Justice Samuel Alito asked during Tuesday's oral argument whether eggs and peppers were an omelet, trashing the government's defense of the ATF's “ghost gun” rule.
Breitbart News reported on the incident. Garland v. Vanderstockfocuses on ATF Final Rule 2021-05F. A central part of this rule was to redefine the meaning of the word “firearm” and designate “partially completed pistol frames” and other gun parts as “firearms.”
judge alito asked About “components” and how they are defined in relation to “weapons”.
he asked. “Here's a blank pad and pen. Is this a shopping list?'' The government said no, citing the many uses for pads and pens.
He then asked, “If I put eggs, chopped ham, chopped green peppers, and onions on the counter, does it make a Western-style omelet?'' The government again said no, citing “other well-known uses” such as eggs and ham.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett followed Alito and asked whether the omelet analogy would change if the ingredients were purchased from Hello Fresh. The government responded in the affirmative.
Justice Neil Gorsuch followed by asking about the scope of the “ordinary meaning” that applies to “all nouns” as used in Congress and the U.S. Code. Whether Alito's pad and pencil can be used to view as a grocery list. Therefore, Mr. Gorsuch said, [the government’s] Theoretically so. ”
Gorsuch noted that as recently as 2021, “the government indicated that unfinished frames and receivers do not meet the statutory definition of a firearm.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and also writes Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment for Breitbart News. He is also a writer and curator. He is a political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, a professional staff member for Pulsar Night Vision, and global marketing director for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and holds a Ph.D. in military history. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. To get Down Range, you can sign up at breitbart.com/downrange. Contact him directly: awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
