The recent spate of shootings, in which multiple people were gunned down by homicidal maniacs, has provided the anti-gun lobby fresh fodder to ply its trade. Perhaps fortuitously, what is likely to be the largest gathering of those who strongly support the Second Amendment takes place in Indianapolis this weekend, April 14- 16. Yes, firearm fans, the National Rifle Association is coming to the Hoosier state – and the lineup of speakers is sure to be a doozy.
The Second Amendment, Politicians, and the People
It will be all Republicans all the time at this weekend’s conference. The heavyweight headliners include former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but those hoping for that 20th-century Kodak moment of Trump and DeSantis shaking hands will be disappointed. While Trump will regale the crowd in person, the Sunshine State’s governor will only appear virtually. Still, everyone who is anyone in the GOP will be speaking to the NRA crowd, from Mike Pence to Vivek Ramaswamy to former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
As most know by now, the NRA weathered a nasty season of turmoil after New York Attorney General Letitia James did everything in her power to crush the pro-gun group while serving as a US attorney. In the end, James was unable to grind the NRA into dust – but she did severe damage. Much of the attack on the organization had to do with the misappropriation of funds, resulting in the loss of 1.2 million members.
Formed in 1871 by two Union veterans, the oldest pro-firearm group in the nation was on life support for a time, and many wondered whether it would survive. Other players, like Gun Owners of America (GOA), picked up the slack in an era of constant attacks against the Second Amendment. VP Erich Pratt spoke exclusively to Liberty Nation’s Scott Cosenza recently and asserted: “We are fighting the biggest anti-gun administration that has ever sat in the White House.” Thus, who sits in the Oval Office matters when protecting Americans’ right to bear arms.
There are several angles political speakers can take when addressing the NRA faithful this weekend. The most obvious tack would be to point out that while the political left has responded to the multiple public shootings in businesses and schools by shooting for more gun control, the American people have responded by purchasing firearms in record numbers. A recent poll conducted by The Kaiser Family Foundation and cited on The Reload website revealed: “84 percent said they’d done something to protect themselves from that possibility [of victimhood], with talking to family about gun safety, buying a weapon, and practicing shooting being the most common responses.”
Cash and “Carry”
(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the FBI released numbers that showed gun sales “topped 1 million a month in March, the 44th straight month of 1 million or more,” according to the Washington Examiner. Meanwhile, “Trump Glocks” are selling like hotcakes. Glock 19s and other handguns bearing the former president’s name are getting difficult to find. “Every one of our Trump guns sold out just as fast as they came in,” a North Carolina gun shop owner told the Examiner.
Another angle those speaking to the NRA could take is that state legislatures appear willing to disregard the new landmark decision by the US Supreme Court in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The Supremes said the New York law requiring residents to show “proper cause” before getting a concealed carry license was unconstitutional. And just this week, a new Michigan measure was passed that would prohibit residents from openly carrying a weapon. As the situation currently stands, 25 states require residents to obtain a permit to carry concealed – though Florida’s new “constitutional carry” law will take effect in July, bringing that count to 24.
A shrewd politico might decide to rail against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), which the NRA is suing over its recent decision to outlaw pistol braces. Such stabilizing braces were initially developed for to make it easier for disabled vets to fire a weapon. And then there’s the always divisive issue of banning so-called “assault weapons,” a popular mantra of the left.
As violence escalates in the US, Americans have become increasingly polarized on the issue of handguns. However, one thing is sure: The NRA has lived to fight another day, and those who want to win the GOP nomination – and, ultimately, the presidency – will need to win over the folks who believe in an American’s right to bear arms.
