Actions Speak Louder Than Words
We’ve all heard everyone from politicians to every day citizens talking about the Second Amendment. They say they understand it, they believe in it, they defend it and they support it. But do they really? Do their words really mean what we think they mean? Time and time again we’ve seen it’s only a ruse to convince their opponents they aren’t trying to take their guns all the while promising their own base they are.
You used to be able to count on the fact that those in a certain group would be strong proponents of the Second Amendment. Times have certainly changed. Just because a politician is from a particular state or belongs to a certain party means nothing. Far too many profess their “support” for Second Amendment rights while crafting further restrictions on their law-abiding constituents.
Political opponents of Second Amendment rights on the other hand claim to “understand” the Second Amendment, but it is their own specific interpretation of it. They believe the right to bear arms belongs to the “Militia”, a.k.a. the government, instead of the “people”. With this, they can claim support for the Second Amendment while also sponsoring the disarmament of law-abiding citizens.
In what I consider a very personal disappointment, more and more law enforcement officials are coming out against private, law-abiding citizens’ rights to bear arms. While the rank and file officers consistently show their actual support of the Second Amendment, their administrators are doing everything in their power to strip firearms from the law-abiding. Appointed by anti-gun elitist politicians, these politicians-with-badges use the respect earned by the working members of their agencies to campaign against the right to bear arms.
One would think you always count on sportsmen to believe in an individual’s right to bear arms. Hunters, sport shooters, collectors, enthusiasts and your everyday law-abiding citizens should be among the most vigorous proponents. Sadly, what should be the strongest coalition is severely fragmented into different segments. We often see the factions willing to give up their fellow sportsmen and home defenders as long as their own segment is untouched.
Then there are the ones who claim to be sportsmen, gun owners, even NRA members, who are not what they say they are. We’ve all seen them. These are the people who speak at their local government meetings and go on camera to say how even they, as a gun owner and NRA Life Member, believe in whatever so-called “reasonable, common sense” gun control scheme is being proposed.
Who are these people? You never know. It takes only a few minutes on the NRA website with a credit card to become a NRA member. And there is no background check to see what your intentions really are built into the membership application. It wouldn’t be the first time anti-gun zealots became ‘members’ to try to muddy the NRA’s name or change the focus of the organization from the inside.
Let’s be clear about what we are talking about, the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights:
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
While some prefer their own interpretation that allows them restrict individual rights and strip firearms from the hands of law-abiding citizens, there are far more of us who understand the Second Amendment is about individual rights. We believe these 27 words apply as much today as they did when they were first adopted on December 15, 1791. We consciously choose to defend our Second Amendment rights strongly and with honor. We enthusiastically support the efforts of those who are working shoulder-to-shoulder with us to retain or regain our Second Amendment rights. Most importantly, we recognize that the last four words… shall not be infringed… means exactly what it says.
A lot of people talk about the Second Amendment. Those who talk about “supporting” the Second Amendment but are actively trying to undermine it are not supporting it at all. Remember the old saying, actions speak louder than words.
If you do believe in the Second Amendment, you need to get out there and help. You need to band together with others who share your principles and actively work to save your rights. It’s time to let your actions speak for what you believe in.
Bob
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