Michael Clements

Denison, Durant

Michael Clements has more than 30 years of experience in print journalism, having worked at newspapers in Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Articles

Choctaw Nation Honors Code Talkers Who Helped Turn the Tide in WWI

1 week ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

In 1917, a Choctaw Indian named Joseph Oklahombi walked 21 miles from his home in Wright City, Oklahoma, to Idabel, the McCurtain County seat, to enlist in the U.S. Army. Oklahombi enlisted at a time when most Native Americans were not considered U.S. citizens—that didn’t happen until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. The U.S. government wanted him to forget his history, his culture, and his native language, but that didn’t prevent him from fighting for his homeland in World War I.
A Semi-Automatic Rifle Ban or Not? In Colorado, It Depends Who You Ask

3 weeks ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

Colorado state Sen. Tom Sullivan believes a new law may be the way to stop the proliferation of “assault weapons” nationwide. Sullivan, a Democrat, is one of the lawmakers behind SB25-003, which was signed into law by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on April 10. The , which is set to become effective on Aug. 1, 2026, has been called a de facto gun ban by Second Amendment advocates.
Guns Trafficked to Mexican Cartels Could Result in Terrorism Charges for ‘Straw Purchasers,’ Officials Say

1 month ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

Federal law enforcement officials along the U.S. Southern Border warned U.S. citizens that the Trump administration has added a new wrinkle to the crime of trafficking guns and cash into Mexico. They said the Trump administration’s designation of Mexican Cartels as international terrorist organizations doesn’t just impact how the U.S. government deals with cartel and gang members from other countries.
Gun Rights and the Second Amendment in Trump’s First 100 Days

1 month ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

While campaigning in 2024, Donald Trump promised to defend the Second Amendment. Gun rights advocates say the president has kept that promise in the first 100 days of his second term, and that he began fulfilling it on Jan. 21, the day after he was inaugurated. That’s when the website for President Joe Biden’s White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention went dark.
New NRA Leadership Works to Change Culture at Gun Rights Organization

1 month ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

ATLANTA—Doug Hamlin, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), said the 154-year-old organization has implemented reforms to enable it to rise above its legal troubles. “We’re making the changes we need to make the NRA stronger right where we are,” Hamlin told a gathering at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on April 26. New chief compliance officer, Robert Mensinger told the gathering that the NRA now has the “gold standard” of accountability.
30 Bills in 37 Years: Guardianship Reforms Stall Despite Decades of Fraud

1 month ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

Reports of fraud and abuse by court-appointed guardians inspired over 30 bills to be introduced in Congress over the past 37 years. Most never made it out of committee. In most states, when a judge declares someone incapacitated and appoints a guardian over them, they lose almost all their rights. They can no longer handle their finances, choose where they live, or sometimes even what they eat. Medical, work, and even intimate relationship decisions are off-limits to the ward.
Delays in Los Angeles County’s Gun Permitting Process Prompts Civil Rights Investigation

2 months ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for possibly violating the civil rights of residents applying for concealed-carry weapons permits. According to a March 27 Justice Department press release, at least two people have sued the Sheriff’s Department, saying their permit applications were delayed by up to 18 months.
Department of Justice Issues Rule to Restore Lost Gun Rights

2 months ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

Gun control proponents said the change will increase crime by arming violent felons, domestic abusers and other violent criminals who had lost their gun rights. 3/26/2025Updated: 3/26/2025The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued an interim final rule to assume responsibility from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for deciding whether to restore the right to own a gun to individuals whose Second Amendment rights have been rescinded by a court.
Judiciary Committee Sends National Reciprocity Bill for Concealed-Carry to House Vote

2 months ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will send a “national reciprocity” bill for concealed carry to the House for a vote. Republican committee members said HR 38— the “Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act’’—is meant to ensure that law-abiding Americans can exercise their Second Amendment rights regardless of what state they happen to be in. The law would allow people with a concealed carry permit from their home state to carry a gun in any other state.
House Panel to Consider Bill for Concealed-Carry Permit Reciprocity

2 months ago | theepochtimes.com | Michael Clements

For the sixth Congress in a row, bills to require states to honor out-of-state concealed weapons permits are in both chambers of Congress. The House Judiciary Committee will mark up its version of the legislation on March 25. President Donald Trump has promised to sign it if it reaches his desk. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) introduced HR 38 in the House on Jan. 3. The Senate version, S 65, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Jan. 9, is before that chamber’s Judiciary Committee.