Opinion
New Jersey – -(AmmoLand.com)- The new session in Congress is trotting away with over 2,100 introduced bills. The recent buzz has revolved around all the freedom limiting bills, especially those introduced by Jackson Lee from Texas. Buried deep in that pile are a few pro-freedom bills that have been reported on, such as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, a Bill that will add more protections when conducting an interstate transport of a firearm, removal of SBRs from the NFA, and the Hearing Protection Act. All is not lost, as we have been in a fever over the gunpocalyptic bills.
Many are under the impression that the egregious anti-freedom bills that have been introduced are really put in place as a tactic of using the Overton window. The civil rights-hating progressives are trying to move the bar so far that the civil, law-abiding, gun-owning, community will settle with some of the lesser provisions of other bills. As if we dodge a bullet with more crumby laws with somewhat fewer restrictions, and I dare say “compromise.”
Just to review, there have been no compromises concerning firearm legislation that in any manner acts to benefit freedom lovers. The compromises always come in “us” folding to pressure and really is a direct correlation of the formerly mentioned Overton tactics.
Recently, civil rights activist Tony Simon, creator of The 2nd is For Everyone was discussing an interesting concept in a recent podcast. Simon, a champion for gun rights and freedom talked about how the gun owning community goes “ga ga” over certain politicians that fervently talk a big game when it comes to supporting Second Amendment rights. And in reality, all credit should go to Simon here, he was the one that sparked my own curiosity and made very compelling arguments in the show, give it a listen.
Four Bills Out Of 2,100
I did a quick look into some of the 2,100 introduced bills. What I would consider “pro-gun” or really, pro-civil rights can amount to four. Four bills out of 2,100 aim to enhance our freedoms, or rather remove unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms. There are over 18 anti-freedom or “anti-gun” bills that have been introduced. So where on Earth are all the pro 2nd Amendment Congresscritters? Four bill is the best they got?!?
In the episode, Simon points out that Representative Lauren Boebert recently ran on a very pro 2nd Amendment platform. At the same time, Simon talks about bills that she has introduced or sponsored as a freshmen Congresswoman. Here are the four bills that Boebert has sponsored so far:
- H.R.374 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) World Health Organization Accountability Act
- H.R.375 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) No Mask Mandates Act
- H.R.376 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Paris Agreement Constitutional Treaty Act
- H.R.859 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) To prohibit the President from issuing moratoria on leasing and permitting energy and minerals on certain Federal land, and for other purposes.
Nothing that has been introduced by her thus far has anything to do with the 2nd Amendment. For someone that ran real heavy on a pro-freedom platform, I personally find this odd.
Another congressman that Simon pointed out was Representative Dan Crenshaw. Crenshaw also has voiced strong support for protecting the 2nd Amendment. Let’s see which bills he has sponsored that remove unconstitutional restrictions we have in place.
Here are the bills that Crenshaw has sponsored so far:
- H.R.522 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) Conservation Funding Protection Act
- H.R.1045 — 117th Congress (2021-2022) To amend the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 to amend the definition of eligible facilities request, to codify the 60-day time frame for certain eligible facilities requests and certain eligible telecommunications facilities requests, and for other purposes.
Review the list,,, zero, zero bills were introduced to support the 2nd Amendment.
This is in no way to undercut or talk negatively about Crenshaw or Boebert. This is just pointing out that two people that ran on platforms that support the 2nd Amendment have yet to bring forward their own solutions to unconstitutional provisions in our current law. Before we go about high-fiving each other and singing grand praise for people that run for political office on such platforms, it’s important to see what they actually do. Crenshaw in the last legislative session introduced ZERO “pro-gun” bills as well.
We need to hold all our members of Congress to task on these issues, and now is a perfect time to reach out to those that campaigned as champions of freedom and ask them “Where are your ‘pro-gun’ bills?” The new talking points that we, as a pro-freedom community, should revolve around accountability and that means them being put to task on putting their money where their mouths are. Reach out to all the pro-freedom legislators and tell them that simply holding back bad legislation is not enough…we need them to also introduce bills that support our freedoms.
John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use and NRA certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey’s draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on twitter at @johnpetrolino and on instagram @jpetrolinoiii .
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