United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- One of the hardest parts of effectively defending the Second Amendment is figuring out how to straddle a lot of passions. If you’re not denouncing the National Rifle Association, you’re really in support of “Negotiating Rights Away.” Anyone who doesn’t accept the notion that Wayne LaPierre is running the organization into the ground is seen as a traitor to the Second Amendment. On the flip side, there are those who get infuriated when Gun Owners of America opposes a bill that would represent an improvement (albeit not a total one) in their present situation.
The fact is, life can be far more complicated than many of us want to admit. On Wayne LaPierre’s watch, the NRA has greatly expanded concealed carry, largely thwarted federal legislation that would have infringed on our Second Amendment rights, and he also secured the election of politicians who put pro-Second Amendment justices on the Supreme Court. On the political and legislative front, a substantial share of the credit for the undeniable improvement in the overall situation over the last 35 years has to go to the NRA and LaPierre.
That being said, LaPierre also has made some serious strategic errors. On his watch, the NRA got lax with Ackerman-McQueen, and while they appear to be winning legal battles with their former PR firm, the entire situation didn’t have to happen. Better oversight – or better yet, having multiple vendors to create competition – would have been better.
LaPierre also failed to anticipate the possibility that Andrew Cuomo and Letitia James would launch politically motivated abuses against the NRA. Cuomo in particular, gave an ominous warning in 2014 that should have prompted a move (and housecleaning) long before James would have had the power to abuse the NRA.
The NRA has also failed to get involved in the cultural arena, and it has left votes on the table by not hiring translators or engaging in outreach – which proved crucial for Glenn Youngkin in Virginia. Both of these failures also took place on LaPierre’s watch. The NRA needs to get started on rectifying those failures yesterday. And by the way, the threat posed to the entire Second Amendment community should James succeed in her politically-motivated hit on the NRA also exists.
But the NRA is not the only part of defending the Second Amendment that gets complicated. We rightly object when anti-Second Amendment extremists try to punish us for crimes and acts of madness – some of them horrific – that we did not commit. However, that doesn’t make the misuse of firearms to commit crimes and acts of madness – some of them horrific (Sandy Hook, Parkland, Las Vegas) something to ignore, or worse, brush off.
In 2020, FBI stats noted that 8,209 homicides were carried out with handguns, 455 with rifles, 203 with shotguns, and 4,283 were of “firearms, type not stated.” In addition, can any Second Amendment supporter deny that anti-Second Amendment extremists use those instances where firearms are misused as fodder for their unjust agenda? How many times have family members who lose loved ones in a tragedy sought to take their grief out against, especially when we are defending ourselves from having our rights infringed?
Second Amendment supporters need to have something to offer on this front. People might not like Project Exile and may have reservations about supporting legislation like the Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act and the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act, but the fact remains these bills can hold off much worse.
Also, think of this: The likely alternative to gun bans in a post-NYSRPA v. Bruen (and other Second Amendment cases) world be a series of other legislative attacks – including the Sabika Sheikh Licensing and Registration Act. Do not think that this case, or those percolating from the rulings by Judge Benitez, will be panaceas.
We also must address the fact that much of the threats we now face come not from legislation or politicians, but from private entities. This is another complex fight because the Constitution grants them the same liberties it does for us. At the same time, we cannot allow ourselves to be financially blacklisted.
All Second Amendment supporters seek the restoration of an uninfringed right to keep and bear arms. Reaching that goal will require defeating anti-Second Amendment extremists via the ballot box at the federal, state, and local level. It also means accepting the fact that the defense of our rights will be complicated at times.
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.
Complicated? It is a fact that the NRA has negotiated away our 2A rights, while enriching the corrupt exec staff a d their attorneys and PR firms. We would have been better off had the NRA stuck to only training. The NRA needs to fire the entire executive crew, and Wayne needs to pay back millions. He should also spend some time behind bars, along with his junta.
We don’t need a lobby for a right. We need men willing to hold traitors accountable.
Exactly!! If We The People don’t enforce the Bill of Rights, then we will inevitably lose our Rights! It is the nature of government to expand and consume the wealth of citizens and deprive us of essential liberty. This is why we were told to “bind government down with the chains of the Constitution” and guard our liberty with great jealousy.
“Second Amendment supporters need to have something to offer on this front. People might not like Project Exile and may have reservations about supporting legislation like the Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act and the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act, but the fact remains these bills can hold off much worse.” Standard Butter/Fudd mentality on full display here. The NRA and it’s supporters have helped government chip away at our rights for decades. This mentality that we have to give the Antis something or they’ll take more is why we’re in this position today. All it has… Read more »
It’s disappointing Col Brown hired this collaborator.
STRIKE GROUP REAGAN! (LOL)
I used to work for a guy that, any time money came up, would talk about “the big picture”. When you heard that term, it immediately put you on notice you were about to get screwed. His employees were universally aware of this.
Make no mistake here, Harold is trying to explain why he, Wayne LaPierre, and the NRA are so freaking smart you couldn’t possibly understand them.
Please go away, Harold.
Harold, you shouldn’t pontificate while you’re stuffing your face in a kneeling position. It’s undignified.
So is your insult. Does it actually help anything?
I think it does.
Shut up, Harold. Using a sockpuppet account doesn’t hide your writing style.
Harold, the words “Shall Not Be Infringed” aren’t very complicated at all.
Does this site have an archive? Because somewhere along the line I could swear there was a article I read here on this site that gave plenty of reason not to trust Wayne LaPierre and the NRA. Was Wayne LaPierre elected to his seat as head of the organization in a most unusual way??? If I’m wrong please forgive me and you of course would have my deepest apology. But I’m thinking my memory serves me correctly and if it does why would anyone want to still be a member of this organization? That’s kinda like following our current Usurper… Read more »
“All Second Amendment supporters seek the restoration of an uninfringed right to keep and bear arms. Reaching that goal will require defeating anti-Second Amendment extremists via the ballot box at the federal, state, and local level.”
Or, we could just start wearing our weapons everywhere we go.
HLB
The ideals supporting the freedom we seek are simple and plainly stated.
If you do not truly believe this, then making it complicated is just a way to deny and confuse matters. Isn’t that right, Harold ?
We would welcome some clear thinking, plain speaking, and devotion to rights and freedoms if you continue to believe you can guide and instruct us.
Shall not be infringed. Simple, plain English.
Boys, get a rope. But tar and feather him first.
Strangely, they’re both.
No, they are part of the problem.
No point arguing with Harold’s sockpuppets; he is ineducable.
Unfortunately, some here can’t have a reasoned argument. They must insult in nasty, foul ways, instead of coming up with real words. No problem disagreeing with Harold. Some do, some don’t. But the statements of some are like those on a middle school playground where the boys are showing the new insults learned.
Nicely worded article. It gets the basic idea the America has *always* meant one must pick his battles. However, the message will continue to rain on the deaf ears of the gun-owning “boycott-the-NRA” extremists with little effect, unfortunately.
Dont go away mad; just go away.
Looks like you got a little “mayo” on your lip from “lunch”
Only 3 downvotes, Will? What’s’a matta? Your other sock pups too busy lap dancing?
You’re getting more, it seems.
I think these sockpuppets belong to Harold. I know for a fact that loveaduck is one of Harold’s sockpuppets. Harold is too chickenshit to simply post under his own name and defend his position like a man. This is also why Little Quisling Harold is such a hack. He is mediocre and that only on his good days.