The 2nd Amendment Foundation has done great work. They have filed and won lawsuits supporting gun ownership in the United States, and that is always a good thing. But, recently, they released a statement which calls into question their understanding of the purpose of the Second Amendment. Nick Leghorn writes,
Following the riots in Charlottesville where gun control activists had their knickers in a twist about the presence of armed protesters (despite the fact that there were no injuries or arrests involving these individuals), the SAF’s Alan Gottlieb is trying to split the difference and appear to be the “reasonable” voice in gun politics.
“We are not a fan of armed protests and highly discourage that,” said Alan Gottlieb, the founder and executive vice president of the SAF. “Firearms serve a purpose, and the purpose is not a mouthpiece. It’s to defend yourself. If you are carrying it to make a political point, we are not going to support that.”
That distinction — designating firearms for self defense, not political expression — limits the scope of the Second Amendment, not to mention gun owners’ First Amendment rights as well. The RKBA was intended as a guarantee against a tyrannical government. One of the best ways to remind elected officials of that fact: put them on display, normalizing them in the eyes of the public.
While we can disagree with the political position of the protesters on either or both sides of the riots in Charlottesville, to say that bearing arms during a protest is not something to be supported is to suggest that Americans do not have a right to defend themselves when attacked for their political positions.
The 2nd Amendment Foundation may be trying to be considered “moderate” on gun control, but the Second Amendment isn’t a “moderate” issue. It’s an extreme issue because you only have a justification for shooting someone in an extreme situation. Being physically attacked for your political position may qualify as the kind of extreme situation in which you have to defend yourself with your weapon. It’s not a situation anyone wants to be in, but it is a situation which you have to be prepared for, and that means being able to carry even during political protests.
Frankly, the 2nd Amendment Foundation got it wrong on this one.
They’re ‘Dead’ wrong. Without the ‘politicizing’ of the 2nd Amendment in the form of making it the backbone of the people’s inalienable right to take out and remove, by force if necessary, a Tyrannical Totalitarian government, THERE WOULDN’T BE ANY OTHER AMENDMENTS! I think the chem-trails are dumbing down too many people lately or maybe the leftist totalitarians infiltrated the 2nd Amendment foundation? Just like some already have in the NRA? Which is why we are always ‘compromising’ and equivocating, and begging on bent knee to the ATF to ‘please daddy, lemme have my toys>’
Well Said!
What Mr. Gottlieb forgot was that the protest march was not armed, a few individuals who happen to have individual rights were armed…a very big difference.
Personaly, I agree. I don’t want to be anywhere that the crap can kick off. I got over that when I was a young man and found that there were lots af other drunken idiots that wanted to try me and my friends. It just isn’t worth it. Generally, no one wins in a fight, they justlose worse or better then the other.
There are some cowboys that don’t realize that, but it dawned on me quickly.
What world are you from ? Put your head back in the sand
….stay armed no matter where you are – and there is no better place to be armed than around a mob of rioters,terrorists,protestors,socialist,communist,marxist,demorat,scumbags,sewer rats,cockroaches,and other Soros paid hate groups
Right on!!
I agree
I agree with you 100%
Amen, and an wise armed person does not bother to ask someone who is physically attacking them or a loved one if they are being attacked because they do not share the political opinion of their attacker – just quickly takes whatever action is necessary to end the physical attack that puts their own or another’s life in danger!
The goverment can have my guns when they pry them from my cold dead hands!!!! Untill then i have the constitutional right to own and bare arms.
When they come for MY guns, they’ll get the bullets first – via air mail ! !
I agree with “” PORK MONEY “” 100% .
How remarkable that as the NRA has come out of recent years of equivocation on some aspects of the Second Amendment’s rights seemingly stronger than before on said rights, the Second Amendment Foundation has gone in the opposite direction.
Stay away from me! I agree with Pork Money: stay armed. I would only add: STAY LETHAL!
What one person thinks of as preparation is another persons idea of nonsense. I stay away from politically charged situations because it will only take one hothead who thinks that he is the essense of cool to lose his cool for one second and the famed balloon will go up, the s will hit the f. In that scenario, there will be a number of predators who come to such gatherings for just such a chance. These are people who love the feeling of power they get from cruising the edges of the fray picking off individuals who think that possession of a gun makes them the big fish in the pond. It’s not. It is said possession plus the willingness, perhaps even the eagerness to use said gun. I do not wish to kill anyone, I wish only to protect people I love from others who would kill them. So…I encourage those whom I love to stay away from meetings that involve rabble. And I pray that God will keep my country safe until it becomes necessary for me to become involved as more than an observer. In the meantime carry quietly, no advertisement…and as someone has said; stay Lethal…
You Better be carrying! The Jackass Party’s Soros Paid Thugs, will be! He will provide them arms, just like Hitler did the Brown Shirts!
Wildmann,
That is such a true statement. That’s just how they operate.
Gottlieb has been pretty wussy over the last 20 years. It seems he may have just gone over the the dark side. It is a testament to the forbearance of the rallyers that even when armed, they did not fire on a bunch of violent attackers. They probably felt that those little creeps were not real threat to their safety, since they could just be swatted down like the irritating insects they resembled.
The left wing whiny weenies claim to be against the bearing of arms, yet they showed up in Charlottesville armed with clubs and other weapons and incited a near riot. What don’t they understand about the meaning of “arms” referenced in the 2bs Amendment? They were not supposed to be anywhere close to the lawful rally that was taking place. I have no sympathy for the causes espoused by the attendees of that rally, but they do, as Americans, have the right to free speech and assembly without being attacked by a Soros funded mob of snowflakes.
Alan, as I remember, is a graduate engineer. As such, he should have greater regard for facts than appears in the above. Oh, there is, of course, the following. Nothing but complete surrender will satisfy the anti gunners, and I suspect even that, complete surrender would receive a jaundiced look, leaving the following as the only worth while response to the antis. TAKE A HIKE.
Watch out for Soros!
Several years ago a then Chicago Alderman Dorothy Tillman waved a stainless steel revolver a a city counsel meeting. She wanted the floor.
I live in calif. With all stupid laws they have Impassible. I could carry everyday and may never be cough . but if I was I would be in prison just got trying to stay safe.
I think that Paul Ryan has got his share of the pay-offs. He does not only need another job but he needs to join his friends (ISIS), and get the hell out of the U.S.. The rest of the Republicians, if you want to call them that, needs to join Ryan also. I was born with a gun and I’ll die with a gun. I don’t understand the people voting politicians in office to protect peoples rights to have guns and our 2nd Amendment, then getting pay-offs and saying to the hell to the people elected them in office.
I’m a gun collicter and I’m all about self defense if your not armed how are you going to defend your loved ones ..talk no. I’m with pork and I say stay armed I will till I’m dead
How rapidely Killery responded to shooting by mouthing off how bad the NRA is. Her ignorance is just overwhelming. Having her in the White House, would be cotastraphic to this country. Well, she still can’t believe she lost the election along with many more idiots, (or fidiots, as I call them. A fidiot is someone too stupid just to be an idiot.
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