Concealment #12

As this issue of RECOIL’s CONCEALMENT hits newsstands, Americans will be celebrating and condemning our national election winners. Whether Washington, DC remains red, turns blue, or ends up a shade of purple, we must remember that the Republican party controlled both Congress and the White House for two years and somehow failed to pass any significant firearm legislation.

There were brief moments of excitement when the house passed legislation to take the BATFE out of the silencer buying picture and a nanosecond when national concealed carry reciprocity peeked its head out of the senate, but every success was met with national headlines about one tragedy or another. Those shootings prevented our elected representatives from doing anything for us nationally.

As Republicans waited for a pro-gun legislation opening, the Democrats seized upon the emotions of the moment. They went to the villages while all eyes were on Rome. State after state saw gun control measures passed under gilded capital domes and by neighbors in folding chairs at town select board meetings.

So-called red flag laws, otherwise known as extreme risk-protection orders, bumpstock bans, magazine capacity restrictions, age restrictions for long-arm purchases, major constraints on private party transfers, and even short-lived bans on AR-style rifles were enacted across the country in a wave of gun control legislation, energized by tragic headlines and the urgency to do something.
When that do something wave hit our towns, we focused on the current presidential Tweetstorm or argued over the use of the word “clip” instead of talking to neighbors and local representatives about responsible gun ownership. They made decisions while angry, while scared, and while our house began to burn we commented on the curtains.

With the mid-term elections in our rear view, no matter the result, one thing remains vitally important — local politics. The only way to effectively fight is to get in the trenches. Talk to your neighbors, invest an hour or two a month attending town meetings, learn more about your state and local reps so you can vote for more than the (D) or (R) next to their names on the ballot, and join a statewide advocacy group.

We’re all busy people, but taking the time to do these things is crucial for so many reasons … But, one of those reasons rises to the top, and that’s because the other side already did.

To preview the issue click here: Concealment 12