal ordeal.
The McCloskeys had brandished firearms to protect their property during the George Floyd protests in 2020 when a crowd of Black Lives Matter demonstrators trespassed onto their private street.
The couple asserted that the protesters had threatened their family while chanting BLM slogans. Among the marchers was former Missouri Rep. Cori Bush (D). In response to the incident, St. Louis Circuit Attorney at the time, Kim Gardner, a Democrat, accused the McCloskeys of meeting protesters with guns and violent assault. However, this was a gross misrepresentation of the events.
The McCloskeys, in their defense, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and agreed to forfeit their weapons. They were later pardoned by former Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R), a decision that underscored the importance of individual freedom and property rights.
According to RedState, Mark McCloskey celebrated the return of his firearm with a triumphant message. "It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals, and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back!" he wrote. He also shared images of the reunion with his firearm and snapshots from the incident that sparked the Second Amendment battle.
McCloskey also anticipates the return of the pistol used by his wife during the confrontation, as reported by Fox News Digital. He acknowledged the financial and time cost of the fight to reclaim their firearms but emphasized the importance of standing firm. "You have to let them know that you will never back down, you'll never give up," he said, underscoring the personal responsibility each citizen holds for their freedom and democratic republic.
In a show of resilience and commitment to their Second Amendment rights, the McCloskeys purchased a replacement AR-15 shortly after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charges and forfeiting their original firearms. Mark McCloskey shared images of himself with the new firearm, a testament to their unwavering stance on gun ownership rights.
The McCloskeys' ordeal highlights the overreach of the Democrat prosecutor, Kim Gardner, who sought to undermine their Second Amendment rights and Missouris stand-your-ground and castle doctrine laws for political gain. Gardner's actions were seen as an attempt to curry favor with racially motivated protesters, a move that ultimately led to her resignation in May 2023 amid allegations of mismanagement and mounting pressure from Missouri's Attorney General.
The McCloskeys' victory is not just a personal triumph but a testament to the resilience of conservative values and the importance of individual freedom. It serves as a reminder of the necessity to stand firm in the face of adversity and to uphold the principles that form the bedrock of our democratic republic.
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