Opinion
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- Deadly “Red-Flag” laws, yes gun owners have already been killed by them:
As we all know, Democrats are working tirelessly to get “red-flag” laws passed at state and local levels, and they’ve been successful in states where voters have been foolish enough to elect them.
More are likely on the way.
As I’ve editorialized previously, with these laws, Democrats are converting American gun-owners into “second-class citizens,” who do not enjoy liberties and rights afforded other citizens.
Where these laws are passed, the Constitutional tenant of “due process,” the sacred right of every citizen, is suddenly withheld from citizens who choose to own guns.
Where red-flag laws are in force, an innocent American citizen can be severely punished, based on an arbitrary, unsubstantiated, anonymous whim, absent investigation, absent arrest, absent criminal accusation, absent conviction. Absent any opportunity to state his case, nor refute testimony against him, absent any professional mental-health evaluation, absent any species of “due process,” without any knowledge nor warning that his legally-owned guns are about to be forcibly confiscated, probably forever!
When uncorroborated accusations against you prove baseless and wrong, even deliberately dishonest, under red-flag laws your false accuser suffers no penalty.
Using the same phony rational, I wonder how long it will be before Democrat politicians, in like manner, demand the power to arbitrarily confiscate your car, dog, golf clubs, knives, computer, and anything else you legally own that could use as a weapon.
Opportunities for abuse of red-flag laws are painfully obvious, and a competent and righteous Supreme Court will soon declare them all unconstitutional, with any luck.
But, that may take years, and for one, I have no interest in being “the test case.”
Between then and now, some advice:
- 1) Your status as a gun-owner/concealed-carrier needs to be a secret. Most relatives, co-workers, neighbors, even friends don’t need to know. Don’t talk about specific guns you may own, particularly military rifles. Maintain a low profile. Find other things to talk about.
- 2) Guns you own need to be adequately secured, and always out of sight. Ammunition boxes, loose rounds of ammunition, gun magazines, and other literature, holsters, rifle magazines, accessories, etc. also need to be kept continuously out of sight. Casual visitors to your home, office or car should never see any of that.
- 3) Get rid of gun-company/ammunition-company/pro-gun organization decals, patches, logo clothing, hats, bumper-stickers.
- 4) Watch your language and general demeanor, in public and in private! Don’t do, nor say, things that are likely to be interpreted as threats. Don’t make threatening comments, even when directed at a third party who is not present.
- 5) Don’t become involved in family, nor neighborhood, spats, particularly those involving marriage issues, child custody, etc. Be very good at minding your own business.
- 6) Don’t invite people you don’t know into your home, including police officers (unless they have a warrant). With your door remaining closed and locked, you can talk with unknown/uninvited visitors through a microphone.
- 7) Keep the subject of guns and gun issues out of the casual conversation. Talk about guns only with people you know well.
- 8) Gun-organization literature, flyers, etc. need to be shredded, immediately after you finish reading them. Tear off address-labels on gun magazines and shred them too. You don’t want your residence address associated/connected with guns, nor gun-organizations.
- 9) When carrying concealed, assure guns, magazine-carriers, etc. remain discretely out of sight. Open-carry, even where technically “legal,” is a really bad idea (except perhaps in extremely remote places).
- 10) Don’t make enemies. Be a polite, civil, pleasant, courteous person. Don’t inject yourself into other people’s business
American gun-owners have no friends among Democrat politicians, particularly those currently aspiring to be president, and they would all like nothing better than to make “examples” of some of us, wielding the illegitimate power of their new “red-flag” laws.
The sinister “knock-on-the-door-at-midnight” is coming for some.
Don’t be “that guy!”
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or in-actions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr. Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
So we should all go into the closet?
Maybe if we made more noise, like the LGBTQLMNOP community has when they came out of the closet, we’d get what we want. There’s a much larger percentage of the population that is gun owning than is gender-confused.
Family & friends belittled me when I stood up for kids with HIV/AIDS going to public schools (there had to be common-sense restrictions on recess, but my kids weren’t having sex or sharing needles with them!), they have nearly annihilated me for often siding with police when suspects they’re trying to take into custody do not comply, when I thought it was OK for Disney Teen Idols to turn into Sex-Pot/ Almost-Porn-Star-Video-Queens FOUR moms STOPPED TALKING to ME, their HEADS exploded when I defended Alex Jones’ right to say whatever he wanted to on Social Media, and I won’t EVEN… Read more »
I can see validity in both sides of the argument over whether to conceal your gun ownership or to serve as an example of responsible gun ownership. But I’ve always pretty much adhered to all the bullet points in the article purely as a matter of protection against theft. Any outside party who catches a glimpse of any clue whatsoever of your gun ownership can, whether inadvertently or deliberately, cause you to fail victim to burglary or, even worse, a direct confrontation in a home invasion. The whole thing amounts to one of my “Rules to Live By” and you’d… Read more »
you should get your facts straight before you write something,here in PA. it wasn’t the communist who pushed red flag laws,it was our wonderful republican oarty who did it! the sneaked it thru very quietly,most people didn’t even know about it.these pricks are just as bad as the commies!
Roll over and wet on myself to avoid living like a free citizen at any cost – no thank you. Grow a set.
Hell no. I am not going to act as if the wholesome gun culture I have enjoyed for decades is a problem.
Besides, I have a decades long history of supporting non-traditional gun owners, e.g. LGBT gun owners. That may just make some liberal heads explode yet.
Fuck THIS. I’m not going to live like a hermit or a slave. Loud & proud gun owner and freedom-loving American here! Let THEM be on the fucking defensive, for chrissakes. This isn’t North Korea.
MANY good points in the comments here! The process of draining the swamp at the ballot box is the ultimate answer to these problematic, unjust and unconstitutional “laws” but………………realize that in November it is NOT the time to set this solution in motion but rather in May or June or whatever month YOUR state holds the PRIMARY elections. This is when you choose the candidates that will appear on the November general ballot. Too often I hear statements like “None of these candidates are worth voting for.” But voter turnout at the primaries is generally dismal at best. Want to… Read more »
…Constitutional tenant of “due process”…
Tenet, not tenant.
Our lawmakers support of red flag laws demonstrates their contempt of all American people. American people who support such laws demonstrates their disregard of rights. There is no reason to hide supporting our rights to arms. The enforcers of these laws consider everybody as armed and dangerous. They will act in accordance. As far as picking out individuals and families most likely to possess firearms, there are many sources. Examples will include carry permits (applications), hunting licenses, private security licenses, credit cards, medical records, rental applications, just naming a few. Remember all those FFL records durned in when business closes… Read more »