United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- With anti-Second Amendment extremists pursuing their agenda outside the legislative and political arenas, Second Amendment supporters need to be ready to do battle just about anywhere. When they push corporate gun control, this means that where you work could be where you will find yourself defending the Second Amendment.
However, the tactics useful in legislative and political fights are not going to be directly applicable to the workplace. Some don’t belong at all. Others, though, will become more important. The personal stakes when it comes to debating Second Amendment issues in the workplace are extremely high: They include your future livelihood.
One of the most important things to keep in mind will be the landscape. Know your employer’s policies on not just Second Amendment issues, but on what is and is not acceptable conduct at work. That knowledge will be vital for you to have, and for a very good reason: Most employers do not want to have constant debates on hot-button political issues in the workplace, especially if they disrupt the profitability of the business.
You need to think carefully about your position. Are you just starting your career? Are you near retirement? Single? Married? Divorced? Do you have kids? The answers to those questions should be taken into account when you consider how to defend the Second Amendment in the workplace.
As is the case when it comes to defending the Second Amendment in school, you will need to know how those who have power over your future have handled Second Amendment issues in the past. Do they apply rules neutrally, or have they shown a bias? If they have shown a bias, is it anti-Second Amendment? In those incidents, what sort of punishments were levied?
In the workplace, though, it goes beyond formal punishments. There can be informal ways to “punish” Second Amendment supporters. One of them is ostracizing them – in essence, nobody will want you on the team for various projects. Other forms of retaliation could include negative performance reports, being passed over for promotions, or even facing harassment. You need to plan ahead – and be ready to beat that blacklist.
Given the constant efforts to socially stigmatize the defense of the Second Amendment, you will need to be very mindful of how your defense of our rights comes across. Doing so is not a sign that you are a “Fudd,” appeasing anti-Second Amendment extremists, or capitulating on gun issues. Anyone who says it is any of those things has neither your best interests nor the effective defense of the Second Amendment in mind. Your first and best line of defense will be the esteem of your co-workers. That reputation, combined with one as a Second Amendment supporter that is credible, knowledgeable, and respectful of others, is crucial. Just be very careful – in the workplace, a misstep can not only wreck your life, it can also make defending the Second Amendment harder for others.
The next thing to do is to document interactions when discussing Second Amendment issues or even when they come up at work, especially if the interactions are contentious or if you feel harassed and/or threatened. Note potential witnesses, give a date and time of when you had the talk. It stinks to have to cover your butt when educating fellow Americans about our freedoms but given past efforts by anti-Second Amendment extremists to boycott Second Amendment supporters – whether media personalities like Laura Ingraham or companies like Wells Fargo – this is essential for your own protection. Anti-Second Amendment extremists have lied about Second Amendment supporters before. Don’t think they will make an exception for you.
While defending the Second Amendment in the workplace comes with a lot of challenges, in these times, it may very well become necessary. You don’t have to become a martyr for the cause of freedom. You can be an effective defender of the Second Amendment without sacrificing your livelihood. It just will take a lot of planning and preparation.
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.
A long long long time ago as I was emerging from my hubristic state of teenage years and while reflecting on the stoic nonjudgemental responce of my father to something that I had said and questions asked a few years earlier, I had opportunity to ask him why he didn’t call me out for my stupid questions at the time. His comment rings true as a life’s lesson….’They weren’t stupid to you…Questions and statements have merit and value to the person issuing them and therefore are worthy of our consideration.’ This attitude allows for a reboot of our thinking and… Read more »
The absolute truth but anti-Harold folks will disparage the article anyway.
” It stinks to have to cover your butt”…Nevertheless it can only pay to have a means of memorializing virtually encounter with anyone. Always call the cops first (remember little sister/brother going to mom first?). Remember that the cell phone produces recorded calls when 911 is dialed. Carry a pocket recorder as an option (cops I know always had one prior to body cams, for their own protection).
And cetera.
While not defending Harold I must say he has a Right to say it. At least in this country for the moment. The liberalism metal illness affecting the left can not be appeased by being “nice” they are not nice nor are they logical. The left sided brain of these Stalinists only want power and , as hellary and the rest of the deep state have demonstrated will do anything to get it.
BTW. Will , Nice utube collage of the evils of communisim. Thanks
@CM – It’s not a question of being nice to “antis” – it is a matter of both appealing to those who are not extremists in either direction. Also as Harold says, it is a matter of protecting yourself. If you find yourself screaming at someone for being an “anti” – you will likely find yourself out of a job – doesn’t matter how nuts that person is. Vast majority of Americans don’t see themselves as having a dog in this fight, however “antis” are working hard to convince everyone that there is no cost to eliminating private guns and… Read more »
DUMP HAROLD, SIGN THE PETITION!
https://chng.it/Sjs8VzLz
I may be blocked, i dont know… in any event, share the petition!
https:// chng .it/Sjs8VzLz
I find it fascinating we as gun owners must tip toe around the subject of the 2A but are Brutally attacked on a daily bases by radical Police State Fascist. I have news for you Harold, you can be as pleasant, nice, cordial and coddle as all get out to these Police State fascists and they will attack you like a rabid dog. They hate free speech they disagree as much as they do the 2A. Now what Harold? Will you say shut up, take the abuse to fight another day to lose then a we’ll get abused and deemed… Read more »
@UT – I don’t take Harold’s suggestions as applying to interactions with rabid-antis. It is quite important to be reasonable to those who don’t or haven’t thought through implications of political actions. Those who simply hear “assault” whatever and see images of mass shootings without context or understanding of statistics or benefits of firearms to our society. People like myself who grew up without touching or in some cases ever seeing a firearm – their only exposure is through media, including Bloomberg’s propaganda. To those people, those who wish to own firearms appear to be nuts or “other”. Laws restricting… Read more »
I think you are missing the point to our rights. You seem to think as innocent individuals we must prove to another American we must earn our right to bear arms..Or, even speak, or think how we must speak to seem rational and reasonable enough to keep our rights..I don’t think that’s is how this works. In fact, I know that’s how this works! We must not prove anything to another person to exercise our rights. You are putting that on the same scale as we are crazy, demented or even GUILTY until we prove ourselves competent, responsible or yes,… Read more »
“Anyone who says it is any of those things has neither your best interests nor the effective defense of the Second Amendment in mind.”
A baseless assertion. Perhaps those people acknowledge that weak and fearful defense of the RKBA has not been very successful over the past century or so.
Harold, please go away.
Intolerance. It’s not just a “left” thing anymore!
Your opinion of someone else’s opinion being ignorant is just projection on your part. Others may agree with that other opinion. Or they may not care one way or the other. Regardless, not wishing to listen to some other opinion because you’ve predetermined it’s “bullshit” or “ignorance” is the height of hypocrisy, is it not? That’s just plain stupid. And intolerant. But Ammoland’s comments have become overrun with intolerant, stupid and hypocritical people. Especially when you say something truthful that burns their craw. Which is unfortunate.
Don’t forget my down votes.
@wjd – Got to agree that “Harold is just an NRA stooge and mouthpiece” – however much of what he says is also true. Half-truths and lies based on facts are quite dangerous for a couple of reasons. (1) Tis harder to separate fact from fiction, making people more likely to believe the fiction part and (2) People become so wound up attacking the false portion of the narrative that they also discard the valid portions. Would love to see attacks on Harold which successfully draw the line between reality and propaganda in his articles. In that way he can… Read more »