After the last week, I am sure you guys are tired of all of the 2d Amendment talk, assault weapons ban talk, mental health talk, etc. Me too. As usual, folks on both sides are embracing the fact that politicians never waste a good crisis. Attempts to pass legislation limiting out gun rights are coming, no doubt. The best thing for gun owners to do right now is join the NRA, learn the 2d Amendment and it’s purpose, and use your elected officials to make sure your voice is heard. Lots of people are partaking in heated Twitter and Facebook debates, which is all fine, good, and useless. As a population of gun owners, we need to fight the battle where it matters, and that is with the people who are sworn to uphold the Constitution. My better half asked me last night, “Why does anyone need a gun like that (meaning an AR15)?” Well, because the Government has them too, and the whole point of the 2d Amendment is to fight them when they decide the Constitution is an inconvenience to their socialist agenda. But outside of that, because I can. I don’t need a reason, that’s the beauty of it.

As we’ve mentioned on Soldier Systems numerous times, the National Rifle Association is an extremely important political force. For a number of years, Congress has ranked the NRA as the most powerful lobbying organization in America. The Institute for Legislative Action is the lobbying arm of the NRA, and has been helmed by Chris W. Cox since 2002. Of note, Mr. Cox was instrumental in the fight to make sure the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was not signed into a permanent law. He will be the NRA’s leader of any resistance to the Obama Administration’s current assault on the Bill of Rights. I certainly wish him luck, and support. I recently renewed my NRA membership and upgraded to a Lifetime membership. It was $1000 when I did it, but you can get in for $500 right now I believe. I’m not mad, it was money well spent. The only reason we are not already in the same boat legally as the UK, Australia, or nearly anywhere else with our gun rights is because of the political clout of the NRA. That clout does not come cheap, so if you’re spending all your money on guns and ammo right now, make sure to give to the NRA and protect your right to do it again in the future.

Read the 2d Amendment too. What does it say? It says this, ” 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.” The right of the people to keep and bear arms…for the security of a free state. The right of the people to arm themselves so as to not become subjects of a tyrannical government again, as we had fought so hard to free ourselves from. I hear the anti-gun crowd say, “We don’t want to take away hunting arms or sporting arms.” Well, respectfully, go to hell. The 2d Amendment guarantees my right to fight off oppressors with my guns. The 2d Amendment has nothing to do with hunting. The President of the United States has a bunch of guns protecting his family, but I can’t have any to protect mine? So much for the Office of the President being a serving citizen, one burdened to lead the rest as an equal in the interest of all. I will never let one group of socialist whiners, subject to the state’s will for the continuation of their “entitlements”, tell me that the Constitution is no longer applicable. Soon after the abolition of the 2d Amendment will come the death of their most cherished right, the 1st Amendment. The 1st Amendment gives free speech, the 2d gives the people the right to defend it. That is something lost on people of no character or fortitude.

Fortunately, you have a voice. Every member of Congress can be easily reached online. I got a personal response of Congressman Howard Coble within 24 hours and Senator Richard Burr in the same time frame with a guarantee of their support of the Second Amendment. They know what I think, I know what they think, and come election time I will hold them accountable with my votes. I suggest everyone get off of Facebook and Twitter for a moment and type out a well written, grammatically correct, punctuated paragraph or two to the person who will vote in your interests. Make sure you let them know what you want, or don’t bitch when it doesn’t go your way. Your Congressman does not follow you on Twitter, but his office reads their .gov emails because they want your votes. Democrat, Republican, Independent…when most of their future votes say something, that’s a powerful motivator. They work for you, not the other way around. Be the boss and tell them what you want.

If you own a gun, for any reason, your rights are at their most precarious state in history. You have a voice, use it. You have resources, use them. You have a Right to Keep and Bear Arms, use it! It will take less time for you to strap on a gun, join the NRA and write your 3 members of Congress than it did to read this article. My sincere hope is that writing this was a waste of time, and that everyone is saying to themselves “He’s about a week late…” If not, please consider this advice, America needs your help now more than ever.