Would You Stand Up for Rights?

By Jeff Knox

(March 27, 2014) Have you ever participated in a rally at your state capitol? Have you marched into your elected servant’s office and demanded a clear answer on where exactly they stand on issues that are important to you? Have you ever stood with thousands of like-minded individuals demanding that your voices be heard and your rights protected?
Sadly, the majority of Americans never have.
You’ll have opportunities to stand up for your rights all over the country in the coming months, and I hope you’ll make it a priority. We’ve posted a listing on our website of some upcoming rights rallies that you can – and should – be involved in. We’re working to keep this list updated and complete, so if you know of a rally not on our list, please let us know.
To get noticed, rallies need bodies. If it’s a “gun violence prevention” or anti-voter ID rally, it needs 10 or 20 people to get media attention. If it’s a gun rights or anti-tax rally, it needs 10 or 20 thousand to garner the same attention. An April 1 rally in Albany, New York offers an excellent example of that. News reports talked about activists from both sides holding simultaneous rallies. They referred to “thousands” in attendance for the two rallies, but didn’t make it clear that the thousands were there in support of rights, and that only a handful were gun control supporters. Later in one news report they referred to the anti-rights rally and said that “dozens” were in attendance – and even that was an exaggeration.
One of the most important reasons to attend these rallies is to connect and network with other groups – whether they be gun-rights groups, TEA Party folks, libertarians, or others who you are inclined to agree with and who are likely to support your rights. Such cross-support and connections can broaden our base, expand our influence, and increase our impact in November – and that’s where the rubber really meets the road.
There were a number of rallies from January through April, culminating with the annual Second Amendment Rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg on April 29. More are scheduled for May and on into the fall. Ralliers typically go on to visit their elected servants to make sure that their voices are heard directly, and to put these employees on notice that their job performance is being evaluated, and they are going to be held accountable for their actions come November.
It is estimated that there are about 90 million gun owners in the US. Something like 35% to 45% of households in the nation have at least one gun in them. Add to their number the tens of millions of Americans who don’t have a personal interest in owning guns, but who still support gun rights, and the numbers start getting truly impressive. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that as many as 70% to 80% of eligible voters would self-identify as supporters of the Second Amendment. But that doesn’t mean that all of those would immediately agree with someone like me on specific details of firearms policy. The vast majority of Americans simply don’t think about or educate themselves about politics in general or gun politics in particular enough to have a firm opinion, or even a basic understanding of the nitty-gritty of the debate. That’s the main reason I write a weekly online column for World Net Daily: I want to reach out to people who are probably philosophical allies but who might not get a lot of exposure to the issue of firearms-related civil rights. Too many still have a programmed response against “assault weapons” and “high-capacity magazines,” terms used by anti-rights advocates to mislead the public and cloud the issues. I want them to understand that guns are old and relatively simple technology. I personally made my first gun in high school machine shop when I was 15 years old, and made my first sub-machinegun the following year – all unbeknownst to my parents or shop teacher. It’s just not that difficult. And politicians could pass as many rules as they want, but it would not hinder enterprising criminals from acquiring or producing the tools they require for their trade.
So we come back to the original questions: Have you ever attended a political rally, and would you stand up for rights – even if the issue wasn’t one of your pet issues? The right to arms is under serious assault right now. Gun owners and the Constitution need your help. If you truly believe in liberty, now is the time to stand up and defend it. Follow the successful example of labor unions and stand in solidarity with others who support the ideal of a constitutionally limited government. Stand together now – organize now – unite now – and change the world in November.

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