“You know, I talked to many Republican legislators in DC and you know what I heard? What I heard was that we have to defend the Second Amendment but I think we have to do more than that. We have to grow the Second Amendment because right now the Republicans are on defense and you can never win by playing defense.” – Kyle Kashuv in Kyle Kashuv: Republicans Must Quit Playing Defense and ‘Grow the Second Amendment’ [via breitbart.com]
This kid gets it! Our rights and foundations of our country are being eroded by playing defense. We need to go on the offensive and Freedom On!
Very true! Also true is that a lot of “conservative Republicans” only pretend to defend while they bravely run away. They do that on many issues.
Republicans are the Brave Sir Robin of this political farce.
https://youtu.be/BZwuTo7zKM8?t=1m1s
Really? I thought we just needed to “do something”, compromise a little, have some conversations, pass some safety regulations, ban those semi automatic machine gun conversation bumper things. Because the Republicans control the government and the conversation right? So they can set the agenda…I think the Republicrats don’t have a Second Amendment plan or agenda, just do nothing. See Florida, the Republicrats made sure everything was locked up in committee to die so they could never advance anything.
We need a national 2nd amendment day were we all arrive in our state capitals and let those clowns know we mean business. All gun rights groups should promote it. We are America not Venezuela. The last effort was not promoted at all, I heard about it the day before.
I agree whole heatedly with you Hunter427. We need to take to the streets in non-violent protest.
Kyle really needs to be head of the NRA.
Growing the 2A?
Geee…I was starting to feel a little lonely out here.
I have been saying the same for years. While defense against further abridging of our rights, slice by slice, is necessary, it will not lead to victory. It only slows down “progress” to defenseless populace.
We need to take initiative, attack and get our cake back!
https://goo.gl/images/xB81uY
Even the best defense possible only delays your defeat. Without offense defense is useless waiting-to-die nonsense.
In the next few months – weeks even… Hogg will fade from the spotlight while desperately grasping at every last opportunity to remain relevant and the center of the media’s fleeting attention.
Kyle here on the other hand – deserves to keep the attention of the NRA and the People of the Gun… if for no other reason than to demonstrate that our resolve is not a brief fad that comes and goes with the next news cycle but is deeply ingrained within our character.
We will not waver. We will not give one inch. And we never miss an election.
🤠
Yea think……..
We tend to overlook that the SECOND amendment was included in The Bill of Rights to protect America’s citizens from the government, first and foremost. How apropos in today’s media and government attacks against 2nd amendment LAW ABIDING citizens rather than criminals.
“For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so,
a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.”
Thomas Jefferson~
The media intentionally fails to mention that prior to becoming eligible to purchase a firearm most states mandate that the applicant surrender his or her right of HIPPA confidentiality as regards their mental health records.
The East and West coast political bullies never mention that before purchasing any firearm, a law abiding citizen must apply for a license, must at that time pay to have their fingerprints taken, pay to have a criminal background check conducted and pay for the license; which is not a permit to purchase a gun. That is another procedure which mandates personal expense, waiting time, statements from individuals as regards your character, etc. All designed to discourage the HONEST citizen from purchasing a firearm.
Honest people follow the rules, dishonest people never will.
Too bad pro-gun enterprises are blocked from advertising their view in prestigious media.
Damn! Really? Sucks to be you, does anybody vote there? Really, I thought the 4473 was really bad.
I had a friend who was driving to the next town pick me up my first Colt Python while I was in college. 1968. How times have changed.
One slight problem! Thomas Jefferson quote was made in June 1776, and the United States Constitution in September 1787. There are provisions in Article One of the Constitution which keep the “Organized Militia” in check…
Just a few partial curls and he could Dr. Stangelove that hair. Some guys have all the luck;-)
Kyle is on point and the young man is 100% correct. Unfortunately, we are dealing with “Republicans” that have no spine whatsoever. They see the inflated crowd numbers and protests then they cave and cower in the corner flinging gun control laws until the screaming stops. Alternatively they also kill bills that had a great chance at passing because the left is riled up and they think they’ll lose midterm votes over passing National Reciprocity and the Hearing Protection Act. Sorry guys, but you’ll lose votes because you caved to the left. Those protestors and those huge crowds WILL NEVER vote for you fella. They just won’t, it has nothing to do with you passing or not passing gun control they just won’t vote for anyone with an R after their name that doesn’t conform to the hyper left manifesto. Republicans could solve all of society’s ills and every single issue in the world for every single person and the college kids out on the street protesting would still never vote for them because everyone knows Republicans are evil fascists that kill and eat babies and want to totally destroy the environment while making rich business owners and companies even richer and making poor college kids even poorer.
Well, 43 of those Republicans are not even running for reelection, story is Dems are gonna whupass, but it’s also an opportunity to elect actual pro-2A congressthings.
I wouldn’t be so sure… They still have to convince voters to vote for them, same as the Republicans. Now if they indeed did learn something from the utter failure that was HRC we may be in trouble, but if they stick to those loony tune super lefty candidates we’ve all come to know and love well things may just turn out in our favor as long as we don’t run a bunch of Romney 2.0s. I know I’m voting for Rand Paul here in KY when he comes up for reelection in 2022, James Comer seems to be a solid choice for reelection this year.
Luckily though the economy seems a bigger motivator for voters than just gun issues and since it seems the recent tax cuts are doing a lot to revitalize the economy we might just get a pleasant surprise. That’s not to say the Republicans can’t f*ck up a wet dream and kill their own momentum like they did with Omnibus but so long as they don’t f*ck things up we should come out ahead.
The “Hearing Protection Act” is “Dead In the Water”! US Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, who introduced the HPA. Attached it to the “Sportsman’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act” also co-authored by Jeff Duncan. Was introduced into the US.Hse.of Rep. in 1 September 2017, and was “KILLED” in 18 September 2017 by a 115 to 314 Vote (121 of which were Republicans)…
The problem is, we have allowed the anti Second Amendment crowd to define the terms.
A firearm is a tool which possesses no evil intent on its own. Assigning intent to an inanimate object is the epitome of insanity. Demonizing a weapon on “looks alone” also marks the accuser as an unstable individual who is also insane. Call them out on their illogic and insanity.
Another dirty tactic the anti-Second Amendment crowd uses exposes children to potential and actual harm by putting them in “gun-free zones”. These people care not one wit about children, but uses them for their own nefarious purposes.
We need to TAKE BACK the argument…
When the antis blame the firearm for the actions of a criminal, state that: “a firearm is an inanimate object, subject only to the intent of the user”. Firearms ARE “equalizers” and are used to preserve life and make a 90 lb. woman equal to a 200 lb. criminal”.
When the antis attempt to justify their “gun free zones” counter their misguided argument with “you mean, criminal safety zones” or “victim disarmament zones”.
State that “we protect our money, banks, politicians and celebrities, buildings and facilities with PEOPLE WITH GUNS, but protect our children with “gun-free zone” signs”.
When the antis state that: “you don’t need and AR-15”, counter with, “Who are YOU to consider what I need or want?”
When the antis criticize AR-15s in general, counter with: “you mean the most popular rifle of the day, use able by even the smallest, weakest person as a means of self-defense. Besides, AR-15s are FUN to shoot”. Offer to take them to the range and supply them with an AR-15, ammunition and range time. I have made
many converts this way.
When the antis state that: “You don’t need an AR-15 to hunt with”, counter with “AR-15s ARE used for hunting, but in many states, are prohibited from being used to take large game because they are underpowered”.
When the antis state that: “AR-15s are high powered rifles”, correct them by stating that “AR-15s with the .223 or 5.56mm cartridge are considered medium-powered weapons–NOT “high-powered” by any means”.
When the antis state that: “the Constitution was written during the time of muskets, and that the Second Amendment should only apply to “weapons of that time period”, state that: “by your logic, the First Amendment should not apply to modern-day telecommunications, internet, television, radio, public-address systems, books and newspapers produced on high-speed offset printing presses. Only “town-criers” and Benjamin Franklin type printing presses would be covered under the First Amendment”.
When the antis state that “only law enforcement and government should possess firearms”, remind them of the latest school shooting, as well as Columbine, where “law enforcement” SAT ON THEIR HANDS while children were being murdered, citing “officer safety”, afraid to challenge the shooter, despite being armed to the hilt. The government-run murderous sieges at Ruby Ridge and Waco are also good examples of government (mis)use of firearms. Let’s not forget the millions murdered under communism by their governments AFTER their firearms were confiscated.
This tome can be used to counter any argument against any infringement of our Second Amendment.
Not just school shootings, remember the FL nightclub, where police actually chased the killer into the nightclub, then sat on their hands for 3 hours, preventing him from leaving, while he killed 50 people inside. As despicable a performance from police as I have ever heard of, at least in this country.
He shot people even before the police arrived, hence the call to the police, and he didn’t kill 50 anyway, merely 49. The police inaction probably only cost 10 or 15 lives, maybe 20. so you’re way off base, they obviously did a masterful job of keeping him from…going to an elementary the next day, or shooting down a plane. Bottling him up with his victims was the plan all along.
/sarc
Quite often, firearms owners are their own worst enemies. The duck hunters don’t like the AR-15 “black rifles” so they see no problem if attempts are made to ban them. The traditional rifle owners don’t like machine guns, so they have no problem with them being legislated out of existence. Some pistol owners see nothing wrong with certain long guns being outlawed just as some rifle owners would have no problem seeing pistols banned.
Friends, ALL firearms advocates must “hang together” and realize that an assault on ANY means of firearms ownership and self-defense is an assault on ALL forms of firearms ownership and self-defense.
There is absolutely NO ROOM for complacency among ANY Second Amendment supporters. An attack on one is an attack on ALL…
ALL firearms laws are unconstitutional on their face. Imagine the hue and cry if “reasonable” restrictions were placed on First Amendment activities, especially with the “mainstream media”. The Second Amendment is clear–what part of “shall not be infringed” do politicians and the media not understand…of course, they understand full well…it’s part of their communist agenda…
From the mouth of babes…a non-retarded kid. In nearby Romeoville,Il a “gun buyback” is going on right now. They’re paying SIXTY BUCKS(😄) for a gat. Oh and you can turn unloved ammo in and get NOTHING…wish I had a wad of cash to intercept😏
Lots of good posts. What could I possibly add? I think it’s this. . .
We are up against real pros in the field of political activism. The Progressives and Democrat Party are good at this.
Who are WE as the PotG? We are a nation of farmers and shop-keepers who just want to mind our own business and get on with our families, vocations and hobbies. We are NOT at the top-of-our-game politically. We aren’t even Jr. Varsity.
So, what do we do? Grouse on TTAG and other boards; put a Molon Labe bumper-sticker on our pick-ups. Why do we imagine these things are going to gain traction (by themselves)?
Most of our attention is sucked-up by the radical Antis. Why? Do we think we can persuade the likes of Michael Bloomberg? We know these people won’t budge; why do we expend resources obsessing over THEM?
We fail to understand that our objective is to tip those at the margin – NON-gun-owners or NON-activated gun-owners – to understand our cause. We fail to understand that we need to tip our voting block from 49/51% to 51%/49% in Congressional districts and Senate races where we are close-enough to a majority to edge-ourselves-over to a position of dominance.
We fail to understand that our strongest suite is in the Senate. There are 40 Right-to-Carry States with 80 Senators. It takes 41 Senators to block a gun-control bill. It takes 51 Senators to block a judicial appointment. We need just 64% of our 80 Senators to CONTROL Congress.
We fail to understand how the judiciary – especially SCOTUS – is the branch MOST likely to ever-so-gradually put teeth into Heller/McDonald/Caetano. We NEED Trump; and then Pence for 10+ years to appoint SCOTUS justices and Circuit judges. And, we NEED to bring cases to the Circuit courts that will incrementally – by minuscule steps – build-up the precedents for the Right to arms.
Stop Congress from passing gun-control bills; START the judiciary to build-up the 2A.
Fear is the human’s primary motivator. A desire to be accepted by the elites is a secondary motivator. We don’t get that these are the buttons we need to push.
I see no mention of the work of R.J. Rummel – crowned by his work “Death by Government”. Let’s remind our audience that the Oval Office has been occupied by: Trump; Bush; Bush; Reagan; Ford; Nixon; . . . Jackson. Is everyone out there really comfortable with leaving a monopoly-of-power in the hands of our benevolent government? BLM is constantly reminding us of the heavy iron-gloved hand in a blue uniform. Shouldn’t we be asking them if they have read the literature on the Deacons for Defense and Justice from the Civil Rights Era? Shouldn’t we be reminding our audience that minorities are the primary victims of drug dealers; and these are being supplied by Cartels from Mexico? Reminding them of the terrorist shootings in gun-free Europe? Does our audience feel entirely satisfied with their security situation with our existing police forces? Do they want to pay more taxes for larger police forces, larger prisons, larger prosecutorial teams?
Are the members of our audience (non-gun-owners, not-yet-activated gun-owners) really comfortable with the rhetoric of the gun-controllers? Do they really think that “black” rifles are evil while “brown” rifles are safe-enough to be tolerated? That gun-owners should be imprisoned because they loan guns to one-another? That traffickers will be intimidated by the threat of being caught not doing background checks? That traffickers won’t manufacture their own guns? That magazine limits will be respected by home-invaders and mass-shooters? That magazine limits will change the number of gun suicides or armed robberies, one-on-one homicides?
Unless our audience members are entirely convinced of all the foregoing, they have to be imagining that America will some day reach a “goal” of reducing the civilian stock of guns from 400 million to – to what? Maybe 4 million? Do these folks really think that will happen without a fight? What will that fight look like? Will it be confined to the polling places and legislative chambers? Will it spill into the streets? Should America be investing precious political resources arguing about civilian guns – or, maybe the economy, education, drug-addiction or something else?
What’s the “gun” debate all about? Isn’t it death-by-gunshot (and, gun-shot wounds)? What do we make of this?
Of deaths, 2/3’rds are suicides; 20,000. We don’t look into this; how to work-out among ourselves how to help our fellows to deal with suicidal ideation. Nor do we make a point of the 20,000 successful suicides by means OTHER-than-gun. Nor do we make a point that many times these numbers of individuals are in such dispart that they attempt – UN-successfully – suicide. What is the issue? Suicides that are successful? Only those by gun? Or, is it the despair that leads to suicidal ideation? What gun-controls will prevent a gun-owner from killing himself?
Of deaths, 1/3, 10,000 are homicides. The vast majority are 1-on-1, NOT MASS shootings. Of these, the vast majority are Black-on-Black. What are we doing to point-out to our neighbors in the minority communities that all the attention being paid to MASS-shootings does NOTHING whatsoever to deal with the 1-on-1 shootings in their neighborhoods. Gun-suicides are NOT a BLACK-community issue. MASS-shootings are NOT a BLACK-community issue. Magazine-capacity and black-rifles are NOT a BLACK-community issue. How is it that UBC could slow-down trafficking to the Black community? Will it stop burglary? Stop defacing serial numbers? Stop straw-buying? Pretend these measures were successful. Do Black mothers think that clandestine manufacturing or smuggling wouldn’t re-supply their sons? What gun-control will bring down the rate of homicide in the inner-city?
Compare our rhetoric on boards and gun-clubs to that of the Antis. We are highly DIVIDED; the Antis are UNIFIED, marching in lock-step. Look at carry as one example. The Constitutional-Carry advocates will have no fellowship with the advocates for Shall-Issue in the last 10 Won’t-Issue States. The States-Rights advocates won’t have fellowship with supporters of any National-Reciprocity bill. Residents of Right-to-Carry States are indifferent to the plight of their fellow citizens who travel through, or live in, Won’t-Issue States. Is it any wonder that we are at a stand-still with 10 remaining high-population Won’t-Issue States? We INSIST on remaining divided on how to restore the Right-to-Carry!
We have enormous resources at-hand. Forty-some percent of American households keep guns. What other voting block has a comparable fraction of the power of the ballot-box? We have 40 States’ Senators within our POTENTIAL control. What other voting block? We have an ENUMERATED Constitutional Right? Can the abortion, gay-marriage, transsexual-military-service, open-boarders, or any other contender for political power make such a claim? Public-security against crime and terrorism; any other voting block have a solution? Oh, yes, and did I mention a national membership organization whose acronym inspires terror in the heart of every politician – one with a market penetration of just 5%, where the members FAIL to participate in the elections for board seats? What if it’s membership doubled or quadrupled – AND the members actually VOTED for directors? NOPE; we WON’T do it.
The battle for the 2A is ours to lose; and, we are being very successful in ceding the field of battle to our opponents. Why can’t we get our shit together?
TL:DR
Serious complacency settled into the marrow of the 2A advocates, after Heller and MacDonald. That was exactly the time to go on the offensive, not when a black swan cast its wings over us and brought a new wave of antigun activism to our shore.
If the Trump election did nothing else, it revealed just how embedded into the DC establishment too many elected Republicans actually are. As Rush said long ago, they’re republicans-in-name-only and are little different from their Democrat opposite numbers. The one thing they fear, the one thing they have trouble controlling, is the votes of their constituents. And so they pretend to be really, really conservative to their constituents and quietly support their coastal-elite pay-masters in DC. The NRA, with 5 million plus members, has successfully played on these fears for decades which is why it is so targeted by anti-gun progressives. As we have seen in Florida and Vermont, however, some Republican politicians are perfectly willing to compromise 2nd amendment rights if they sense a marginal advantage to themselves.
So, if the very people who claim to support us do so only conditionally we could always get pissed, stay home and not vote or throw our votes away on the libertarians. But doing that just hands control over gun-rights to a bunch of progressive-fascists who have good reason to fear an armed population (think Bundy Ranch). Our strength lies in the fact that, despite intense anti-gun propaganda, most Americans remain in support of gun-rights. Awareness of that reality is the one thing that keeps zombie RINOs in line. How we keep them in fear of that silent majority, especially in the face of such intense anti-gun propaganda from the coastal elites that give them money, is an essential question that remains unanswered. Guns up.
You are correct.
The elites are able to purchase the best Congressmen that money can buy. That’s reality.
What do WE, the PotG, have that money can’t buy? VOTES!
That needs to be elaborated on. Money buys votes in particular elections. Those in States and Districts that are ALREADY “owned” by Democrats have already been bought-&-paid-for. There is no point wondering about the buying-power of the Antis in CA, NY, NJ, MD and so forth. We PotG really ought not spend our political dollars in such races.
Instead, we need to focus on States/Districts where the gun-vote is – say – 49%/51%. If we could get just +2% we would flip the vote to 51%/49%. Now, suppose in a State/District we are 51%/49%; what if we could move that +9%. That would make that polity 60%/40%. A Senator or Representative with such a constituency would see his duty clearly. He would not find a contribution from Bloomberg as diminishing his pro-gun vote.
Where we have only 49% of the votes our legislators have a “for sale” sign on their campaign offices. At 51%, our legislators’ enthusiasm for our cause can be tempered. But if we can move our majority to 60%, money no longer matters.
Pretty sharp thinking from a boy who probably doesn’t know how to wash his own laundry.
Honestly, this is not the first time I’ve heard the suggestion of going offensive. I’m waiting to hear what the grand plan is or what the actual suggestion is that will have a large impact.
Then after we understand the grand plan, who or what organization or political figure will run point and make it actionable.
Until then, it’s only another suggestion without action.
The liberal left will lie, cheat and “House of Cards” their way in to win an argument or political position. They are pure evil and when they look in the mirror they see a dark void.
The only way to resolve this issue is by putting the constitutional right of the second amendment into full effect. Until then, we will continue to have the second, first, fourth and eventually, 13th amendment repealed.
Every state in the country needs to maintain a Militia with at least 3000 enlisted.
1/100 seems high, but I have met 2 trusted people who have had real DGUs with no shots fired. With one, the gun was never even seen by the intruder but the sound of the slide racking and a threat of “I have a gun” was enough to scare them off. This intruder KNEW someone was home too, which is really scary. In the second, this guy I know was involved in a road rage incident and the offender got out with a baseball bat. The victim simply revealed a holstered weapon and the guy got back in the truck and drove off lol. Police were not called in the second incident.
I have unholstered a handgun for an animal threat once.
I don’t like to mention it because I was foolish in several ways, one of which started the dominoes falling, but I put a 226 on top of my dash once when angry looking person was approaching my car for blocking him from going around the line at an off ramp in NC. He saw the gun an immediately went back to his car. My plan was actually to hit the gas (I had a clear way ahead for some distance) if he kept coming or went back to get a gun. I was young and hadn’t thought these things through very well back then. Today, I would not block someone doing the same thing – I don’t know enough about them or why they are doing it and it really probably wasn’t hurting anyone but stealing a tiny bit of their time.
I haven’t been. I’ve been contacting loads of Republican primary candidates and asking if they’d introduce NFA repeal. Even been asking out of state candidates and donating to them if they support it.
John Ward (FL-6) is a hypocrite of the worst kind. Talks about how British were driven out when they came to take guns then waffles on bumpstocks and machineguns not being.
The best defense is a good offence.
Ya’d think the NRA could come up with a strategy?
Now is the time to attack NOT defend. Push for National Reciprocity, Removing short barrels and Suppressor from the NFA. Defense Loese. NO BANS to include bump stocks, Semi-Autos with scary looking parts. the to push back hard is NOW. Challe nge the HOGG bot to his face. Get in his face ask the following questions where was he during the shooting, what building what floor what room. Ask his acolyte gGonzales WHY she thought it was OK to bully the shooter since middle school and doesn’t she bear some culpability for what happened
Years ago the NRA was only on Defense. Then, finally they changed the people “running the place” and went on offense! Over the years they backed off again for some unknown reason? It is time we PUSH them again and force them to get MORE on OFFENSE and take the fight to Congress! We can’t sit back or we’ll get run over again and again, just like it is happening in more and more states! Somehow we’ve got to push back and get these “laws” that are anti-gun/anti-2nd amendment REPEALED.. Sue in court anyone and everyone taking our RIGHTS! Phone the NRA if you’re a member; if you aren’t a member you should be in addition to the other gun groups; I’m a Benefactor member and belong to 3 other pro-gun groups. Sure, it is money I could be spending on guns and ammo, but IF we don’t JOIN and PUSH we won’t be able to USE or KEEP our guns or our ammo! $10 or $20 a month, every month is only 1 dinner out, a case of beer or soda or a couple of cartons of cigarettes; all of which none of will miss!! Write Pres Trump at WhiteHouse.gov and send him your courteous comments; I email at least 3 or 4 times every week about some gun issue and tell him this is WHY we voted him into office!
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