GOOD NEWS: Feb. 8 symposium to focus on 2nd Amendment, gun policy

Staff reports  |  Two Duke University law school professors will kick off a Feb.8 symposium that examines the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in a new and positive light.

The conference at the Charleston Music Hall, which includes other law professors, attorneys and a state representative, is hosted by the Charleston Law Review of the Charleston School of Law and the Riley Institute at Furman University.

“There are lots of epithets but not a lot of understanding” about the Second Amendment, write Duke law professors Joseph Blocher and Darrell A.H. Miller in a blog post about their new book on how the Second  Amendment can inform policymakers about gun regulation.  “There’s lots of shouting but not a lot of listening. Too often, the Second Amendment is used as a shibboleth, a way of separating ‘us’ from ‘them.’”

On Feb. 8, Blocher and Miller will present an 8:45 a.m. keynote address, “The Second Amendment as Positive Law,”  to share how the amendment can be used to facilitate constructive discussions about gun policy.

“This is exactly the approach that our country needs to be taking these days,” said Ed Bell, president of the Charleston School of Law.  “We and the Riley Institute are honored to provide a platform for in-depth, relevant discussions on gun policy and hope this exchange of ideas will lead to better ways to handle the rights and responsibilities of gun ownership.”

Don Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute at Furman, said he expected a large crowd for the discussion, which is open to the public but requires registration. 

“In a time of immense controversy over how we should respond to gun deaths, both from high-profile mass shootings and from lower-profile suicides and homicides, it is critical to come together and examine the constitutional meaning and intent of the Second Amendment,” Gordon said.

After the keynote address, the symposium will continue with three panel discussions, including a look at state and local attempts at gun control as well as ethical and moral issues related to the Second Amendment.  The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required.  Space is limited.  Attorneys who attend can get Continuing Legal Education credits at no cost.

In other Good News:

Hats off!  The Charleston Defense Contractors Association — a non-profit defense advocacy group —announced that Netizen Corp., which has offices on King Street in Charleston, was selected as Best-in-Show during the first-ever Innovation Spotlight Competition held during the 12th Annual Defense Summit. Recognized for its CyberSecure Dashboard, Netizen Corp.’s innovative solution provides a dashboard of risk, vulnerability, and threat information to the managers and executives who need the information most. Michael Hawkins and Max Harris received the Innovation Spotlight award on behalf of Netizen Corp.  More than 1,300 people attended the summit last week.

Increased services.  Palmetto Community Care – which rebranded from Lowcountry AIDS Services – increased its prevention and education services. The nonprofit has expanded its focus on testing, outreach and HIV prevention education to rural areas of Dorchester and Berkeley counties as well as targeted high-risk communities in Charleston County.  In 2018, Palmetto Community Care tested almost 1,700 people for HIV, recording 23 new HIV-positive cases. That number was up from 20 new HIV-positive cases in 2017.