Post-Parkland: The State Of firearms In America

   We see that this is a critical time for Americans. It is not, indeed, like other times. We support the Second Amendment. But from here on out, LGO does not support what we call, "the fog of the Second Amendment." In the modern lens, both the wording of 2A and the 2A-related court decisions do not act in a clear, strong voice. The struggle that our society has over 2A is not merely the result of firearms being a critical subject. Largely, it is the result of an unnecessary fog. This fog is allowed to persist, ever-building by wasteful argument, because of the disclarity of the wording of 2A and the lack of clarity provided by the courts.

   If we are going to move forward and thoroughly address gun-violence in society, we need a four-square strengthening and polishing of all aspects of the issue. We believe that the most critical, and first move is to immediately strengthen the security protocols at schools. Immediately following that, there must begin a full-on effort to clarify the meaning and place of the Second Amendment for all-time. We all suffer from the fog. Nothing will improve in any real way with the fog in place. The Second Amendment is an irreplaceable part of the body of the Bill Of Rights. We can move forward and make our society better and safer with the Bill Of Rights intact. But right now, there is a Chinese finger-lock in this country because of extreme positions. As gun owners, LGO feels that it is giving a possible key to unlock the middle ground that is necessary for a better, safer world - not the world that perfectly fits one side or the other. In order for things to improve, the Second Amendment must be clarified, for all-time. If you take away the boogeyman of guns being confiscated or gun-ownership being trivialized, if you take away the possibility of the evisceration of this right, then the room can be provided to deal with gun-violence at the roots. If this stays in the realm of toxic politics, we are all in for a bleak future.

   We support the marches but do not agree with their approach or solutions relative to gun-ownership. Many on the other side of the argument are correct: if these deaths didn't happen, gun owners would still be sitting on their asses - status quo. Even though these deaths have happened, many gun-owners are still sitting on their asses - status quo. LGO has been working diligently to get our structure established over the past many years. Leadership apologizes for not being able to get into the ring sooner, and that's leadership's apology - not the  LGO community. We are speaking for the organization, not our community. The community has the room to think and feel as they do. However, we have been involved in an incredible labor. Now that we have our foundation laid, we agree. We see that things cannot continue as-is.

   This doesn't just mean making the schools safe. That means, in no uncertain terms, clarifying the Second Amendment, for all-time, for the nation. We are officially making the statement that, although we would not define ourselves as "Constitutionalists", we believe in the Bill of Rights. We believe in 2A as a right that is not to be infringed by our federal or local governments. But, at the same time, we can no longer stand by the effectiveness of its wording. If we are going to move forward and make a safer society, LGO is going to going to be pushing for a once-and-for-all federal level clarification of the wording of 2A, so that the unnecessary fog is removed. We do not believe that the change that has to happen can be facilitated without cementing the right for all time - for good. As it sits, it is inadequate. The debate needs to be over. It needs to clearly be established, in modern terms, that the Second Amendment is an amendment that has application for all-time, and whether or not it is symbolic or able to be put into action, it outlines the natural right of civilians to own firearms in order to use them to:

1. Address a government that has stepped into abuse of power, while taking away the path to democratic redress of grievances.

2. Address a scenario where a citizen may have to act as unorganized riflemen and riflewomen in an 11th hour defense of the country.

3. Address their right to self-preservation via self-defense.

Also, because of the nature of issue #1, the federal government cannot be overtly involved in the regulation of firearms. This is a general description to help understand our position. It will be defined more succinctly in the future. Both sides of the issue have been able to benefit from the fog of 2A for too long. Both sides are usurious of the fog for lesser means. How is this clarification going to happen? Through a near impossibility in our eyes. But we will be putting something out in the public sphere soon, in addition to our think-tank report on school shootings.

   Let it also be clear that our opinion is:  the existence of this right in society cannot be cemented without a rededication to competence by our collective gun communities. The sum-total of gun owners suffer, and the existence of 2A in society suffers, because of a lack of overall competence in gun culture. The main voice of the Second Amendment in public, the NRA, is toxic, dogmatic, and engaged in propaganda. They are wildly insensitive towards higher intelligence. They are incompetent. The mass of right-leaning gun owners in the social media sphere also possess varying grades of incompetence. 

   If we want to cement the right for all-time, and we want a better, safer future for our children, then all competent gun-owners, left to right, need to rise up and take a greater responsibility for the mass-incompetence in gun-culture. The societal problems associated with these mass-shooters are deep, and require greater effort. But in the short, these mass-shooters are monsters. Their behaviors may not directly be in the hands of gun-culture, but the way that gun culture addresses such issues is mostly devoid of integrity, competence, and real leadership. The majority of the voices on social media, coming from gun owners, are too unintelligent, and it is our belief that, if the wiser voices do not rise above the din, and unite in a real way, then the future of the Second Amendment is bleak.

   This isn't just about school shootings. This is about the improvement of our nation. We do need to move forward, and we need to do so with a full-spectrum, societal approach to gun violence, societal approach to mental and emotional health, safer schools, a clarified Second Amendment, and by-far, new leading voices in gun-culture. We need pride-in-true-competency in gun culture. We need balanced, competent leaders in gun culture. The NRA is not it. The majority of the voices exercising in the public sphere are not it. Gun culture needs new networks. Gun-culture needs to put the NRA in its place. We know there are a lot of us, on both sides that don't want The NRA leading with its voice. We need bridge-building within gun culture and solidarity. We need it as soon as possible.

Status quo is no longer serving the gun community and it is failing the Second Amendment.

Look for more from us, on these matters, in the near future.


Liberal Gun Owners