United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the biggest problems we have as Second Amendment supporters is that the vast majority of national media outlets often work to distort the issues surrounding our right to keep and bear arms. They also look to put us in the worst possible light or to cheerlead for certain policies. That makes how Second Amendment supporters come across to their fellow Americans a very important matter. All too often, too many of them help the media smear us with comments that are intemperate at best (if not crossing legal lines).
These people don’t help defend the Second Amendment, they help Bloomberg’s efforts to take away our rights by serving as real-life examples of the very stereotypes Everytown and Moms Demand Action exploit to convince people our rights must be taken away.
We saw one instance with the Ask Amy advice column. While many of those who replied to her initial column that urged a father to put his hatred of guns and the Second Amendment above loving and supporting his daughter were polite, there were enough who sent the wrong type of responses to her that she doubled down on that advice and her hatred of our rights. She passed that hatred on to 22 million readers, about four times the total NRA membership.
It goes beyond being polite. We also need to show many Americans concerned or feeling fear for their loved ones in the wake of horrific shootings like El Paso, Parkland, Orlando, or Sandy Hook that we share their desire to stop them from happening. We need reasonable solutions that protect our rights to present to them in the aftermath of these events. According to Hannity.com, Chuck Schumer may be ready to give us an assist. We need to educate our fellow Americans about the facts surrounding our Second Amendment rights, including the history. We even need to reach out in ways we have not before.
If we fail at those tasks, they will exercise their First Amendment rights to take away our Second Amendment rights. Given that, what I am saying is not about “Negotiating Rights Away,” being a “Fudd,” or betraying the Second Amendment – it’s just some common sense. It’s dealing with the real world. If someone tells you that, you’re being misled.
The real work of defending the Second Amendment come on three fronts: Passing down the knowledge needed to defend our rights to future generations, encouraging effective activism by other Second Amendment supporters, and convincing the majority of our fellow Americans, particularly those in the suburbs or who may be indifferent or even slightly hostile to our rights, to change their views and not view a pro-Second Amendment voting record as a deal-breaker at the very least.
Shouting “Molon Labe” in response to anti-Second Amendment extremists and calling for the organization of militias is not the way to do that.
The hard reality is that such conduct feeds into the picture the media and Bloomberg want to paint, especially amongst the soccer moms who are already freaked out. They’ll happily go for Beto O’Rourke and his push for Australia-style laws. They’ll be with Pete Buttigieg and lap up his lie about “weapons of war” as he pushes to pack the Supreme Court.
What is going to do that? Getting facts straight. If you have good information, and can intelligently discuss the issues, that will help you bring friends, family, and neighbors. Build relationships with local media. This could be an opening to get the message out to counter what comes from national media. Relate various failures of gun control laws, not out of anger, but out of deep sadness and regret.
There is an old saying: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. This is still the case. We can get far more with polite words and patience than we will with angry rants and threats. There is no easy way to secure our rights, but some of the hard work is far preferable to other ways.
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.
Another Day, another idiotic throw away article from Harold.. Harold, its not about the approach to defending the second amendment. It’s about principles and actually defending the second amendment. I understand this is something that is impossible for you to understand. You’re a coward and have spent so much time bending over to offer your backside to the left that you don’t know any other way to operate. You are a fudd because you don’t defend the second amendment as written, and you write this junk thinking you are going to convince those of us who do fight to defend… Read more »
Its time for some brave sharp attorney to step up and sue some anti-2A politician for breaking their oath to support and defend the Constitution. Let’s pursue it to the SCOTUS and see what happens! It is all about Constitutional Rights. Are you listening Adam?
@laughing Jack, Unhappily, that oath breaking thing is not a cause of action.
When I read comments like this it makes me want to vote for a Democrat. This man is not suggesting you surrender your guns. He is suggesting that gun owners must appear sensible rather than rabid. Here’s a story to illustrate the point. A man is walking down the street. He is well dressed in casual clothing, wearing loafers with the little tassel and no socks. He has a little girl of about 6 holding his hand. He has no opinion on guns, the issue is just not on his radar. Approaching him is a man who is exercising his… Read more »
Got any other straw man arguments to disparage firearm owners with? Levelhead, you are further off your rocker than Harold, and that is saying something. I have yet to see the situation you described. And I doubt you ever saw that interaction, either. You would probably disparage Santa Claus, calling him a pedophile went he puts small children on his lap.
Did you actually read his scenario, or just skim over it and not really comprehend all of what he wrote? He never said he actually saw that scenario. That doesn’t make it any less a valid possible scenario. It also wasn’t a statement intended to “disparage firearm owners”. The scenario may not actually end up that way, but it could. As Tionico asked below: “What kind of world have we allowed to overcome us where the little girl would ask “Daddy is he going to shoot me?” I would bet that if that scenario happened with a little child that… Read more »
@Dubi, Leverhead’s little flight of fancy only tells us how he thinks. Shall we make law on what one man thinks? His little story proves nothing, illustrates nothing, supports nothing.
@Everyone
They are out in force, that is for sure. Between Levelhead(definitely half a bevel off plumb) and others such as RT, it would seem that either Harold, or the left have gone out and hired some new idiots.
the fact that the battle is close is evident in the scenario you lay out above.. WHAT kind of world have we allowed to overcome us where thelittle girl would ask “Daddy is he going to shoot me?” To what version of “realtity” has shee been exopsed where THAT is her question? WHy not “Daddy, what kind of gun is that?” Or maybe “is that man going hunting? What’s he going to hunt?” Of how abot her commenting “Daddy, I’m sure glad men like that are out in public, ready to assure “the security of a free state” wherever they… Read more »
Levelhead ? Perhaps you would like to propose and support a ban on the open carrying of weapons ? Maybe you would like to censor some opinions here ? You are absolutely correct- Harold has made no suggestions that we surrender our weapons It just sounds like he is trying to get us in the mood for it. What if your story continues a little further ? What if the father says- No darling, we have no reason to fear that man. We should be glad that the man cares about our rights and freedoms that he would risk his… Read more »
Obviously a MAN didn’t raise this guy’s daughter or he would have redirected her fears into fact based history and knowledge.
Make America 1950 Again!
(The culture, not the technology).
Problem solved!
Problem is the most of you don’t remember Pearl Harbor World War II or Korea and most definitely it’s obvious that most of you don’t remember the classroom DUCK AND TUCK DRILLS we had for the nuclear cold war-era.. The second amendment was never discussed because we already KNEW OUR RIGHTS and had our rifles and shotguns in the windows of our pickup trucks at the ready to defend our nation and its people. Since the evolution of the women’s equality, women’s rights movement and women’s liberation the nation has evolved to breed spineless pussies. There used to be MEN… Read more »
AHHHHH BULLSHIT! This namby-pamby crap NEVER works!
EVERY TIME this country has a problem they send in the Marines! That’s because they need men with guns that are ready to kill, NOT TALK!
When it comes to the Second Amendment and the citizen’s right to keep and bear arms the very same applies when it comes to that point there’s NO TIME TO TALK!
You people go ahead with all your long-winded diatribe about 2nd Amendment the Edition gun control that the bottom line is “YEW” will NEVER get our guns, EVER!
How can government control as in regulate and shall not be infringed go hand in hand? thats the same idiocy as referring to your self as a meat eating vegetarian! ..The bill of Rights protects us “from government”..Our founders intended regulate to mean..Adjust to a particular standard, Rate, Amount, Degree etc.! “well regulated”..The 1792 Militia act required every man between the ages 18-45 to be armed with the latest weapons available at the time..If somebody was violent and not killed on the spot, he was hunted down and hanged! The Dalton gang was stopped with real gun control, Every body… Read more »
JPFO.org
I joined and contribute to both. We all have to prepare for Sept when Congress comes back. I am writing letters and dating them 3 September 20019, for the first barrage.
“There is an old saying: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. This is still the case.” Nope, you’re just using the wrong vinegar! https://getbusygardening.com/super-easy-fruit-fly-trap/ To quote from the article: “Fruit flies can’t resist the yummy vinegar, and that’s what attracts them to the trap (even when the trap is sitting next to a pile of bananas!).” I’m not arguing against your point. I’m also not arguing in favor of it. I’m just trying to make the point that trying to somehow validate your point with a ‘factual’ old wives tale that isn’t all that ‘factual’ (and never was)… Read more »
Harold sure has found his nitch. He can write a senseless article and piss a whole bunch of people off, which makes them comment about him and his writings. It may not be right but he smiles all the way to the bank. I find it hard to believe he really believes some of the things he writes.
2A says the RTKABA is an individual right, preexisting COTUS and protected by COTUS. The idea of a “right” is you don’t need an “approach” to protect it. You have the right, period. It cannot be taken away. The author is buying into the idea that we should pretend it is not a right, but something we have to play politics for. While there may be some short term advantage to doing that, in the long run it is wrong and counter productive. As a writer, do you think we need some “approach” to continue to have a free press?… Read more »
Yes, it is a right… but if the democrats were to get their way they would repeal the 2A or at least regulate it into virtual nonexistence. It is ‘possible’ to repeal an amendment, the 21st repealed the 18th. Repealing it probably wouldn’t happen, but we already have numerous state and federal regulations limiting our ability to use the 2A. One problem is that there are some of the gun right advocates that are right out there with some of the rabid women’s rights and gay rights activists (think Rosie O’Donnell!) as far as being annoying. This could be a… Read more »
@DonP, Even if the Second Amendment were repealed, we would still have the civil Right to keep and carry on our person firearms because that civil right is pre-political. Read the Miller case.
Women and homosexuals do not have any rights other than the civil rights that everyone else has. See the Equal Protection clause.
Or we could use fly spray.
@DonP and others, do your homework. BEFORE making statements on public forums…
https://law.justia.com/constitution/us/state-laws-held-unconstitutional.html
Oh yes, Harold! We should all be nice and condescending and sing love songs as The6 usher us a5 bayonet point into t(e F**king boxcars!
I’m almost 68 years young and the thought of life in prison doesn’t carry the same fea4 factor as it once did!
Consider in 1775 our motto was “Don’t tread on me!” Now, it seems to be “ Pwease, no steppy.”
Really Will? No argument against his point (not saying it’s a good one) and going straight to ad hominem attacks… that’s a democrat strategy. You can do better than that!
Makes me think of Capt. John Parker, of the Lexington Militia. Fifty five years old, and dying of tuberculosis, he didn’t have much to lose. His command as the Regulars approached his miliita on the commons at Lexington that April morning was “don’t fire unless fired upon. We don’t want a war, but if they mean to have one, let it begin here”. They did, and so it did. After the ragged out oforder volley the Regulars fired upon the men of Lexington, reaulting in eight dead and six wounded, the milita let the Brits head out on their way… Read more »
Harold, there is a lot of common sense in what you say. If we don’t participate in helping provide real solutions and mass murder and gun violence, we will lose at the ballot box and will see our rights taken away by draconian laws and activist judges. Just saying no is not answer. First steer the discussion away from emotion and hysteria. Insist the other side stick to the facts. Ask how expanded background checks will help when most mass murders in the last 20 years passed background checks. Remind people that criminals and terrorists only rarely acquire fire arms… Read more »
Should read “helping provide real solutions TO mass murder and gun violence.”
OF course inanimate objects don’t commit violence.
I never thought about how misleading the term “gun violence” is. I will think of another, better term to use. Perhaps “violence committed by person using a gun?”
how about just “violence”. ANY of it is breaking an already existing law.Whether one kills with gasoline, propane, fertiliser, Home Depot truck, using a box cutter to steal airplanes, rocks, carpenter’s scarfaced framing hammers, or even an air nailer, a car, either by directly hitting the victim or filling his house with exhaust gas, or even just using one’s bare hands/feet.. its ALL violence, and already illegal.
STOP focussing on the hardware. The issue is the SOFTWARE.
The sleazeball traitors slurping at the troughs of Bloomburg, Soros, the kinyun, and others, are trying to shift the narrative, Don’t let them.
@MM1(SS), That really should work but my experience is that the people of whom you speak don’t really care with the facts are or what the truth is, they have an emotion driven agenda and the facts don’t matter. I agree with you whole heartedly though when you say, “It’s essential we keep the solutions pointed to the killers and potential killers not the tools they use.” All we need to do is look at England to see what happens when you focus on the tools, now you can’t buy a steak knife there.
and for a goodly number of them the money they are paid to stump against our guns is a good part of the emotioinal drive to cointinue.
I think of people like Shannon Watts, that Hogg Boyy from Florida, Josh SUgarman, Gov Northam of Joisey or Virginia, or wherever, the GabbingGiffords thing and her sidekick Mark whatsisname, and you can probably fill in quite a few more blanks.
Money is what is driving this, and most of the money comes from those who would have us all be subjects rather than freemen.
WHOSE job is it to deal with those who perpetrate harm upon ohters, by ANY means? That is the function of civil government. How many mass murderers, whether they used a gun or a truck or whatever, once having been convicted, are still alive years later? God’s law declares plainly that when a man’s blood is shed delibarately by another man, by the hand of man shall THAT man’s blood be shed. Note well: He does NOT say “may” or “might” or “could” be shed. It is the imperative SHALL be shed. Start there. Then, soon enough, the risk/reward equatioin… Read more »
I have read enough of Harold’s columns now that I can look at the titles and spot his. Harold says if we don’t straighten up and play nice that the gun grabbers will start using their First Amendment Rights to defeat us ? So up until now they have kept quiet and made no complaints about us ? It is you people that dare stand up for your rights, and dare have stickers and wear camo when you are not hunting that are ruining it all for everybody ? You all need to stop creating this image that you will… Read more »
“Ask Amy” advice column ? Guess i missed that one, Harold. I must have busy playing with My little Pony, or my Hello Kitty stuff. “Chuck Schumer is about to give us an assist ” ? How nice of him ! I remember all the wonderful ways that he helped get that great “Assault Weapon Ban” enacted. ! I’ll bet he has some wonderful things in store for us now ! Maybe he’s going to mail us all white flags so we can just surrender ! For those that are too young to remember, We had advertisements on T.V. with… Read more »
Harold, you are a chickensh*t (I’m being polite). Oh yeah, let’s make sure we don’t offend anyone with our defense of an INALIENABLE right. Let’s be as PC as we can when we defend the 2nd Amendment so the liberals don’t get offended by one of our GOD GIVEN rights that they don’t like. What don’t you understand about, “Shall not be infringed”? Anyone following your recommendations has to be some kind of PC wimp without a pair (not unlike you) and has already lost the fight for the 2nd Amendment. Yes, I said fight, because if all you’re willing… Read more »
First of all, name calling and personal insults are not helpful. Second, I am not sure how you came to your interpretation of Harold’ post as not offending anyone. Nor does it say to play nice. The other side certainly won’t play nice, but we don’t want the public to think our side is just as much out there at the other side. Our rights are God given. But they are being threatened by social and political forces. If supporters of gun rights no longer hold office, we lose. If the left can successfully portray those politicians as just naysayers,… Read more »
Harold made some valid points. I’ve seen guys walking down the street with AR-15’s slung. No reason other than to prove they can. That is embarrassing and detrimental to gun owners in America. Shouting “molon labe” or “Come and take it” accomplishes nothing good for our side. Let the left look like lunatics. Don’t become one–or look like one to the liberal press. Do, however, have valid information available when you can use it. “Good news. 100 million gun owners in the U.S. did not shoot anyone or threaten anyone today.” “A CDC study concluded that legally armed citizens prevent… Read more »
Bowser, we do use, and have used, those facts, and many more. What has that gotten us? More bad press, more lies from the Left, and more “gun control”. The antis do not care about the facts. We need to educate the ones willing to listen and learn. I have never seen anyone walking down a street with an AR-15 slung over their shoulder shouting molon labe, or anything else. I also have never seen anyone walking down a street with a rifle, either. I have seen quite a number of videos of 2A protesters with firearms walking around in… Read more »
after Mister BollingIdiotBurg bought a brand new gun control bill in my state, there was a protest rally at the state capitol. The local fishwrap declared “a few hundred” protestors showed up, armed, and were peaceful”. State police estimated the crowd of protestors at between 2500 and 3000. I was there. The State Police may have been a bit on the conservative side. They stood peacefully by and observed as hundreds of us passed rifles and handguns one to another, each time any firearm changing hands being a violation of the new “law”. First one misdemeanour, all subsequent ones felonies.… Read more »
make that BloomingIdiotBurg in the first sentence.
Moderators, WHEN will we get an edit button? So easy to do…..
@Tio, Bravo, and good for you! I salute you, my friend.
OK Harold, how this approach?
Dear Harold,
Could you please kindly pull your head out of you ass, STFU and go away…. pretty please? Your cowardice is making the rest of us ill.
Who listens to this Bozo? As Bugs Bunny would say: ‘what a maroon’.
Build as many true assault rifles you can, start loading rounds. We need and have the rights to weapons of war, because until we can defend ourselves from the freedom stripping traitors on both sides of the isle, our rights are in danger. I own assault rifles because in this day of hate and Trump’s Tiki Torch Terrorists I will defend my family with with everything I can muster. The NRA no longer has a backbone, join your state militias and train to ensure our freedom.
Contact Senators to oppose red flag laws: https://gunowners.org/action-alert-your-senators-need-to-hear-from-you/ and https://www.firearmspolicy.org/stop-red-flag-laws
Contact President Trump to oppose an assault weapon ban: https://gunowners.org/action-alert-trump-needs-to-hear-from-you/
Guys, It looks like an armed citizen stopped a mass shooting at a Walmart in Springfield, MO.
So, young guy goes into the walmart well armed wearing body armor. An armed citizen held him until police arrived. No shots fired, no one killed.
Interestingly, I saw the story on CNN, where it said that an off duty fireman held him until police arrived. Sounded an awful lot to me like an armed citizen held him, though CNN said nothing about that. Went to US News & World Report, where it said it was an armed citizen.
I have to laugh at your telling of the story. Of course, given your sources, I can’t say that it surprises me that you would write what you did. Maybe you should get your news from less slanted “news reporting” sources.
No shooting. But people panicked anyway.
Sorry Harold, when twitter bans the account of the highest ranking senator in congress, and universal pictures is slated to release a movie called “the hunt” all forms of reasonable discussion are off the table. Things are too far down the rabbit hole.
Stock up on ammo and sit back and wait for the shooting. It’s the only way this country is going to be saved.
Ding-a-ling, ding-ling. Either it is Christmas or Harold is among us!
Approach the gun confiscators carefully, preferably from an uphill position and choose your targets by seniority of rank. Try to be withing 500 yards for your first shot…
@Q, Yes, whomever is waiving their hands and pointing, while others group around him. That is the one in charge. He goes first. Or you may be doing them a favor.