Tell Weak Republican Legislators to Just Say NO to Biden’s Gun Control!

Opinion

Marco Rubio
By alienating GunVoters, weak RINO Republicans like Marco Rubio, have undermined one of their strongest base constituencies.

USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- As the Biden administration and the new, Democratic-controlled Congress settle into their respective roles, discussions about gun control laws are shifting from theory to reality, and GunVoters need to be aware and prepared, and they need to keep holding the feet of their elected servants to the fire on these issues.

As I have said previously, it’s very likely that President Biden will use Executive Orders to limit and restrict firearms and firearm accessories in various ways, but it’s likely that he’ll wait until he gets his attorney general pick in place first.

That pick is Judge Merrick Garland. Republicans and supposed “pro-gun” Democrats, should strongly oppose his confirmation, if for no other reason than Garland’s disingenuous and evasive answers during Senate hearings regarding his thoughts on possible gun control laws and their enforcement.

On the legislative front, we’ve all heard about the outrageous, blatantly unconstitutional gun control proposals put forward by Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee (D-TX), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), and others.

These proposals call for bans on certain types of guns, certain sizes of magazines, registration of guns and gun owners, and other draconian measures. Their proposals are the same warmed-over hash of gun control and prior restraint we’ve seen from that side for most of the past century. They generate a lot of noise and tend to capture a lot of attention, but the reality is that they have very little chance of being passed out of the US Senate. Democrats hold a majority based solely on Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. These bills will require more than a simple majority for passage, though, so while they serve as good reminders of what Democrats would pass if they could get away with it, they don’t pose an immediate threat.

The most significant threats are those few that are seen as less extreme, such as HR 8, banning private firearm transfers, and HR 1446, extending the NICS delay period from 3 to 10 business days. Both of these bills are holding hearings as this column goes to press. HR 8 has 232 cosponsors, which includes the entirety of the Democratic contingent in the House, along with 5 Republicans. HR 1446 currently has 91 cosponsors, all Democrats.

There’s also a dangerous “Red Flag” proposal, which would help fund state efforts to institute Extreme Risk Protection Orders, confiscating firearms from people with nothing more than a pretense at due process.

The current version of this dangerous proposal was introduced by nominal Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. It currently has only 3 cosponsors – 1 Republican, 1 Democrat, and 1 Independent.

These bills are not just direct threats to gun owner rights, they also constitute a serious threat to Republican hopes of ever regaining majorities in the House and Senate.

The simple fact is that votes have consequences, and GunVoters are much more effective at destroying backstabbing Republicans than they are at knocking off anti-rights Democrats. Since the Democratic Party has declared itself to be the party of infringement, GunVoters’ only hope is to limit their power by electing Republicans, but when Republicans join Democrats in attacking our rights, it hurts not only the politicians involved, it hurts the whole party. It is this trend of Republican politicians supporting gun control laws, which has effectively neutered the power of the Gun Lobby in recent elections.

By alienating GunVoters, Republicans have undermined one of their strongest base constituencies, and that loss is not balanced by any sort of gains from some other contingent.

People who care enough about gun control to allow it to be a dominant factor in their voting choices, almost universally lean conservative. There just aren’t a bunch of voters in the political “center” who are swayed favorably by gun control votes, but there are many people in that category who are swayed negatively, and many more people on the political “right” who are willing and eager to work in support of pro-rights politicians, but who will actively campaign against any politician they consider to be a back-stabber, betraying their constitutional obligations. Over the past 40 years or more, Democrats have forced pro-rights politicians from their ranks, establishing their party as committed to gun control, while Republicans have generally embraced a pro-rights position. The split hasn’t been clean though. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Democrats made an effort to expand their “tent” and welcome pro-rights politicians into their ranks. The effort imploded with serious in-fighting fueled by the failure of gun control initiatives. Then Mike Bloomberg showed up with piles of cash for the Democratic Party and politicians willing to support his anti-rights agenda. This financial incentive was supplemented by a series of high-profile massacres – none of which would have been prevented or mitigated by any of the proposals offered in response – and by 2010 the purge and re-alignment of the Democratic Party was solidly established. While there are still one or two nominally pro-rights Democrats in Congress, they can’t be counted on to oppose so-called “modest” proposals.

It’s up to you to keep the pressure on the pro-rights Democrats, and especially on the foolish and unprincipled Republicans.

They need to understand how angry you would be if they were to cave on any gun control proposal, no matter how “reasonable” it is portrayed. They need to understand that these proposals will not “save lives,” and they will do nothing to “keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them.” These proposals will harm innocent gun owners. That harm can range from unnecessary delays and inconvenience to disarmament and getting people killed. My late father, Neal Knox, warned us of the danger of accepting seemingly “reasonable” restrictions nearly 25 years ago in a column that my brother Chris collected into book form as Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War. You can read the column, “The Danger of Being ‘Reasonable’” on our website. The specific issues on the table have changed, but the strategy remains: The forces of disarmament will tempt gun owners and squishy politicians with the promise of an end to the constant wrangling over gun control if we would just be “reasonable” and accept some simple “commonsense” measure. That’s a lie.

The most dangerous measures are the bills that some foolish politicians think are innocuous, or which they think they can “fix” to be “palatable” to GunVoters. A large portion of our community has wised up over the past few years. Politicians need to clearly understand that no gun control is “palatable,” and we won’t stand for them playing games with our rights.

Making a bad bill somewhat less bad is just bad politics anyway. It won’t win any votes from either side. The gun control supporters will hate them for watering down the legislation, while the GunVoters will hate them for compromising on rights. And the people in the middle won’t care enough either way for that particular vote to make a difference to them.

Contact your elected servants, especially your Republican senators, and let them know that you strongly oppose any additional restrictions on firearm rights. Also reach out to the less radical Democrats, especially those who claim to support the Second Amendment – even with a “but”– and make sure they understand that any vote in support of any type of gun control legislation, will have you campaigning hard against them in their next election.

One of the things to point out to these elected servants is the fact that none of these proposals could ever be effective at preventing criminal acts, accidents, or self-harm, but they all create easily ignored obstacles to regular people just trying to go about their lives unmolested by the government. That’s a recipe for making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding Americans. What gun control advocates call “loopholes,” are typically carefully worked-out compromises that were agreed to back when the current gun laws were passed. They’re not flaws, they’re featured, and they were retained for specific reasons.

GunVoters have not been a reliable voting bloc for a number of years, thanks to Republican betrayals and Democratic double-speak, but we can be a formidable voting force once again. That starts with you drawing a line in the sand and saying “Not one more inch,” then holding the politicians accountable for their actions come election time.
Democrats are working hard to guarantee that they lose their House and Senate majorities in 2022, and the only thing that will prevent that is for Republicans to join them in their anti-constitutional stupidity.

Call your senators and representatives at 202-224-3121 and let them know that you won’t abide by any vote for gun control, no matter how “reasonable” they think it might be.


About Jeff Knox:

Jeff Knox is a second-generation political activist and director of The Firearms Coalition. His father Neal Knox led many of the early gun rights battles for your right to keep and bear arms. Read Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War.

The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs, and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition has offices in Buckeye, Arizona, and Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org.

Jeff Knox
Jeff Knox
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Nam62

I don’t trust RINO’s like  Marco Rubio. He is two faced.

KenW

I already emailed Rubio and warned him that I will not vote for him anymore if he supports these bills. To his credit he did vote “Nay” on Garland’s confirmation.

JSNMGC
Laddyboy

@J: The biggest question here is: SUSPECTED BY WHOM!!!!!! ‘c.wray’ and his CROOKED “fbi”!?!?

JSNMGC

No doubt.

nrringlee

He is a progressive. He is not even trying to hide it from us. Why, you ask? Because he thinks we are stupid.

The other Jim

Trump had it right, “Little Marco” in his giant chair. Yes, Marco likes his toast buttered on both sides of the bread.

Laddyboy

@N62: Same for Ole Turtle Neck! SWAMP REEDS that bend in the direction from which the money flows!

Montana454Casull

Any scumbag politician that does not honor thier oath to uphold the constitution either needs to resign or be hung . Time to stop them from giving our rights away or stealing them in the name of security. It appears they are only worried about their safety and not ours as they lie to us and take our rights away . MOLON LABE

JSNMGC

Because, like most Republican politicians, he promises to fix people’s problems. Although that is not what a politician (and government) is supposed to do, that’s what a majority of Republican voters want them to do.

How much of his “accomplishments” have anything to do with keeping Americans free?

https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/fighting-for-florida-accomplishments

nrringlee

He is a progressive. He realizes that to survive in what is fundamentally a conservatarian state he must put up a real good smoke screen to survive.

None

The only ones in Florida that vote for him live in cubaized South Florida

PMinFl

Like in other states, represented by RINOs, we want a Republican and this is all we get. There are several states where “we only vote R” but the candidates are rather progressive. Probably 25% of the senate republicans fill the bill. The world is changing but not for the better.

USMC0351Grunt

I don’t want to hear a damn thing about the primary coming up because we had both the House, the Senate and the White House in 2017 and 2018 and we didn’t do damn thing that would have provided true freedom and liberty for this country.

It had been the perfect time to repeal the NFA and dump the ATF that everybody’s been hollering and screaming about and I didn’t see anybody budge on anything of the like.

JohnBored

USMC0351Grunt, As a fellow member of the DD-214 club please bear in mind that voting in primaries is more important that voting in general elections. Often we are faced with choosing the “lesser” of two evils in the general election. We need to primary weak RINOs and purge the party of them. Also, bear in mind, that while you cannot vote across state lines (unless you are a deceased democrat) you can send contributions to any candidate regardless of party or district or state. I plan to send money to the primary challenger of RINO Liz Cheny and any others… Read more »

StLPro2A

JohnBored….honest voting went the way of the Dodo Bird last November. When HR1 free-for-all voting bill passes, the fat lady will sing America’s swan song. The 2A will be all that remains…..for a while….door slamming. That is why they hate the 2A so vehemently. Wish I were 100% wrong. Prove me wrong. The new agenda for humanity requires that no one will have the capacity to fight back. It has been said: “Our Task of creating a Socialist America can only succeed when those who would resist us have been totally disarmed.” No other explanation is possible. History has repeatedly… Read more »

Cruiser

2022 & 2024 is coming with a vengeance.

None

I never voted for rubio when I lived in Florida he was weak then and he’s weak now the only way these scum bags will ever learn is if we hang a bunch of them and hang the next generation of scum bags

Laddyboy

@N: As long as they are hanged legally! I still believe a Military Tribunal is called for with the TREASONOUS actions of the DemoKKKrat National Communist party!!!!!!!

JSNMGC

The Wyoming State Senate Judiciary Committee met today to consider the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act. The meeting was open to public testimony. The people/organizations who testified and strongly opposed the Act were: Sheriffs Association (signed by every Sheriff in Wyoming) Chiefs Association (signed by every police chief in Wyoming) Wyoming Highway Patrol Association of Wyoming prosecuting attorneys Moms Demand Action Everytown for Gun Safety Domestic Violence (didn’t catch the entire name) Government employees want to retain power, ensure their (not your) safety, and protect LEOs from individual financial accountability for doing horrible things. During the testimony, the government employees repeatedly… Read more »

StLPro2A

Play by the enemies’ rules, lose by the enemies’ rules…..since at least 1934. The Socialist/Elitist/Libtard/One Worlder cancer will keep eating its way into our Rights, Freedoms, and Liberties as has been their very successful game plan for decades. They are currently bankrupting America and working to remove any means to resist their take over. America has been over run. The enemy sits in the Command Post. Let ’em pass what ever unconstitutional laws they want. This thing is going to come to a head anyway. The 2A is BIG business for both sides. Might as well resolve it once and… Read more »

JPM

You cannot “Tell” these asses in Republican garb a damn thing! They are doing whatever they think is going to benefit them in the long run, and it isn’t necessarily being elected again. If the profit margin is high enough personally for them, they’ll gladly take the money, throw their mothers under the bus and not give a hoot about another term. They have no ethics, no principles, no honor and no shame.

Last edited 3 years ago by JPM
nrringlee

Blue pencil—from ‘weak republican legislators’ to ‘progressive legislators.’ Party means actually very little when it comes down to defending liberty. One must assume that the Progressive New Left has purged all of the blue dog dems from their ranks but that does not mean that the original progressive party, the Republican party is not hiding loads of progressives in its ranks. And why use the term ‘progressive’ in the first place? Well folks, if you take the time to read American political history you will find that the Progressive Movement began in the 1840’s and started as an effort to… Read more »

Laddyboy

It is hard to call my “representative” who hates Americans who own guns while I am FORCED to go through his office in order to get my 2019 TAX REFUND. I have NOT yet received. It is now March 17, 2021 and NO REFUND!!!!!

willyd

Don’t feel bad, I NEVER GOT THE FIRST ONE!!!!!!!!!!!! But sneaky, back stabbing, two faced, scumbag, not my PRESIDENT, will find a way to get it back, PLUS MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! The SCUMB SOCIALISTS THAT PUT HIM THERE WILL CONTINUE TO KISS HIS ASS AND SAY WHAT A GOOD JOB HE’S DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

willyd

I never got the first one, so I don’t expect this one!!!!!!!!!! Besides if you think about it sneaky, back stabbing, two faced, Joe will find a way to get it back, and the socialists will continue to KISS HIS ASS and continue to say what a good Job HE’S DOING

BadDad

Primary them out.

Grigori

Somehow, we always fail in that endeavor. Several candidates vs Lindsey Graham in 2020 Primaries. Any would have been a better choice than him. Between abject stupidity of the average American voter and possible tampering as we saw in 2020 Presidential elections, Lindsey got 67% of the vote. After that, it is always, “we gotta elect Lindsey cause he’s still better than a Democrat”. Well, not necessarily. You never know what kind of $#!t Lindsey will come out of left field with after pretending (yet one more time) to be a “conservative”. At least with a card-carrying Democrat, you kind… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Grigori
Laddyboy

@M44m: I still question the FRAUDULENT actions of the voting machines that are tabulated overseas via ‘g.soros’.

JohnBored

Not only contract your representatives, but contact other Senators and members of congress. This morning I sent emails to Senator Rubio of Florida and Senator Machin of West Virginian concerning not only gun control but HR-1, the filibuster, and Court packing. I also reminded them that even if I could not vote for or against them I can send monetary contributions across state lines, to them or their opponents in primary and general elections. Don’t let state lines dictate your opinions. The old Tip O’Neil adage that “all politics are local” is no longer true. Thanks to the democrat/socialist/fascists, all… Read more »

Superman

Waste of my time and effort to communicate with my Federal Representative and Senators. Jeff, you are dreaming if you think the GOP will EVER AGAIN control either the House or Senate, or elect another POTUS. The Dumbocrats just got away with stealing a NATIONAL ELECTION with ZERO CONSEQUENCES. The fix is in and will never go away. The time for being concerned about communication with politicians is long gone. ‘Soap box, ballot box, cartridge box’ – Abraham Lincoln. Try to connect the dots.

PMinFl

I’m not defending the man but the electorate. You should see his opponents, they are extreme liberal/progressive/socialist democrats. If we didn’t vote for Marco we have little choice for a candidate. Primary is the only option but it could be worse.

KenW

Why do we keep voting for him. Because of Senators like Bill Nelson.

JSNMGC

Anyone look promising for the next Republican primary?

Finnky

Looking ahead! Exactly what we need to be doing.

It is time to be looking for good people who can be persuaded to run for office at all levels. Knowing they would have our support (including financial) goes a long way towards getting them into the race. Decisions need to be made soon enough for them to have a chance.

willyd

This is why Trump beat out the Base Republican Party in 2016, because they didn’t have any NEW IDEAS on how to do anything, and all of the politicians and I mean ALL of the politicians hated Trump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PMinFl

Ken W. you hit it on the head.