United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- There are times when Second Amendment supporters rip the National Rifle Association over the Gun Control Act of 1968 or the 1993 Brady Act. Let’s be blunt; the bulk of the provisions in those laws probably should be repealed – or greatly modified – to properly reflect the Second Amendment.
But in 1968 and 1993, Second Amendment supporters were in a bad position. Second Amendment supporters faced a dire situation in 1968. There had been the high-profile assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. earlier in the year. President Lyndon Baines Johnson was pushing for licensing and registration.
As noted earlier, that was the “second problem” Nelson “Pete” Shields outlined in a 1976 interview. Once they have the guns registered and gun owners licensed, gun owners are in a dire situation. Look at England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada if you don’t believe me. As such, the NRA back then made probably the best choice they could – limit the damage and prevent licensing and registration from happening.
The same situation was in place with the Brady Act in 1993. The real threat was a permanent waiting period. NICS has a lot of problems, and the NSSF has outlined the fixes that are a bare minimum, and Second Amendment supporters should work to make that happen. In an ideal world, there would be no NICS, but we’re not in an ideal world, and post-Uvalde/Buffalo, the conditions are decidedly less than ideal.
What can we do?
Presently, Second Amendment supporters are in a position to resist sweeping action at the federal level, and they can certainly count on NYSRPA v. Bruen to bolster court action – although some federal courts are still resisting what any honest reading of the Heller and Caetano rulings make obvious.
In the wake of Uvalde, there will likely be a push for “red flag” laws. In this case, with the heightened emotions, Second Amendment supporters should keep the long-term threats in mind. Anti-Second Amendment extremists are planning to abolish the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, and take other steps that would defectively rig the system against Second Amendment supporters.
We cannot allow that to happen.
Uvalde is already being weaponized against the Second Amendment. This has happened before, and it will happen again. Sadly, they will exploit the avoidable tragedies involving schools (or other places) to attack our rights. Second Amendment supporters will need to work hard to defeat anti-Second Amendment extremists at the federal, state, and local levels via the ballot box, but part of that hard work will be effective damage control after events like Uvalde.
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.
You forgot one “bad position,” Harold: 2013, when the Obama administration was poised to shove “universal background checks” down our throats. How did we kill it? By putting together a coalition of 39 organizations that vowed NOT TO “COMPROMISE.”
I have news for you: “Damage control,” as you describe it, IS capitulation.
Anything other than “…shall not be infringed.” is capitulation.
Harold, you need to wipe that white stuff from the corner of your mouth. Also, get off your knees!! The NRA has ALWAYS been OK with compromise since 1934!
“Extremism in Defense of Liberty is No Vice” – Karl Hess
Squealing like a piglet, squirming like a worm and crawling like a dog saves, defends and promotes nothing and no one, let alone the Second Amendment. The professed posture of “damage control” or holding the line and dealing with the attacks against our liberties is a death by a thousand cuts and will lead to certain defeat.
We need to attack more and cry less.
It never ceases to amaze me how weak and capitulating you can be.
Wrong. You must draw a line in the sand and cut off any appendage that crosses it. The Second Amendment used to be that line. “Damage control” has made that fuzzy. If gun control supporters were treated like the treasonous scumbags they are, they would have never learned to be so bold.
It is critical for RKBA supporters to be free of your wrongheaded way of thinking, or we’ll slip further into ruin.
That is why you need to go away, Harold.
Capitulation IS capitulation. Do you think by giving the left something, they will be satisfied? If you say yes, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn that is rather cheap. Red flag laws violate the 2nd, 4th and 5th Amendments, and will chill the free speech protected in the 1st Amendment. After all, how many will no longer express and opinion because of the fear that someone will make a false accusation to spite them that will cause them to lose their rights. False accusations already happen in divorce or custody cases. And the accused has to spend thousands… Read more »
“Capitulation is not capitulation.” ~HH
A gaslighting gasbag named Harold
In order to stay well appareled
Passed his apologist test
Under Wayne LaPew’s desk
Now our gun rights are further imperiled.
WRONG! The NRA will happily capitulate when they feel it is to the NRAs- not it members- advantage!
Remember Bump Stocks?
Reading the first sentence, before I clicked on the article, how did I know this was going to be a Harold article?