It was almost 25 years ago when I started in the firearm industry. Truly, I didn’t know what to expect. My assumption was that everyone would be stand-offish, maybe a bit pretentious. Much to my surprise, I found an industry that was extraordinarily welcoming and extremely friendly. Like all industries, there are a few expectations to the rule, but they are few and far between.
Even manufacturing competitors are friendly and actually want, for the most part, for their competition to do well. In fact, it’s not uncommon for some manufacturers to help each other out. I know that I can reach out to the editors at competitive publishing houses with any questions I might have, and they can do the same. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t share any company secrets or anything like that, and we always keep our eyes open on what our competition is doing, but we do get and give praise where praise is due. In a sense, we’re in the same industry with the same goals of empowering law-abiding citizens with solid information about firearms, personal-defense and the shooting sports.
Done Compromising
There are several things that help bind us and keep us accessible, and one of the main reasons is the Second Amendment. I am tired of people asking why we don’t compromise when it comes to gun regulations. To them, “compromise” means we give up something with nothing back in return. Well, we have been “comprising” since 1934:
- National Firearms Act of 1934
- Federal Firearms Act of 1938
- Gun Control Act of 1968
- Clinton Executive Orders
- Lautenberg Act
- Hub/Smith & Wesson agreement
- Brady Law
- School Safety and Law Enforcement Improvement Act
- Bump Stock Ban
I didn’t include in this listing the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act (also known as the assault weapons ban) since it sunset in September of 2004. As a whole, we have “compromised” on the Second Amendment more than enough. There isn’t another right that’s more regulated than the Second Amendment. As an industry, an attack on the Second Amendment is an attack on all of us.
What Can You Do?
Please get in touch with your local, state and federal representatives. Tell them what the Second Amendment means to you, tell them that a non-elected branch of the government, such as the ATF, has no right to limit your God-given rights. Besides your representatives, talk to people in a calm manner and tell them what’s at stake. If the Second Amendment goes, there’s a good chance the First will go next, and then the rest. We are not subjects; the government works for us. Remember that in seven months.
