U.S.A. – -(AmmoLand.com)- In the wake of the midterms, it is time to take a sober assessment of what the major threats to our Second Amendment rights will be. Legislative threats at the federal level are off the table through 2020, and quite possibly through 2022. But that doesn’t mean the Second Amendment is out of the woods.
The fact is, the threat to the Second Amendment has become more and more multi-faceted over the last 25 years. Recently, the threats are multiplying. Here’s a rundown.
State Legislation
In deep blue states, more anti-Second Amendment legislation is coming. You can bet on it. Exact details will be determined and may shift depending on events. But this is a threat faced before and it is one that is non-existential.
Initiatives
These have been used – most recently with I-1639 in Washington State – to enact legislation that was defeated in the legislature by the grass-roots advocacy of Second Amendment supporters. This threat holds the potential to negate the usual grass-roots advocacy – and this type of battle is tailor-made for Bloomberg’s billions to blanket the airwaves with the usual lies.
Silicon Valley Censorship
Legislation and initiatives (as well as court rulings) can be devastating, but they are not existential threats to the Second Amendment. Silicon Valley’s increasing thumbs on the scale, though double standards in enforcing terms of service, as well as their juggling of search results, and the potential to carry out de-platforming against Second Amendment supporters (just wait – that will be a demand soon) could knock us off the field.
When Second Amendment supporters make their arguments and can spread facts and logic to counter mis-reporting by the media, they generally win these fights. Mobilizing voters and volunteer support for candidates also gets done online. If Silicon Valley can shut that off, Second Amendment supporters will be in a huge bind.
Cutting off Financial Services
Another existential threat is taking place in the boardrooms of big banks and payment processors. When anti-Second Amendment legislation has been defeated (or pro-Second Amendment legislative leaders don’t even bring it up for a vote), some banks and payment processors have begun to decline financial services to gun companies who don’t accept the Bloomberg agenda.
While at the present time, it is only some banks, and limited to manufacturers, the threat could very well be expanded. Indeed, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who won re-election this Tuesday, has been waging a campaign to get banks and insurance companies to drop the NRA. The goal: To bankrupt the largest organization defending our right to keep and bear arms.
Boycotts and Stigmatization
This is a slow-burning threat that could become existential. Companies have, in the past, offered affinity discounts to the NRA (and many other groups). Most people who join the NRA don’t do it for those, but for their commitment. Those became news as many companies ended them in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
Eric Holder once famously declared that they needed to brainwash people against guns. That’s not exactly true. What they are doing is brainwashing people to falsely equate the NRA with domestic terrorists and as child killers. An outed NRA member working at a company could soon find himself ostracized – or terminated. References would dry up. Sadly, only California, D.C., and New York state forbid discrimination on the basis of political viewpoint. Passage of these laws across the country may be necessary.
These threats will not go away just by wishing, it will take a long, sustained effort. The battle for our Second Amendment rights is ongoing – so get ready to pitch in. Join the NRA, support NRA-ILA and NRA-PVF, and show your fellow Americans who we as Second Amendment supporters really are.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
“Legislative threats at the federal level are off the table through 2020, and quite possibly through 2022.” How do you figure that; because the Dems don’t have a Senate majority? Off the top of my head, I can name three things that Republicans could help pass: 1. Easily abused (by design) no-due process ERPOs. (Trump backs that.) 2. Closing the “someone-I-sorta-semi-knew-awhile-back “boyfriend loophole.” 3. Expanding background check mental health screening. (She’s out now, but a former Republican Senator tried adding that to Manchin-Toomey, disguised as increased funding for veteran mental healthcare.) I recall several Republicans — easily bamboozled into doing… Read more »
The picture in this article is the poster child for all that is wrong with Washington. She looks like the average grandma but she has proven to be a sneaky, slimy old reprobate. There is nothing grandma about her. Remember her speech about Mr and Mrs America turn in your guns. I say to her turn in your lying, cheating husband that made a fortune using tax dollars to boost his tuna business.
Diane Fineswine holds “dual citizenship” as do several other members of Congress. It isn’t this country that she and they hold loyalty for.
@Rich and Tcat, Feinstein and the other “dual citizens” need to have a place to run to when the new, youngster, democrat national socialists of amerika come after them for being in the way on the path to power.
@ Wild Bill Do you know what other country feinstein has a citizenship in? That is pretty sneaky of her just to save her rotten ole bottom by having a place to run to.
That would be Pelosi’s husband, not Feinstein’s
https://www.theunion.com/news/nancy-pelosi-and-husband-involved-in-some-fishy-business/
that’s another demonrat that needs to stop wasting 02 !
At this point it seems obvious what will happen next. The democrat/socialists having taken the house again will pass a sweeping laundry list gun control measure by majority and wait until the next big high profile mass murder. When it occurs, aided by the mass media, pressure will be applied to the GOP controlled senate to get on board. “Moderate” republicans , already squishy on 2nd Amendment rights will likely get on board unless they hear a very loud protest from constituents. If the senate folds we will be even more desperate. The president ( and a lot of gun… Read more »
Well as I see it the government is always gonna win and do you know why? It’s because they can pass any law they won’t and we do the same thing very time we say well hell and sit at home and bitch about it online or to our family and friends at home and the government knows that there won’t be an uprise of people who will fight and bleed for our rights any more that’s a thing of the past unfortunately I’m not taking about our Armed Forces talking about every day people
The NRA and other gun rights organizations have for too long played only defense. I am hard pressed to recall our side lobbying legislatures for criminal code reform. Reform aimed at strict penalties for criminal use of guns and/or their mishandling and storage. If anti-gunners (usuall, Dems) drive for “prison reform”, our side can cry that it threatens public safety. But I never hear this. There are a lot more we can do, after all, we are strong because of true grass roots support. They need bank rolling from you-know-whom.
It used to be heads of companies, banks and other businesses would go out deer hunting in the fall and be proud to be hunters and gun owners. But the gun banning and hunting banning cults seem to call the shots. Plus a lot has to do with single women or 2 lesbian women raising boys, saying boys dont need fathers or father figures, just 2 lesbian moms.most women dont think anyone but the police and military need guns and if a criminal comes up to them they can cry or pled with them and they wont bother them, yeah… Read more »
What makes a “good” woman? According to 250 savage, it is a man.
Ballot initiatives, like the one voted in in WA could be the greatest concern for gun owners. Urban centers with the largest population/voter counts are typically blue, see guns as weapons of criminals and the source of violence. If you live in the city and are fed this constant barrage of anti-gun rhetoric by the MSM, you will certainly vote yes on these initiatives. I don’t know how to prevent this from happening.
Gun Control=Disarmament=Extermination…
I am Tired of the political oath breakers, Cheats, and Thieves. There never seems to be accountability for this group.
The only time accountability comes into play with these Socialist/Communist, Anti-Constituionalists is when it benifits their political social agendas, against the other side. Never has there been even a financial accounting of the Socialist/Communist, Anti-Constituionalists squandering of tax payers money being spent on their fake accountability searches…
Accountability searches and all those people will never be satisfied until everyone on the planet stays home every day in government provided housing eating government provided food, sleeping on government provided furniture and doing nothing all day but watching government controlled TV. They don’t want accountability, what they want is government dependence so that they can be King or Queen and feed us their daily dose of propaganda. Oh Wait….does that sound like North Korea…HMMMMM. Democrats = North Korea = Kim Jon Ung for president??? Supreme Ruler??? Oh yes and don’t forget Queen Hillary the first.
Strange funny that California government couldn’t stop a wildfire from turning a whole town to ashes.
@jh45gun K, Maybe the CA government should have put their tax dollars into fire fighters and fire fighting equipment, rather than social welfare programs.
To use a California term – “Karma”?
I’m sitting here in my construction trailer with the Federal Wage and Hour Poster and the OSHA poster and they both speak of it illegal to terminate someone for discriminatory reasons. But, in my state an employer can fire you if he doesn’t like what you are wearing today, so discrimination can be well hidden. I’ve never been one to bring politics to work with me, to me politics and religion are subjects for discussion with your mates, but never in the office. Why in God’s Green Earth would anyone get up on their soap box about gun rights in… Read more »
I might mention to someone at work that I target shoot and people there know that I take scrap paper to make targets which saves them the bother of recycling it. I have also written letters to editor of the local paper expressing what some might consider pro 2nd amendment views. So yes, it could come up in casual workplace conversation. I work in a history museum with guns in the collection so no matter what my co-workers think of gun ownership I am the the one asked on the subject and have given presentations on the subject of guns… Read more »
I agree!
As long as we maintain a healthy balance of around 22 MILLION Veterans and associate Patriots, this battle over gun rights is pretty much a moot issue, with exception to the small, liberal, freedom and liberty crushing pockets across the nation. WE, Veterans and Patriots are forever watching, letting the puss fester in the wounds in these areas. Watching those freedom loving Americans in these areas grow in fortitude and integrity. Baby steps, as they too must learn through experience to fight back against insurmountable odda so that they too can experience the sweet, savory taste of victory and forever… Read more »
Semper Fi, Sua Sponte, HOO RAHH, and anything else you’d like to throw into the mix. One old Ranger will stand shoulder to shoulder with you any day my man.
Sorry, you are wrong. It’s a numbers game people and we’re loosing because our messaging isn’t reaching people. The other side is very good at political emotional manipulation. Unless you plan to physocally shoot them, the numbers don’t add up.