I have been wrestling with several immutable facts, none of which are pleasant.
1st. We live in one of the most abysmal states in the Union in terms of 2nd Amendment Rights
2nd. Unless we seriously get active it will continue to get much worse. This is the reality we face, based upon statements and pending legislation already on the books. Lest we forget, we can still buy ammunition without a background check ONLY because “they” haven’t gotten their act together with the database yet!
3rd. On Long Island our choice walking into the polls is one of making the least onerous choice of candidate and party affiliation is NO INDICATOR.
4th. By far the majority of gun owners here in the Long Island Metropolitan area have perhaps irrevocably adopted “bunker mentality.” The mistaken idea, that if “we hunker down with our guns and ammo stash, keeping our heads below the trench lip, we’ll be just fine!” My question to you is, can you name any oppressed minority group in history for which this has worked out particularly well? I can’t
5th. Nothing I have been able to say has motivated anyone to get involved in volunteering to protect their own Second Amendment Rights.
What Can We Do?
Political Activism can be as simple as driving a voter to the polls. Or it can be contacting me to providing transport on an organized basis.
It can be sending a check to your favorite politician who supports the Second Amendment, and this MAY NOT be one that you can vote for directly.
You can get in touch with the NRA Campaign Field Reps or you can work directly for a candidate in a race the NRA has deemed crucial, which may not be in your backyard, but which is critical in our state or nationally.
Of course you can always reach out to campaigns directly. If you like Rob Astorino, or if you DON’T LIKE CUOMO, you can contact the Astorino camp directly to volunteer to phone bank from you own living room.
The Impact
The political ramifications of this mid term election reach far beyond who we send to Albany from our own back yards. Any political machine derives its power from numbers, and unless we send a clear message and a clear majority of PRO SECOND AMENDMENT politicians into office on EVERY LEVEL of government, our Second Amendment Rights will evaporate.
If you have any reservations about anything in your locker that may lie “outside” current regulations, imagine how you will feel when everything there does!
Take time, no matter how much or how little, write your candidates, tell them how you feel, and ask them how they feel, about your second amendment rights. If you decide that some Downstate RINO has sold you out, vote for the other guy, but write the RINO and tell him that you’re going to, and why! We may not have the RECALL POWERS here in NY, but we certainly don’t have to reward these turncoats by sending them back to office.
Volunteer, Send money, Get some lawn signs, do whatever it is you can to help pro second amendment candidates for office here in New York State and in Washington.
In the New York State Senate race, all Long Island candidates have received either an “F” rating or a question mark! Incumbent Senate Leader Dean Skelos a “Republican” has earned himself an “F”, Congressman Peter King another DownState Republican has earned himself a “D”. Washington and the people we send there will be the only defense we will have against Anti Second Amendment Supreme Court packing which is anticipated to be the current administration’s parting shot in their battle against our rights. Let’s join hands and see to it that we block that attempt by assisting the true 2A friendly campaigns
Please take a moment to visit The NRA PVF and ILA pages for Activism hints and information including Endorsement and Grading pages using the links I have provided.
What Can We Do?
I am trying to build a team of FrontLines volunteers who are not only willing to campaign, phone call, plant lawn signs, write our reps, and generally let our elected officials know that we are watching and waiting for the opening that we need, but who are also willing to move out of our comfort zone and truly get involved.
Sincerely,
Gary Miller
garuchevc@gmail.com
PS. Please drop me a line and let’s start forming up to create a voice for our rights.