United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- Second Amendment supporters won a massive victory with New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen – that is undeniable. But what is equally undeniable is the fact some serious, long-term threats have emerged – and Second Amendment supporters need to address them immediately.
For the past few years, anti-Second Amendment extremists have been targeting the means by which we defend out rights. Whether it was Andrew Cuomo and Letitia James going after the National Rifle Association, efforts to pass so-called “campaign reform” schemes, financial deplatforming and other corporate efforts at gun control, including the actions of Kirkland & Ellis, our ability to defend our rights – and the gains we made in securing them is under assault.
The attacks by James and Cuomo can eventually be addressed in court. Ditto for “campaign reform” schemes. Unless, of course, anti-Second Amendment extremists are able to pack the Supreme Court (and lower federal courts). But the threats from government pale to the long-term threats posed from the private sector.
Unlike government at any level – be it federal, state, or local – corporations have a lot more freedom to act against our Second Amendment rights. Like us, they can boycott, divest, and even sanction. The threats have already come from anti-Second Amendment extremists.
What good is the NYSRPA v. Bruen standard if no attorneys are willing to take the case for fear of professional repercussions? In essence, unless Second Amendment supporters can reorient to find ways to influence the biggest corporations and law firms, our rights could be a dead letter for future generations.
The fight against financial deplatforming is no less crucial. If your local FFL or a gun manufacturer can’t access financial services, the Second Amendment is dead. Oh, the legal right to own a gun would be there, but the Second Amendment does not prohibit corporate actions. Salesforce or similar companies can implement their own policies. So can banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions unless we start acting today.
The corporate cubicles and boardrooms will be just as crucial for our Second Amendment rights as the electoral and legislative arenas have been since 1934. These companies can destroy our rights – and leave Second Amendment supporters with little recourse.
It took nearly seven decades to overturn U.S. v. Miller with the Heller decision, and that took a lot of effort to elect Presidents to appoint the right Supreme Court justices and Senators to cast the votes for confirmation. Corporate CEOs can make the decision to financially deplatform FFLs, gun manufacturers, and Second Amendment advocacy organizations in seven minutes or less, to say nothing of boycotting law firms like Clement & Murphy for daring to take on Second Amendment cases.
These days, Second Amendment supporters must not only defeat anti-Second Amendment extremists via the ballot box at the federal, state, and local levels. They also must defeat them in the boardrooms of corporate America as well.
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.
Companies and corporations have the right to conduct business with those engaged in the firearms business or not, and it should remain this way. Governmental force of acceptance would open a box that would make Pandora less than a footnote. If one can force acceptance with a majority political party, the winds of change can force immediate end of business with a different majority political party.
As for lawyers taking up the mantle… while I hear the NRA talk about proposed suits the, NSSF, SAF, GOA etc al are actually doing it.
Yes, and then the NRA brags about how they won. I have never read, okay maybe on a rare occasion, where the NRA even mentions GOA, SAF, etc.
Not NSSF. They’re quislings. Officially took “no position” on the recent gun control, while actually encouraging it. They call ATF “our federal partners.” I kid you not.
Some of the totally uncalled for comments below is why I rarely comment on Ammoland, and will not follow any threads. Some of you people are no Better than the Leftists you whine about.
But then again maybe the two commentors are a “piece of something”
Concur. When folks resort to Saul Alinsky inspired tactics they undercut their own arguments and turn off those who might otherwise listen. Be the better man. Focus on logic and reason. In this age of strong delusion people are seeking truth above all other things. A lot of folks do not realize there is a Revival going on in this country because people are sick of strong delusion and those who operate under strong delusion and they crave truth. Ou adversaries have a monopoly on insults and vilification because that is all they have left in their kit bag. Progressive… Read more »
It’s no wonder the Anti-2nd Amendment crowd is winninig this protracted battle. Do we ever hear them fight among themselves? They are focused, well organized, and seem to always be one step ahead of us. While we whine and argue with each other about who or what organization is better. I’m not fond of the NRA leadership yet it has millions of members and well funded. A powerful pro gun ally. What would the Left want to destroy it if they were not afraid of them. We need to get our s**t together and soon! Else gun ownership will be… Read more »
Unfortunately the author has been sycophantical towards the NRA and making excuses for their betrayal
So? Don’t look for lockstep in our varying
degrees of opinions.
Yada, yada, yada. Tell us something we don’t already know! Companies that get woke will go broke. If they want to be anti-gun, then we will boycott them! SAF already has a do-not-buy list of anti-gun companies.
Uh-huh! A piece of something!
OK, address two items and we will know you and NRA are really serious about running an insurgency against this form of Jim Crow legislation and vilification. First: Jury Nullification. If NRA started publishing the how and why of jury nullification I would know you were serious. But you all are advised by swamp creature law school graduates who are afraid to allow John and Jane Q. Public to be the ultimate conscience of our legal system. Juries are the conscience of our legal system. When the bureaucracy and the legislatures get out of control it is the informed citizen… Read more »
Nra had a full article about jury nullification back in the 90’s.
Your article reminds me of Congresswoman Bobert whose rental of a building for her restaurant was DENIED! All this DENIAL is PURE POLITICAL CENSORSHIP by the American Culture of FREEDOMS and RIGHTS of the HATING communists!
I beg your pardon, Mr. Hutchison, but Heller did not overturn Miller, unless you can go down to your friendly neighborhood gun shop and buy a select-fire M-4 exactly as issued by the Army, with no more steps, taxes or other bs than you would for a semi-auto only AR-15. The part of the Miller Decision that said that the arms protected by the Second Amendment are exactly those that are useful to a militia, which means the same arms that would be issued to “regulars” in the military, has been ignored ever since it was handled down. As far… Read more »
Imagine what $1B could’ve done on these threats. That’s how much member cash Harold’s hero LaPew & his “Winning Team” grifted every 3yrs since ’97, thereby baring NRA’s neck to the NYAG. 2A will be stronger when NRA is gone.
Perhaps the Second Amendment and the NRA will be stronger when WLP and his corrupt cronies are gone.
But he and his corrupt cronies have made that impossible. So…. “Those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change inevitable.” – said John Fitzgerald Kennedy, right before taking a bullet in the head. Thus showing that the powers-that-be, make peaceful change impossible. Sooooo…
Never happen. Too far gone.