Executive Directors Message
The lessons from the Virginia elections should be on the minds of every gun owner in Illinois and everywhere else. The liberal Democrats have won both chambers in the Virginia Legislature and control the Governorship. I know you are thinking, so what else is new? The point is it did not need to happen. Virginia has been a Red State for 25 years. Michael Bloomberg poured millions into the election. While that is a factor, it is not the only reason gun owners lost in Virginia. They lost for all the classic reasons.
Anyone can find a calendar for the next 100 years and figure out when the elections are going to be held. If an election sneaks up on you, it's because you are asleep. Some gun owners like to sit around their coffee shop, gun club, gun show, or wherever they are and gripe. If they would spend that same amount of time getting organized to support a pro-Second Amendment candidate, they would be better off. They simply refuse to get organized and if they do, most of the time it is too late.
Some people don't want to register to vote because they might be called for jury duty. Voter Registration records are not used anymore to select jurors, drivers' licenses are used to select jurors. If you don't want to serve on jury duty, turn in your driver's license.
The greatest error gun owners make is simply not voting even when they are registered to vote. Let's go back to Virginia. Only 40% of the registered voters turned out to vote. Historically, gun owner turnout tracks almost exactly the same as turnout among the general public. That means gun owners could have turned the election but didn't because they were too lazy or didn't care. There is a technical term for that - Stupid. Another fatal error gun owners make is they continue to pick the perfect candidate, not the best candidate who can win. The perfect candidate who loses is about as valuable as a worn-out shoe sole.
I get calls every election cycle from want-to-be candidates. Most of them claim to be the perfect Second Amendment candidate. Maybe they are, but can they get elected? I have been through thousands of elections and the realities of actually getting elected are harsh. There are a few questions I ask and you should also:
Who is helping you on your campaign? Answer: Well, there is me, my mother-in-law and my friend Clyde.
What groups are supporting you? Answer: I was hoping you would.
Have you run for any office before? Answer: No.
How much do you have in your Campaign Fund? Answer: $50. Can you give me some money?
These, by the way, are real answers I have gotten. I did not make any of these up. This isn't rocket science. Think about if a candidate replied to you with these same answers. What would you think?
The key is to find a good electable Second Amendment candidate and work to get them elected. You may not agree with them on every issue. The alternative is a candidate that opposes the Second Amendment and won't listen to any argument supporting it.
To elect pro-Second Amendment candidates over anti-Second Amendment candidates, tough choices have to be made and those choices require work. Not only by me, but also by you.
On the national level there is a real showdown coming. Most gun owners support President Trump and right now it looks like he will win but take nothing for granted. For all those gun owners who don't vote because they don't want to be involved, here is some news for you. You are involved whether you like it or not.
Here is an example of what is at stake: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) just kicked the Remington/Sandy Hook case back to the Connecticut Courts. In the Remington case, the parents of the Sandy Hook victims are seeking to hold the company liable for the misuse of their product by a third party. This case will eventually go back before the SCOTUS. If the parents' argument stands, every firearm company in the United States will be wiped out. It won't matter if your semiautomatic rifle, shotgun or pistol is legal to own. No one will manufacture them anymore. We need to get one or two conservative Supreme Court Justices on the Court.
The lessons from the Virginia elections should be on the minds of every gun owner in Illinois and everywhere else. The liberal Democrats have won both chambers in the Virginia Legislature and control the Governorship. I know you are thinking, so what else is new? The point is it did not need to happen. Virginia has been a Red State for 25 years. Michael Bloomberg poured millions into the election. While that is a factor, it is not the only reason gun owners lost in Virginia. They lost for all the classic reasons.
Anyone can find a calendar for the next 100 years and figure out when the elections are going to be held. If an election sneaks up on you, it's because you are asleep. Some gun owners like to sit around their coffee shop, gun club, gun show, or wherever they are and gripe. If they would spend that same amount of time getting organized to support a pro-Second Amendment candidate, they would be better off. They simply refuse to get organized and if they do, most of the time it is too late.
Some people don't want to register to vote because they might be called for jury duty. Voter Registration records are not used anymore to select jurors, drivers' licenses are used to select jurors. If you don't want to serve on jury duty, turn in your driver's license.
The greatest error gun owners make is simply not voting even when they are registered to vote. Let's go back to Virginia. Only 40% of the registered voters turned out to vote. Historically, gun owner turnout tracks almost exactly the same as turnout among the general public. That means gun owners could have turned the election but didn't because they were too lazy or didn't care. There is a technical term for that - Stupid. Another fatal error gun owners make is they continue to pick the perfect candidate, not the best candidate who can win. The perfect candidate who loses is about as valuable as a worn-out shoe sole.
I get calls every election cycle from want-to-be candidates. Most of them claim to be the perfect Second Amendment candidate. Maybe they are, but can they get elected? I have been through thousands of elections and the realities of actually getting elected are harsh. There are a few questions I ask and you should also:
Who is helping you on your campaign? Answer: Well, there is me, my mother-in-law and my friend Clyde.
What groups are supporting you? Answer: I was hoping you would.
Have you run for any office before? Answer: No.
How much do you have in your Campaign Fund? Answer: $50. Can you give me some money?
These, by the way, are real answers I have gotten. I did not make any of these up. This isn't rocket science. Think about if a candidate replied to you with these same answers. What would you think?
The key is to find a good electable Second Amendment candidate and work to get them elected. You may not agree with them on every issue. The alternative is a candidate that opposes the Second Amendment and won't listen to any argument supporting it.
To elect pro-Second Amendment candidates over anti-Second Amendment candidates, tough choices have to be made and those choices require work. Not only by me, but also by you.
On the national level there is a real showdown coming. Most gun owners support President Trump and right now it looks like he will win but take nothing for granted. For all those gun owners who don't vote because they don't want to be involved, here is some news for you. You are involved whether you like it or not.
Here is an example of what is at stake: The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) just kicked the Remington/Sandy Hook case back to the Connecticut Courts. In the Remington case, the parents of the Sandy Hook victims are seeking to hold the company liable for the misuse of their product by a third party. This case will eventually go back before the SCOTUS. If the parents' argument stands, every firearm company in the United States will be wiped out. It won't matter if your semiautomatic rifle, shotgun or pistol is legal to own. No one will manufacture them anymore. We need to get one or two conservative Supreme Court Justices on the Court.
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