
Originally Posted by
dbldragon
... when he approves it, it will simply be "the will of the people, as voiced by their elected Representatives."
I think this is, to me, the most frightening part of this entire discussion. We expect a certain amount of pandering and opportunism from our elected officials, because part of "the game" here is to remain viable to a wide-enough cross section of people to stay in office (read: get re-elected). No surprises there.
What we don't really expect is the moment in time when such restrictive legislation truly IS reflective of the will of the people -- not all of the people, obviously, but enough of them to make such things politically-viable. This is why I find it counterproductive to resort to name calling where our public officials are concerned: they are merely a reflection of where we're at as a society.
The real problem is that the average citizen in the United States no longer has much of a connection to firearms or the Second Amendment -- this has become "somebody else's issue" to most of them. Most people read about proposed AWBs and think "well, what's the big deal with that? Who needs those kinds of weapons, anyway?" Think about it: even if you're military or LEO, how many of the people that you work with are serious shooters? How many share your positions on Black Guns? How many of your neighbors, fellow churchgoers or social connections would probably support AWB legislation simply because they don't know any better?
My point is that this battle is likely being lost in the trenches -- not in Washington. We can, and should, make our positions clear to our elected officials, but we should also be out there explaining this to the people we share hunting grounds and public ranges with. We should learn to present a rational case to our friends and neighbors. We should have an answer ready for those who know only the side of the issue that they got from 20/20 or 60 Minutes. If we don't, or if we simply allow ourselves to become reactionary and enraged, we're going to end up a lonely -- if vocal -- minority with little hope of being taken seriously in Washington when the storm clouds form.
Your Senator or Congressman will do whatever he feels will preserve his long-term political capital. The real question is, what will your friends, neighbors and fellow sportsmen do when their opinions are polled, and how effectively are we reaching them?
AC
Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here. -- Captain John Parker, Lexington, 1775.
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