The past is prologue. Shakespeare had it right. If you understand what has come before, it's easier to recognize what's going on today. This week I ran across a piece I wrote in late 1999, to run in the April 2000 issue of Guns & Ammo. For those new to the gun rights issue, note that we were talking about the same things 17 years ago.
Also, note my predictions, including that the gun-ban industry would want to require an FBI background check for guns sold or even given to friends or family. That's the Bloomberg playbook for what is now called "Universal Background Checks" -- a term we had not heard in 2000.
What can we learn from this look back in time? Mostly, we are reminded that the fight is constant, that it never ends, that we must be not just involved but actively engaged. Now, let's drop back 17 years for a look at the eerily familiar-sounding concerns at the turn of the millennium.
DECEMBER, 1999 -- By now it should be obvious that this year we are seeing, and will see, more attacks on gun ownership than any time in the history of this country. Guns are a major part of the campaign strategy of the Democrats this year, and they plan to take advantage of the ignorance and fear that many have about firearms.
It may sometimes seem almost laughable to hear politicians call for the passage of laws which already exist, but it is serious business. When they say they want to keep criminals from getting guns, you and I think "but it's already illegal for felons to have guns." What the public thinks, however, is "Of course! We should pass laws to keep criminals from getting guns, and we should support those politicians who support these 'common sense' measures."
Understand the code words. When they say "common sense gun control" they mean repressive measures they have not yet been able to pass. When they say "keep guns out of the hands of criminals" they mean requiring an FBI background check for all firearms transfers, including gifts between family members. When the boldest of them say (as they are beginning to) "ban handguns" remember that to ban ownership is to confiscate.
What can an individual do? Plenty. It starts with educating yourself, and the best way to stay informed with breaking news on the firearms front is the internet. The NRA has a weekly update they will email to you at no charge. Visit their web site at www.nra.org. The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is a good source of information, as is this magazine.
Then, it's a matter of telling what you know, in a persuasive way. Letters to the editor make a difference. Talk to your friends--especially those who aren't into guns. Point out that a politician who will try to restrict a right guaranteed in the Bill of Rights has no respect for civil liberties or individual rights. A politician who would restrict gun rights would also restrict rights of religion and free speech.
There has never been a time in our history when firearm ownership has been more threatened. If a Democrat is elected to the White House, and if the House of Representatives reverts to a Democratic majority, we will see a flood of Draconian gun laws which will make it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to own and shoot your guns. Gun owner licensing (a license to exercise a Constitutional right?!), firearms registration, gun rationing (one gun a month, then one per year), FBI checks for giving a gun to your son or daughter, and confiscation of certain classes of firearms are very real possibilities.
Maybe it's time for your gun club to run a voter registration drive?
~Tom
Author, outdoorsman, gun rights activist, and firearms enthusiast for more than five decades, Tom Gresham hosts Tom Gresham's Gun Talk, the first nationally-syndicated radio show about guns and the shooting sports, and is also the producer and co-host of the Guns & Gear, GunVenture and First Person Defender television series.
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