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 Let’s be blunt; the bulk of the provisions in those laws probably should be repealed – or greatly modified – to properly reflect the Second Amendment.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!
You done good, Henry!
https://www.captainsjournal.com/2022/06/15/defending-the-nra/
“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.
“Extremism in Defense of Liberty is No Vice” is actually quoted from Barry Goldwater in the late 1960’s
It comes from his 1964 GOP convention acceptance speech.
.
Ok, I thought it was 1968. I’ll remember that!!
I’m a proud Extremist for Liberty!
“And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!”
Pierre Delecto’s dad George Delecto teamed up with other RINOs to take Goldwater out in the primary and general.
It never ceases to amaze me how weak and capitulating you can be.
Harold is Wayne LaPierre’s сука and has been for many years now…
LOL
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?
Bump Stocks? Remember freedom and liberty?
If it was called hump stocks they’d be ok with it.
Reading the first sentence, before I clicked on the article, how did I know this was going to be a Harold article?
The title screams “harold”.
The question is why do Ammoland editors continue to publish his “progressive creep” propaganda ?
Next, why has not the NRA not been “dissolved” ? … Split non advocacy “publishing”, ILA and “training / marksmanship” businesses into three distinct entities each with a proportionate share of net assets, abandon the “NRA” name, disband the board, and let history be the judge of the then “once was NRA and its ‘accomplishments'”. … Sweepstakes, fund raising and souvenirs are not part of the NRA, all part of the “predators” who took advantage of Americans.
Same here. I stopped commenting on HH articles for a LONG time. I find it hard to believe AmmoLand stll gives this POS a voice by accepting his “Don’t make waves, sit doen you’re rocking the boat,,give in/up to get along, buy some vasoline it will make it hurt less” coward’s contibutions.
All it took is for me to read the headline, and I knew.
The name is kept. But they promise us that the name is not searchable with the software as currently written.
And FedGov can always be trusted not to do things forbidden by law, right?
Yes, because they’re always held accountable!
NRA was asleep at the switch before the push of the NFA in 1968. Asleep on watch. The NRA was chartered in 1871 as a civil rights organization first and foremost. But complacency soon set in and it became a recreational and educational group devoid of political drive and activism. We paid the price of for that when the leftists came fully enraged and engaged and intent on rendering our right to keep and bear arms a moot point. Complacent boards and leadership got caught unawares then just as they have been caught pants down, hand in the cookie jar… Read more »
“NRA made the best choice they could – limit the damage & prevent registration.”
No sale. GCA68 IS registration. ATF gets to keep gun purchase records of dealers that go under. 100s of millions so far.
NICS IS registration. A prudent man must assume every name is kept.
To think a tyrannical gvt (it has been for many decades) doesn’t keep the names of every NIC & won’t abuse the lists when the time is right, is foolish given that gvt agents are virtually never held accountable for anything. Quis Custodiet Custodem? No one.
Repeal in their entirety. “shall not be infringed” is an “Absolute Restriction” on government powers delegate by the people through their sovereign states. And, no amount of lying lawyers in Congress, the Executive or SCOTUS can change that fact. …
Here’s an idea. Elect enough Constitutional conservatives to repeal unconstitutional laws. The RINOs are never going to do it for us. Every time the anti gunners get a win they tell us ‘It’s only the first step’. DUH!
Never happen long as folks listen to Harold & other NRA shills & RINOs. We’re stuck with OZ in PA thanks to them.
The one thing the government is good at is never passing laws that work. Even worse, they never repeal bad laws “just in case”.
In UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand highly restricted gun control was implemented as a result of governments reacting to atrocities committed with guns and ignoring the obvious injustice of imposing this on innocent persons. These countries have long traditions of authoritarian overreach. Only Americans have the legal tradition and moral strength to resist. We will.
Much as I’d like to believe in American Exceptionalism, and trust my fellow Americans to resists such nonsense – see poll referenced in another article: 50% of those asked support a ban on semiauto firearms while only 45% oppose such ban – this was also a record on the good side. How can I trust an entire people when 50% of them support something so idiotic, pointless, and harmful to their fellow Americans? OTOH I do trust a large fraction of the 45% to put up a strong resistance to implementing such ban. I also hope many of those surveyed… Read more »
Congress has a track record of “knee-jerk” reactions to events. Witness The GCA of 1968, The post 9/11 establishment of that fine organization, The Department of Homeland Security and now the rushed reactions to the murders in Uvalde, Texas
Congress uses events as an excuse to intentionally seize more control: “Gangsters” – NFA of 1934 Kennedy/King murders – GCA of 1968 911 – DHS, Patriot Act, Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, etc. COVID-19 – numerous restrictions (experiment on willingness of police to obey orders and “civilians” to comply) COVID-19 – Government spending/acceleration of dependency on government Government spending results in inflation – Price Controls (on the way) Price controls result in rationing – more interference with production Uvalde – red flag laws, yet more armed government employees with arrest powers, etc. There are many more examples. It’s not… Read more »
Harold, “the ballot box”? Really? That’s as ignorant as “wait and vote them out of office.” I posted a memo to locate you a pharmacist to prescribe you a set of balls…. MALE balls. We are no longer at the hope and dream stage of voting. We are now in the situation where we must begin IMMEDIATELY REMOVING FROM OFFICE those elected and appointed officials that have violated their oaths of office and whatever other high crimes they have committed. It’s time WE, The People get up off our dead deaf asses and start draining the Swamp ourselves. Or? We… Read more »
Just go away Harold.
You should write for Ladies Home Journal
Personally, I’m still steaming over the NFA. That entire act needs to be deleted.
Herschel – The Captain – has a say:
Defending The NRA?
I approve this message.
Smile and reach around the aisle.
It is capitulation.
This guy got an A+ rating and there has been no comment from the NRA after his latest backstabbing:
https://www.nrapvf.org/articles/20140908/nra-endorses-john-cornyn-for-us-senate-in-texas
In 1968, the NRA leadership should have worked tirelessly to convince all the NRA fudd members (the majority) and legislators that more gun control was not the answer.
https://www.nrapvf.org/campaigns/2014/vote-cornyn/
A good friend, now dead, who went to college with John Wayne’s son, told me Wayne had offered to help stop GCA68, even made a video. The NRA blew off his help, caved without trying to stop it.
Interesting. Doesn’t surprise me at all.
Is HH getting “greased” by NRA, NSSF, both?
NSSF took “NO POSITION” on the RINO’s latest betrayal.
Figures given their fave saying:
“Our ATF partners.” -NSSF
QUISLINGS