Are You a Fair Weather Friend of Second Amendment Groups?

by Dean Rieck

Suppose you had a dear friend. Someone you've known for years and who has stood beside you every step of the way.

Then one day, you say or do something this friend doesn't agree with. It's not a personal insult. You haven't cheated them or assaulted them. You just have an honest disagreement about something.

Suddenly your friend tells you it's all over. They won't be your friend anymore. They don't want to hear from you or support you ever again. And they start talking to others about this, encouraging them to abandon you too. They insult you, call you names, start working against you.

What kind of friend is this? Were they ever your friend to begin with? What sort of mature person acts like this?

In the world of gun rights, this sort of thing happens all the time. When you run a pro-gun organization like the NRA or Buckeye Firearms Association or USCCA or any group that speaks out and takes action, you're bound to encounter this situation.

People support you. Then they throw a tantrum and start working against you. You hear it all the time on forums where people curse an organization, withdraw their support, and encourage others to do the same because of one disagreement about something the organization has done.

Why does this happen? Why are people so quick to abandon or even sabotage organizations whose employees and volunteers spend their lives working to protect our rights?

In recent years, the pro-gun movement has made giant leaps forward, passing concealed carry laws, instituting castle doctrine, winning two major Supreme Court cases, and rolling back anti-gun laws coast-to-coast. Even the Democratic Party has backed off from openly supporting, or even talking about, gun control.

And yet, despite all this success, despite all the hard-won victories, there are Second Amendment supporters who spend a great deal of time complaining about and working against the very organizations who have brought them these victories.

It's a shame. Because there are between 90 million and 150 million gun owners in America. This country is ready to turn the corner on its perception of guns. Vast majorities believe in personal gun ownership and self-defense. If all gun owners could work together, we would be an unstoppable force for change.

It is at this point in history that all of us need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we're helping or hurting the pro-gun cause. We need to look deeply into our hearts and ask, "What sort of supporter am I? Am I a loyal supporter of Second Amendment groups or a fair weather friend?"

Your answer could determine the future.

Dean Rieck is the Marketing Director of Second Call Defense and a Leader with Buckeye Firearms Association.