Second Amendment support was on full display at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as thousands gathered in Orlando, Florida. Gun rights heavy-hitters discussed the legislative landscape and how politics have changed with historic numbers of Americans buying a gun over the past year.
U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and former Georgia state Democratic representative-turned Republican Vernon Jones were the special guests with nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch.
The Backdrop
Last year was unlike any other year for firearm sales. Shutdowns from the coronavirus led to economic anxiety and safety concerns. Blue state governors shuttered gun retailers even as community violence, riots and looting escalated through the summer. Add the reverberating calls by politicians to “defund the police” and the result was 21 million background checks for the sale of a firearm in 2020.
More than 8.4 million were to first-time buyers and gun buyers shattered stereotypes, increasingly diverse with women and African Americans leading the charge. Throw in a presidential campaign built on strict gun control and Loesch’s panel had plenty to say.
Ms. Boebert Goes to Washington
Rep. Boebert described her path to becoming a gun rights advocate. She owns a restaurant in Rifle, Colo., and there was a parking lot altercation. She worried for her safety and that of her staff. Rep. Boebert studied Colorado’s gun laws, obtained her concealed carry permit and hasn’t looked back since.
In 2020’s election, Rep. Boebert, before she announced her own run for office, heard presidential candidate Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke’s infamous “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15” declaration. She learned he had an upcoming rally in Colorado and had a response of her own.
“I drove down to his presidential rally with my GLOCK on my hip and told him, “Hell no, you’re not!” O’Rourke soon dropped out of the race and Rep. Boebert is now in Congress.
Vernon Jones echoed why Rep. Boebert’s safety message resonates across political, racial and societal demographics. “We have to protect the Second Amendment,” Jones explained. “We have laws in place and law-abiding people who want to protect their property and protect themselves, they use their guns responsibly.”
Executive Action
President Joe Biden took office with a stack of gun control plans, but voters had other ideas. House Democrats lost several seats yielding a razor-slim majority. The Senate is deadlocked at 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking any ties. With the filibuster in place, it makes gun control a heavy lift.
Loesch summarized the Catch-22 for gun owners. “The Biden administration, they promised gun control. Fortunately, Biden doesn’t have the muscle in Congress to make that happen,” she said. “But that’s not stopping him from looking at regulatory enactment of gun control.”
Gun control groups like Everytown for Gun Safety mapped out this path. They wrote a playbook on executive actions for the Biden administration, going around Congress. Rep. Boebert, who Loesch described as a “Second Amendment firestarter,” called out this approach.
“At the end of the day, this is all about taking control, and I am there to defend your Second Amendment rights,” Rep. Boebert explained. “I will stand up for your God-given rights every single day.”
Punish the Law-Abiding, Ignore Criminals
Loesch referenced President Biden’s go-to ideas, including banning so-called “ghost guns” and standard capacity magazines, repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) and banning so-called modern sporting rifles (MSRs), which he mislabels as “assault weapons.”
Loesch clarified gun control uses the term “ghost gun” to bogeyman something that’s been legal since the founding of the country. It would turn hobbyists and gunsmiths into criminals, but not reduce criminal misuse of firearms.
Repealing the bipartisan PLCAA would bankrupt firearm manufacturers through a new tidal wave of frivolous lawsuits over the criminal misuse of legal products. It would be akin to car manufacturers being sued because of drunk drivers.
These lawsuits would also be a means for gun control groups to impose crushing litigation expenses on the industry and force it to its knees and accept, through court ordered settlements, gun control regulation that Congress has repeatedly rejected and not supported by Americans. President Clinton’s Treasury Secretary Robert Reich famously called this tactic “regulation through litigation.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) explained Congress’ role in preventing executive overreach. “We have got to not just work within the procedures, but we’ve got to throw down every speed stick we possibly can. And we have to rely on the states and governors as well.”
Loesch thanked the panel for their contributions to the fight to ensure the Second Amendment. “The Constitution offers an extreme protection of our Second Amendment rights and we need to make sure it stays that way.”
Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
CAN’T STOP CRAZIES SO PICK ON LAW ABIDING CITIZENS
According to them, most citizens are crazies. If we are not LE, they want us to jump through a bunch of expensive hoops, when there is a higher percentage of crazies in LE than legal citizen gun owners.
Yeah, yeah, yeah they were front and center now that they can’t do anything about them…bunch of scam artists and alarmists, not that we shouldn’t be worried.
Scam artists and alarmists are the snot nosed pasty mouth crybabies who held hands with democRats to trash POTUS DJT. You’d think the 2A was abolished over his bump stock contraption executive order. Never mind the fact that if POTUS DJT did not act a knee jerk congress would have acted and those Binary Triggers and lots of goodies seen on this forum would be no more. Then you have the NRA trashers who wanted to throw the baby out with the bath water over greedy mismanagement centered around NRA leadership. Rest assured those squawking the loudest about the NRA probably are not lifers or have not paid their yearly dues in years. Of course cut and run is to be expected from fair weather friends of the NRA.
So to “now that it is too late.” It’s never too late unless you want to surrender to the all hat and no cattle democRats and their Jim Crow Gun Control. Fortunately it did not sound like surrender was anywhere on the table at CPAC.
After Mandalay Bay bump stocks were indefensible to most non POTG. And the knee-jerk reaction would have been not only for binary triggers but aftermarket triggers as well as anything else that could be piled into the bill.
We know bump stocks were a range toy and useless beyond a few tens of yards. But to Joe Public whose knowledge of firearms is from Hollywood, they made the gun into a machine gun.
“useless beyond a few tens of yards“
There are several dozen people from Las Vegas who would disagree with you, if they were still alive.
Area target. Pinpoint accuracy not needed.
But, bump stocks were indefensible after that.
Don’t forget Paddock was a devout Democrat and died doing his bit for gun control.
A devout Democrat? Do you have a citation to back up your claim?
“Paddock was married and divorced twice. He was first married from 1977 to 1979, and for the second time from 1985 to 1990, both marriages in Los Angeles County, California.[9] Family members say he stayed on good terms with his ex-wives.[33] His brother Eric said that Stephen had no political or religious affiliations of any kind.[9][34][35]“
And the NRA was front & center protecting our right’s…oh wait.
I heard wayne gave a speech. How was his suit?
These bullshit gun law’s that Biden has received from every anti gun politician on the planet kinda reminds me of a puppet master controling his favorite puppet, they the puppet master and Biden the favorite puppet. These so called bullshit gun control law’s is directed straight at law abiding citizens that are gun owner’s there’s nothing in these bullshit law’s that gives any indication at all of slowing criminals down if anything if these law’s were in place criminal activity would triple in just a matter of days. The law’s they wanting to pass guarantees that gun owner’s that once we’re armed to protect their family and property are now defenseless, a criminals dream. I been carrying a gun for the last 30 years 15 of those years I was employed through a well known security company that company signed contracts to protect whatever the job involved, can you imagine what would happen if these security companies didn’t exist?, That’s the way gun owner’s feel about owning a firearm it’s our security to protect our families and those around us. With these law’s that Biden has in mind is like him poking and poking at a really huge hornets nest after so many pokes he will either run or be taken down by the most vicious stingers that he can imagine and Mr Biden these hornets won’t run but will keep attacking what ever is in their path so it’s best not to even poke at a hornets nest, leave it the hell alone. Our rights and freedom belong to us not Biden or any form of government. Many service men and women have payed the ultimate price so we can remain free and hold on to those precious rights and for every service man and woman past and present I dearly thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service and dedication also like the government members mentioned here and all over the other states no matter what office they hold when they stand up for my rights and freedom and support our 2A rights you are our voices and again I thank you from the core of my heart you doing a damn outstanding job and in the process we as law abiding gun owner’s are getting stronger and more and more are joining together to let you bastard’s know that our rights and freedom are best left alone. To all that support our 2nd amendment right I truly thank you, respect you, love you, and I will always support you, together we will win this fight against our rights and freedom. We are here to stay 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Actually, I’d like to hear what the Great Geoff has to say. 🙂
Something, something dance troll dance. Something, something my God I’m fat. Something, something man my little NAA revolver is so effeminate. Something, something man do I need a woman. Something, something hey Debbie W. What’ up 😉.
“Something, something dance troll dance.”
And you did as you were ordered, widdle troll.
BTW, talking to yourself as you did above is a sign of mental illness.
Dance, troll. I order you to continue to make a fool out of yourself… 😉
Car manufacturers should be held accountable for the actions of the driver of the vehicle, unless of course it’s an electric car.
Stastics prove drivers of electric cars have less DUI’s.
“Stastics prove drivers of electric cars have less DUI’s.”
Alcoholics *love* buying Teslas for the ‘auto-drive’ feature getting them home from the bar without ‘Johnny Law’ jamming them up…
The American people are realizing that the Government parties are not looking out for them, that the only one’s they are concerned about is theirselfs, How hard is it to stop violence when you have videos,pictures, witnesses, and the will to enforce the laws for justice, the people see that justice is their respondabilty now that the Government is so corrupt, THE Democraps administration wanting to DEFUND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENTS, take away their rights to defend themselves, RIGHT along with all the people’s rights, theating our High court’s, DO WHAT WE SAY OR ELSE, Now THEY Are TELLING THE PEOPLE GOD DOESN’T BELONG IN GOVERNMENT, SO What DOES THAT TELL THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION,
From the photographic evidence, it appears the golden idol of Donald Trump was front and center.
Sadly, the made in China golden calf is just part of our trade deficit with China, thanks to Donald Trump’s failed trade war.
It is the height of hypocrisy for Trump supporters to buy a golden Trump statue from China, how ironic.
Just wondering, what time is the inauguration today?
Asking for a friend…
It triggered the ones it was meant to.