Legislators fail the Second Amendment when gun owners fail first

By Gerard Valentino

There can be little doubt that gun control debate in the United States is far from over. Even with Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton refusing to admit their continued willingness to kneel at the altar of gun control, there can be little doubt they will work to disarm honest Americans if elected.

Everyone who takes the time to objectively investigate the gun control issue is forced to admit that it has been a dismal failure, and Americans have only one group of people to blame for that failure. It isn’t the gun control schemers, or even anti-gun mayors who are willing to sue the gun companies for the sins of common criminals. Oddly enough, it isn’t even the criminals who can be held responsible only for their own brutal actions, but not for the thousands of Americans who were disarmed in the face of senseless attacks.

Only one group can lay claim to holding the key to falling for the gun control con and then not doing enough to fix the damage – our nation’s legislators.

They are the only people who have acted in complete disregard for the safety of honest people by passing laws that took away the best tool of self-defense, the firearm.

Few can doubt the honest intent of the legislators who fell for the original cons perpetrated by the gun-control movement. After restrictions on guns failed to decrease crime, subsequent legislators have no excuse. Only shortsighted politicians like Charles Schumer (D-NY), Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and John McCain (R-AZ) have continued to push for limits on gun owners. We know by now they will never waver from their misguided goal of gun confiscation or fixing the mythical gun show loophole.

Regardless of how gun advocates want to blame Schumer, Feinstein and others of their ilk for confiscatory gun laws, it is the run of the mill legislator who doesn’t know much about the gun issue that deserves our contempt.

They are the people who make up the swing votes that determine the fate of gun control laws. As gun advocates, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to educate the vast majority of legislators who don’t have a clue about the gun issue and learn from the establishment media. We know, without a doubt that there is a decided anti-gun leaning to most reports on the gun issue. For the legislators who don’t look at the problem objectively it is easy for them to believe what the establishment media reports.

That isn’t an acceptable excuse when people are dying because they are disarmed by the very people sworn to act in our best interest.

Several states are having legislative battles on self-defense issues closely related to the gun control debate. Known as “Castle Doctrine” bills, they will give the presumption of innocence back to a law-abiding citizen forced to defend their own life.

Most legislators, if fully educated on the issue, would vote for “Castle Doctrine” bills because they directly protect the rights of voters. Yet, because there is a lack of understanding by legislators, many such bills are stalled in state legislatures nationwide.

A sad situation that voters can rectify by kicking legislators who refuse to stand up for rights of the law abiding out of office. Only by refusing to support legislators who only give lip service to the right to self-defense will the misguided or misinformed among them learn. We all saw how quickly Democrat presidential candidates dropped gun control from their platform after Al Gore was defeated on the issue.

Now we have to force our federal and state legislators to realize their job is on the line if they vote to take away our rights.

Learning your legislators name can help, and offering to help them learn about the gun issue is a great way to tip the scales in our direction. But, nothing is more powerful than letting them know you will vote your gun and self-defense rights in every election.

When the rubber meets the road, legislators want your vote and your support. It should be clear to them they need to return the favor and vote your way on the issues that are important to you.

No excuses, no mistakes. They have to vote to further your self-defense and gun rights or you will not support them come election time.

Too many times we let our elected officials off the hook for their duplicitous ways, or let them fall prey to anti-gun ravings. It is time to put our foot down as a group and stop supporting a candidate, from either party, who lumps gun owners in a group with sex offenders by making concealed carry license information public record. We also need to vote anyone out of office that doesn’t see that allowing people to carry a gun in a family restaurant is the right thing to do.

Over the years, the gun movement has become conditioned to blame the Brady anti-gun gang or other similarly misguided special interest groups for their continued dedication to taking away our guns. But, they wouldn’t carry any weight in the political arena if our legislators did their homework. People like Charles Schumer who carry the water for the Brandy gang would be little more than a sad footnote in history if voters threw him out of office – and they should.

It would also dissuade the next anti-gun Senator from acting on their ridiculous beliefs.

That is what we need, legislators who know their days are numbered if they flout the constitution, confiscate our guns and leave us without a means of self-defense.

Now, we have to force the legislators nationwide to understand we will hold them accountable. To do otherwise is to assure failure.

Gerard Valentino is the Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Chair, writes for the ValentinoChronicle.com and teaches the Ohio Concealed Carry class through Center Mass LTD.