I’ve received several messages recently from readers concerned that we have politicized SSD by our coverage of Second Amendment issues. To that I have this to say. Just over a month ago now I was fat, dumb and happy, legally enjoying my right to bear arms when a madman used a firearm to kill innocent children with a gun. He was a criminal and as far as I am concerned, insane. Not even a day passed before anti-Second Amendment forces used this tragedy to begin to say that I shouldn’t have a right to own the type of a gun that was used in that heinous act. Never mind that I, along with millions of my fellow gun owners, have never committed a crime with a firearm. Never mind that the maniac who killed 26 victims on December 14th violated numerous standing firearms laws. Never mind that the American cities with the toughest firearms laws are the most dangerous. No, instead of using reason, the anti-gun movement chose to politicize this tragedy as a means to take away our constitutional rights. As long as there are those that wish to strip our country of our right to bear arms, I will discuss it on SSD.
I’m not going to take this laying down. I’m going to be vocal. I’m going to say, “No!” I’m going to counter their lies with truth. I’m going to ask you to join me. And through it all, I’m not going to apologize for it.
Couldn’t Agree More with you Eric! Rock On!!
Amen, keep spreading the good word E!
So I have your permission to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights on my opinion here?
Great!
As a future gunowner, dirty Liberal half-breed moderate, and other stuff (you have the freedom to decide), I find both sides overblown and over-exaggerated.
And I’d like to also emphasize my calling the “Red Dawn” scenario that I’ve been hearing since the 90’s complete BS.
Using common sense, I find such a threat highly HIGHLY improbable.
If you wish me to get into the details, I’ll be more than willing to entertain an audience (as long as they are willing to listen), but keep in mind, it may sometimes take a few days to respond as real life keeps me from commenting.
First off, why a future gun owner? Don’t wait, you may not be able to get a gun in the future.
Second, “Red Dawn” came out in the 80s and tyrants and the Balkanization of nations have been happening since we started standing upright. Never say never. The concept was still a fresh memory when the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. That’s why they included the Second Amendment and why it was second only to the freedom to use the soapbox. Go read their feelings on tyranny and private gun ownership.
Finally, check out the 1st Amendment. If you are posting here, you aren’t exercising anything. I am. I am exercising a benevolent dictatorship. The Constitution doesn’t protect your free speech in a private venue. I’m permitting it because I feel that so long as you present a cogent argument in support of your beliefs then it stirs legitimate debate. All I ask is that commenters don’t say anything to one another that they wouldn’t say in person.
You do great work here. I’ll continue to read SSD, and i’ll continue to recommend it to my buddies.
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Unfortunately for “orly?” things like “common sense” just aren’t common anymore. Too many people aren’t accepting responsibility for their own actions. Too many parents aren’t teaching their children to respect others and not take our freedoms for granted. Too many politicians are only seeing what’s directly in front of them when they should be referencing history and the lessons it’s taught us.
Yes, I absolutely understand the 2nd Amendment.
And I absolutely understand the restrictions that the State of NJ does, but definitely not the most extreme ones. The definition of an assault rifle I only agree with on a few terms.
I still see how there can be a compromise.
To make things clearly on my circumstance, as we have seen in the news, family household is an issue.
I however say again, there are way too many failsafes to tyranny/invasion in the USA to resort to widespread 2nd Amendment usage. Especially with the rapid evolution of technology.
I also say that the hostile takeover of the USA through means of force (the one “everyone” keeps saying is going to happen) is materially impossible at this time, and in the near future, without the push of the big red button.
Orly
I can’t recall any one on this site ever stating any real concern of a Red Dawn type take over. Most are concerned about the absconding of or government by nefarious means. The most realistic threats most of us are concerned about are, out of control mobs such as the Rodney King riots, Looting occurring in the wake of storms like Katrina and Sandy or a Terrorist Nation acquiring the bomb and detonating one a couple hundred miles above us. in my 18 plus years of law enforcement I have also learned NEVER TO SAY NEVER. It is always better to have and not need than need and not have. Please don’t bury your head in the sand pretending like things will never go wrong and expect the rest of us to happily go along.
NEVER IGNOR THE FACT THAT REGISTRATION HAS A-L-W-A-Y-S PRECEDED CONFISCATION
David Spicer
Oath Keeper
MOLON LABE
Its more than relavent to SSD and its readers, so to those that have their head in the sand or up their a$$: Kick rocks! Thank you SSD for your coverage.
orly?, do you think the Pols ever thought that the SS would over-run them and set up concentration camps on their soil where millions of Jews were burned in ovens? I bet if you asked a Pol in 1940 if they thought that would ever happen, even in the aftermath of WWI, they would have said it was “HIGHLY improbable”, and probably “BS”. Just because your own fears cannot handle contemplating such matters, does not mean others with far greater resolve and courage should be denied the right to prepare for them.
Last I checked there are still LOTS of dictatorships out there with no regard for the UN or civil rights, and the president YOU probably voted for is socializing our country as fast as Hitler did.
The future is unwritten.
My full support out to you Eric!
Gman
In my mind the UN is one of the biggest problems out there. Never trust the men in the light blue helmets. They want our guns more than our own government does.
David, they might want them but they are incapable of effecting any sort of civil disarmament upon us. I’ve served with the UN. We are the UN, at least the effective part. The “UN” has no standing army. And the forces that agree to serve in their operations are ineffectual and only do so on a mercenary level. The Government that contributes forces is paid by the UN and the individual soldiers receive additional pay while on a UN tour. It’s all a sham money grab and the US taxpayer foots much of the bill. By the way, US troops are not paid UN pay. Also, UN forces do not project power but rather enter benign areas and maintain peace.
Amen brother. I’m glad to see you backing liberty.
With you 100%!
Huzzah! Keep exercising your voice and making your opinions known.
Way to go Brother, I stand with you!
Here!here!………fully appropriate !
Keep it up!
Here is something to think about
http://www.westernjournalism.com/obama-to-top-brass-will-you-fire-on-american-citizens/
The Second Amendment was ratified over 221 years ago and no honest individual with an understanding of why it was ratified could say it wasn’t about protecting the people from the tyranny of a domestic or foreign government. If you don’t believe that it is required now and will never serve any purpose for the rest of time than you can lobby to have the Constitution amended. I would not support that amendment, because I cannot see into the future and say for certain that we will always have a benevolent government or be free from foreign invasion for the rest of time. I do not support a simply majority passed bill that subverts the Constitution, because it is our founding document that gives our government power and makes its rule legitimate. Subvert the Constitution to meet whatever means and you risk losing rule of law and invite chaos. If the government doesn’t have a source of legitimacy from a Constitution it is mob rule and threat of force that becomes its sole source of power rather than rule of law.
Futhermore, make no mistake about it civilian firearms enthusiasts have made significant contributions to our national defense. They invent firearms, ammunition, and accessories that have allowed our military to have the best weapons available. The fact that the private firearms industry has competition and the extra stream of revenue from civilian sales means that our military is able to better equip its men and women since per unit costs are lower. Civilian life has also afforded former members of the military to engage in private instruction and competition that has improved firearms manipulation and employment of firearms in tactical situations. Every single day every member of law enforcement and the military reap the rewards of our vibrant civilian firearms community.
For all the above reasons I’m thankful SSD’s support of the Second Amendment.
Thank you.
Well said, sir. Just gives me one more reason to keep reading your blog.
Keep fighting the good fight. I appreciate you, as an American, standing up for the rights that keep us free from tyranny.
To quote Cmdr. Taggart, “Never quit, never surrender”.
Rights – Without the 2nd, you will not long have the 1st.
Completely agree and am in the same boat. Not clear why people think you’re supposed to lay down and let other peoples politics take away your rights? If I were against gay marriage I would not expect proponents of that to lay down and be quite about me attempting to pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting it.
Advocating a path and ensuring that voices are heard is part of self-governance which is supposed to be what America is about. The citizenry has a responsibility to debate all the aspects of laws before they allow their representatives to pass them.
I couldn’t agree more with all that you’ve said. Keep up the good fight.
I don’t get why someone would take the time to tell you that you shouldn’t do with your blog as you wish. As you pointed out, it is a private enterprise. It always amazes me that people that have the freedom to not click on something they don’t want to read, chose to click on it and then complain about it. I have read a few of your 2A pieces, but it isn’t the reason why I check your blog, so most of the time I just skip them.
That’s why I read SSD… Nothing but the best of the best in EVERY aspect of this industry!
Great job Eric! I appreciate all that you have been doing to spread the word about the infringement of our rights. Please keep it up.
Amen! Rock on Eric!
Proudly standing alongside SSD! I will continue to fight and educate everyone for as long as it takes to insure our God Given Right to Keep and Bear Arms is protected.
Sounds good to me, keep up the good work!
Spot on Eric- keep up the fight!!!
Eric,
Well said, and good for you on not laying down to appease the left. The Whole cannot and should not be judged by the acts of one. Keep up the great work and supporting the things we care about in this industry.
This is NOT the firearm blog… To hell with political neutrality. I actually get pissed that TFB just continues on, business as usual. I have actually lost a good deal my enthusiasm to click on TFB links when they come up in my facefart news feed. This is a game changer, evolve or die!
A few thoughts:
1. It is obviously your right as an American to one day start publishing about unicorns if you see fit, that is obvious. Also, I really never detected a “shift” in tone. The blog has always been pro-gun, pro-industry, etc. and to say a recent politicization has occurred, means, in my mind, that someone has not been reading very long.
2. The above thought, however, does not absolve you of a certain disingenuousness that, while not invented by you, is certainly compounded by your blog. It is a serious problem I have noticed not just in regards to the 2A fight, but also to your “reviewing” of products. Quite frankly, you seem to be more and more in bed with industry, and seem to be less and less an impartial voice of the fourth estate. I think this is totally understandable, in that it is an issue that any and all journalistic entities face, how to keep objectivity and maintain independence. I bring it up not to browbeat you, but to let you know.
3. This relates to the 2A fight in that I see currently see your blog as just another mouthpiece for industry. How else can you support unregulated gun sales for protection against tyranny AND our massive, bloated, security state? Why is 2A so important to fight for, but 1A (under even more constant and consistent attack from bills like SOPA) barely worth a peep? For that matter, and I ask this of all 2A scholars, why do you ignore what is perhaps the most important part of 2A, that owning a gun does not protect you from tyranny but organization does? Why aren’t militias getting their due?
In conclusion, I write this out of frustration with both “sides”. On the pro-, I see greed and on the anti- I see ignorance. In the middle I see fear. Fear of government, fear of violence, fear of minorities, fear of change. Fear of each other. Just remember, with 300 million guns, we are the most polite society to ever walk the earth.
JOHN
You bring up some good points. I agree with you, the 1st Amendment, along with the rest are truly under attack. The voting idiot class (who didn’t vote until ACORN mobilized them) keeps electing more people who see the constitution as a hinderance. We are faced with probably the third greatest hurdle in the history of this country, I fear this hurdle is just beginning to come into view we are not even to it yet but as we approach it is looming bigger and bigger. As a cop I fear what may be demanded of me in the future, I fear my response, I fear the period of this problem sorting itself out should things truly go south. I see the growing concern in my coworkers. My suggestion to all readers is to get to know your local sheriffs. They may well be the last line of defense.
David Spicer
Oath Keeper
Right on!
This is one topic on which there is NO room for debate with the other side.
We have compromised enough- 1934, 1968, 1986, 1994, 1995. They can ram it up their liberal gerbil tunnels.
WELL SAID BROTHER
Exactly.
Keep it up, it means more now than ever. We need more people to get their head out of the sand and raise hell.
I WOULD CONSIDER YOU NEGLIGENT IN YOUR DUTIES AS AN AMERICAN, A GUN OWNER AND A FORMER SERVICE MAN IF YOU DIDN’T.
THANK YOU
just thought of one more thing, a little off the immediate topic but still related, I would encourage all of you (Eric maybe this is something you may want to post on here) to look at a video on YouTube from :
Storm Clouds Gathering
titled : Gun Control
Not sure how much of the actual photography is legit but the data written on the video is, as well as the narrative. It is one of the most powerful messages against gun control I have seen.
Hear Hear!