Changing Gun Privileges Back into Gun Rights: The first step in holding back the Leftist Tide

Editor's Note: This commentary was also published recently at TheLandoftheFree.net.

by Gerard Valentino

The pro-gun movement is proud that 48 states have some sort of mechanism that allows concealed carry by law abiding citizens. Most of the 48 states have "shall issue" laws which means that if a citizen meets the legal requirements established by the legislature, the issuing authority has no choice but to approve the application to carry.

But, shall-issue laws still require a citizen to ask the government for permission, and often force permit holders to follow restrictions on when and how they can carry a gun. In many states, concealed carry permits can be revoked on a whim. There are even some states that allow law enforcement officers to take possession of a permit holder's gun without an arrest.

If the government tried to put the same restrictions on free speech that are readily accepted for the right to bear arms the mainstream media would revolt. A similar backlash would take place if the government required a permit for anyone who wanted to join a church, mosque or synagogue.

When gun rights are treated like privileges and are unjustly infringed, the same groups that defend the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and other constitutional rights look the other way. And that is a sad commentary on the willingness of liberty- minded Americans to stand up for the most fundamental right affirmed in the Bill of Rights.

Whether you define success as material gain or simply spending time with your family, it can all be taken away by any thug with a crowbar, baseball bat or knife unless a choice is made to utilize the best self-defense tool – a firearm - a fact that is ignored by too many law abiding citizens who refuse to acknowledge that they are completely vulnerable to criminals unless they choose to exercise their right to bear arms.

Until the ability to bear arms regains full status as a constitutionally protected right, it further erodes the confidence Americans have in owning a gun for self-defense. Stories of homeowners being charged with crimes for shooting an intruder, or being sued by an armed home invader further dissuade Americans from making the choice to adequately protect their families.

Many liberty- minded Americans refuse to apply for a concealed carry permit or buy a gun through a licensed dealer because they believe it allows the government to keep a list of gun owners. Some are left with the choice of buying a gun or protecting their privacy as they see fit, which is an unfair trade-off.

For example, in Ohio a citizen forced to stop a violent attack with deadly force often has to appear as the defendant in court because of unfair self-defense laws. Imagine being home one night, having a crazed armed crack addict invade the sanctity of your home, the place where your kids feel safest, and then being identified in court as the defendant for merely acting to protect your children.

Law abiding citizens should not have to fear prison time, or having their hard- earned treasure taken away because they chose to fight back when violently attacked.

Such laws need to be rectified so law abiding citizens can carry a gun without asking for permission from the government. The Founding Fathers didn’t see a need for citizens to ask for permission to bear arms, and our government today shouldn't have the ability to restrict a law abiding citizen in that manner.

In the end, however, gun control is about control, not public safety, and the people calling for the destruction of gun rights are merely setting the stage for their next anti-liberty step. Instead of celebrating hollow victories, the pro-gun movement needs to rise up and demand that our rights are fully restored. Until law abiding Americans are allowed to carry a gun as they see fit, we can’t call ourselves free.

Gun rights and liberty are key pieces of the American experiment and losing one means losing both because without guns, liberty will become a casualty of big- government liberal policies. Nearly 40 years ago, Colonel Jeff Cooper, the father of the modern pro-gun movement, stated that when in possession of a rifle a man stops being a subject, and becomes a citizen.

His statement is just as profound today and the leftist elite in America fully understand that guns are a symbol of unfettered American liberty, which makes gun control a vital piece of the leftist vision for America. It also should make protecting gun rights the number one plank in the conservative platform because without disarming the people, the left can't finish changing America into a socialist state.

Now is the time for all liberty- minded Americans to demand that we have our gun rights be fully restored. If we fail to act, then we are responsible for letting our status as citizens erode until we are merely subjects.

Gerard Valentino is a member of the Buckeye Firearms Foundation Board of Directors and the author of "The Valentino Chronicles – Observations of a Middle Class Conservative," available through the Buckeye Firearms Association store.