Page 14 - American Rifleman (February 2020)

STANDING GUARD

Why The Democratic Party
Turned Against Your Freedom

he mainstream media likes to purposely expunge more rational opinions
insinuate that the NRA is a partisan from their political party with regard to this
T organization. It isn’t. Politicians earn constitutional issue?
their grades and endorsements from us Here are two big reasons.
(nrapvf.org/grades) based on how they First, mainstream-media outlets located
vote and on what their positions are with in big cities along the coasts dominate the
regard to the Second Amendment. It’s that conversation on the left. These left-leaning
simple. A politician’s grade has nothing to media outlets aren’t interested in honestly
do with their party affiliation. investigating gun-related issues. They
If it seems as if the NRA is partisan today, are instead solely focused on pushing an
this is because the Democratic Party is a anti-gun narrative. They don’t host guests
much smaller tent than it used to be. When who can humanize the freedom side of this
By Wayne LaPierre Barack Obama first won the presidency in issue; for example, they have little interest
2008, for example, there was a sizeable block in having a woman on who just had to use
Executive Vice President
of Democratic members of Congress who her self-defense firearm to defend herself or
understood that our Second Amendment her children. What these media outlets are
freedom is a good thing that must be interested in is pushing gun control. One way
protected. Many of those Democrats, they do this is by helping candidates who
however, lost their seats in Congress as express anti-gun opinions.
Obama pushed the party left.
This purge of Democrats in Congress who “MICHAEL BLOOMBERG IS A
vote for your Second Amendment rights has GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE LEFT’S
continued. Today, the party has pushed out
almost all of it pro-freedom politicians. By DEEP-POCKETED ELITES.”
2016, in fact, the Democratic Party’s official
platform, under Hillary Clinton, was more The other big reason is these politicians
anti-Second Amendment than it had ever follow the money. Michael Bloomberg is a
officially been before. good example of the left’s deep-pocketed
All of the candidates currently fighting elites. Bloomberg has long used his $50-plus
for the Democratic Party’s nomination billion war chest to further restrict or outright
for president want to ban popular semi- take away your right to keep and bear arms.
automatic rifles; they want to bankrupt He is now in the race for president, and he
America’s gun manufacturers by once again is spending big. Whether Bloomberg wins
giving frivolous lawsuits legal cover; they the Democratic Party’s nomination or not, his
want to nominate judges who don’t believe money is a real factor in this election.
the Second Amendment is an individual right Many of the Democrat’s big donors hold
and so much more. fundraisers in places like Beverly Hills and
These extreme positions aren’t even New York City’s Upper East Side. These
smart politics. Past polling has indicated the far-left donors have pushed the Democratic
number of union households with guns in Party further left—especially on issues like
them in the United States goes from a low Second Amendment rights. These wealthy
of 40% in California, to a high of 60–70–80% Democratic donors live behind walls and
in states like West Virginia, Michigan and have armed security—they live separate, elite
North Carolina. These gun owners in those lives—and they look out over America and
states want their Second Amendment rights think that all those little people between the
protected. When Democrats go against the coasts should not have the Constitutional
Second Amendment, they go against a large right to own a firearm nor should they be
part of their base. entitled to the same level of self-protection
This isn’t true of the Democratic Party in they themselves enjoy. Voters need to
every local election, and I have hope that remind them—as they did to Al Gore in 2000
the Democrats will come to their senses. and Hillary Clinton in 2016—that American
Nevertheless, the polarization on this issue, freedom should not be a partisan issue, and
which again is coming from the left, is not Americans will always stand and fight for
helping us. their Second Amendment freedoms.
Like us on Facebook at the So why did the Democratic Party decide
National Rifle Association. that its own party’s platform should blame
For related articles, go to law-abiding gun owners for the actions
nrapublications.org. of criminals? Why did their party’s elites
12 FEBRUARY 2020 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN