There has been a lot of talk recently about suppressors on guns, but we need to be equally concerned about suppressors on elected officials. Something is seriously wrong when legislators who pledged support of the Second Amendment suddenly grow silent when an anti-gun bill comes before them. And this is not just in California, folks—it is a problem everywhere.
Politically correct garbage has polluted what Americans hear in the media, especially when it comes to guns. We give big kudos to those who stick their necks out for the Constitution but really, they are few and far between. The gun community has really taken it on the chin, and we are frustrated when our friends remain silent, offering little to no support when the Second Amendment is literally being pulled like a rug from beneath us.
Gun Owners of California (GOC) thinks it is time to play a little hardball—with our friends. We are switching things up for 2018—and the change might be painful for politicians whose support of the Second Amendment has been unenthusiastic.
In short, GOC is making a shift in how our legislative scorecard is calculated. Why? Because each election cycle, we field countless requests for endorsements from legislators and candidates who voice their fist-pumping, fiery commitment to the Second Amendment. But once elected, it seems much of the enthusiasm wanes. Therefore, while there are a decent number of legislators who have solid voting records, there are very few willing to stand with us when the going gets tough—although that’s precisely when we need them most.
GOC has decided no legislator gets an “A” unless they either introduce and move pro-Second Amendment legislation forward and/or vocally stand up for us and the Second Amendment community as a whole. Talking the talk just is not enough anymore; they must walk the walk. We are sick and tired of hearing other issues are more important.
Just last week, the silence was deafening when no one rose in California’s Assembly to oppose a bill that places outlandish security requirements on firearm retailers. This is like giving the left a free pass to violate us.
Our new policy will likely annoy some, but given the leftist structure of the legislature, there is no room for the politically lukewarm. The Second Amendment is as important today as when our nation was founded—and this is because it guarantees the First Amendment and every amendment that follows. Gun Owners of California will never just “go along to get along.”
This policy should not be exclusive to California. The left has its eyes on every state—no matter how red or blue. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”
Sam Paredes is executive director of Gun Owners of California and a guest columnist for “Down Range with AWR Hawkins.”