WarOnGuns regulars know we've been discussing the group "Amendment II Democrats." I received the following from correspondent "Peter," and received permission to share it:
Dear Sirs/Madams,
As someone who generally agrees with the Democratic side of things, at least to the point of being registered as one, I was interested in hearing about you from David Codrea.
It's lonely being a gun positive Democrat, and it gets lonelier as time goes on. I was hoping that I had been directed to a group of like-minded folks.
I was wrong. You refer glancingly to the Second Amendment, but you're really interested in electing Democrats, no matter what.
Let me explain where I'm coming from:
The American Revolution did not start on 19Apr 1775 at Concord.
Nor on 5 Dec 1773, the Boston Massacre.
Nor during the French and Indian War.
It started in January of 1629 when Charles I of England dissolved Parliament and commenced the eleven-year period of Personal Rule. At this moment in time, William Penn was an unknown landowner in the English countryside, although events would force him to emigrate and eventually found Pennsylvania, as a "for instance".
Over the next century and a half it was realized that certain things belong inalienably to the individual, no matter the government, and no matter what any government might assert.
Those items are pretty well enumerated in the Bill of Rights. A possibly heretical (to you) thought: the Bill of Rights is eternal and timeless, and would obtain even if America never existed. That means you and I have the right to worship (or not), assemble, speak our minds, and bear arms, no matter what. Period. No 'reasonable' restrictions without overarching societal need, hence the prohibition against yelling Fire In A Crowded Theatre, as one example.
You cite on your website the fact that you're not on the NRA's Blacklist. Rather than use that to establish your bona fides, I would suggest that you haven't made enough of a public splash for them to notice you. I expect that to be remedied as soon as someone over there tries to wade through the morass of nonsense you have posted.
You are partisan hacks who are trying to exploit one of the national conversations for your own benefit and the benefit of your Democratic candidates. I hold Free Speech to be sacred, so by all means continue with what you're trying to do. It won't work, and you'll be doing it without my support, and when I hear that your partisan side overrides your Constitutional side, I will work against you. Please note that I said 'when'; I have no doubt you'll toss my Second Amendment Rights over the side when it becomes convenient for you to do so.
It's not my intention to attack this group, as I've said before I believe their spokesman
Daniel Barnett is sincere, but I disagree with the underlying philosophy of not supporting pro-RKBA candidates because of party loyalty. So Peter's blunt observations need to be heard and understood by them, as they reflect a sentiment we've heard before in comments on previous posts, and one they will certainly continue to hear by gun owners rightfully distrusting of the abominable record of the modern Democrat party as a whole on gun rights.
It's my hope that this is a catalyst for a more profound reexamination than the "tweaking" we got the other day. My hope is to see them come around to a more profound and vigorous defense of their namesake amendment, one that is transparent to party lines. As always, dialog is the order of the day, and Mr. Barnett is welcome to respond in "Comments," below, or by sending me a standalone post, which I will publish unedited and in full.
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