Second Amendment Tyrants

Still think there’s a dialogue to be held on guns in America? What happened to Dick Metcalf ought to disabuse you of that fantasy. Metcalf lost his job as a journalist for saying that it might be necessary to pass “some” gun regulations. He went on to say, “all constitutional rights are regulated, always have been, and need to be.” Here’s the kicker: Metcalf is a veteran writer for Guns & Ammo and one of the nation’s most ardent supporters of the Second Amendment. He wasn’t talking about a ban; he was speaking about “regulations” such as keeping guns out of the hands of mentally ill people. Several gun manufacturers–one of which was Ruger–demanded that Metcalf be silenced.

This isn’t the first time. The New York Times–a publication I hasten to add that is more attentive to the First Amendment than gun manufacturers–­reports that in 2012 Jerry Tsai of Recoil was forced to resign for saying that a high-powered weapon used by law enforcement wasn’t available to the public “and with good reason.” Also fired was Jim Zumbo of Outdoor Life who had the effrontery to say the military-style assault weapons were for terrorists and that hunters should avoid them.

I suppose gun control supporters can take heart that gun whackos are eating their own, but they should also note the fanaticism in their actions. None of these men said anything suggestive of serious curtailment of the Second Amendment and were still persecuted with vigor. I’ve called the NRA the “Nazi Rifle Association” and have taken flak for being a foolish extremist. Who’s the fool now? The suppression of free speech is a classic Brown Shirts maneuver, quickly followed by the establishment of a narrow orthodoxy and the vigorous suppression of even the mildest dissent. What next, gulags for gun doubters? Isn’t it crystal clear the NRA and gun manufacturers have absolutely no respect for the democratic process?

Meanwhile, guns killed some 33,000 Americans last year. Even worse, there were two dozen mass murders after Sandy Hook. Now guess how many gun laws Congress passed last year? The time for dialogue over this issue is done, over, kaput. Second Amendment fanatics have banned all consideration and compromise; now they have banned conversation itself. It is incumbent upon citizens’ groups to pressure state and local governments to enact regulation. Go wild! Some regulations may be struck down an unlawful, but go ahead and pass them. It’s a time-honored American custom to bankrupt one’s foes, so let the NRA spend its resources in the courtroom instead of buying Congressmen. Don’t waste your breath explaining your motives–the fanatics aren’t listening. You cannot compromise with such enemies; you simply must defeat them.