Why Do Anti-Gunners Love Red Flag Laws So Much?
Boy howdy, anti-gunners love “red flag” laws like a fat kid loves cake…
Anti-gunners are like teenage girls in a lot of ways; in addition to their penchant for hysterical squeals that test the upper limits of human hearing, they’re very into trends. Some seasons they’re all into “Saturday Night Specials.” Some seasons it’s all about “Bayonet Lugs.” But for the last three years or so, the hottest trend in gun-grabbin’ is “red flag” laws, and it’s going to look embarrassing as a 1980s mullet when they check out their yearbook photos in 10 years. Like the mullet, “red flag” laws appear sort of reasonable at first blush but quickly descend into madness and extra-hold hairspray as soon as you take a second look.
When I say that “red flag” laws are all the rage among the gun-grabbers, I really mean it: Over the last couple of years, anti-gunners have either passed or tried to pass laws allowing the state to confiscate firearms from citizens deemed a danger to themselves or others, frequently on the say-so of just one law-enforcement officer, without due process. This is happening in states that wouldn’t surprise you one bit, like New Jersey…but also in states like New Mexico and Nebraska, where the Second Amendment hasn’t seemed to be in any real danger for quite some time. That, in and of itself, ought to be a “red flag” of its own. So how is this happening?
Part of the problem here is that, as a society, we already accept that there are emergency situations in which a person’s Constitutional rights may be temporarily suspended. During a declared state of emergency, for example, we accept the idea of staying home until the disaster is over…which of course abrogates our right to peaceable assembly. When it comes to mental illness, we fully accept that a person who has displayed behavior that’s sufficiently alarming can be placed on a 72-hour medical hold, which means they get to spend three days essentially imprisoned without an arrest or a trial. The key difference here–and reasonable people can be forgiven for forgetting it–is that these situations are temporary. “Red flag” laws don’t ever have any sort of an end date on them, and many of them have no provision for a judicial overturn at all.
But the real problem here is that it’s 100% true that mass shootings are committed by insane people. It’s a tautological statement…the desire to shoot lots of innocent people makes you insane. Furthermore, it’s quite common to learn, in the aftermath of a mass shooting, that the murderer’s friends and family did indeed notice that something was wrong and tried to warn their local law enforcement. For this reason, even some Second Amendment supporters can be gulled into supporting “red flag” legislation (or at least into not actively opposing it). That’s definitely a reason for the gun-grabbers to love “red flag” laws like my ex-wife loves the Home Shopping Network…but it’s not the real reason.
The real reason that anti-gunners love red flag laws so much is that, for decades, they have defined the desire to own a gun as insanity. Now we’re back into that sweet, sweet tautological statement territory…they say that it’s insane to want to own a gun, you own a gun and haven’t gotten rid of it, therefore you are insane, therefore, “Hell yes,” we’re coming to take that gun away from you. Think that prediction sounds overly paranoid…perhaps even, dare I say it, insane? Just remember that these are the same people who turn their Fruit of the Looms into a fudge factory when a toddler points a stick at them and says “bang.” These are people who define having 1,000 rounds of ammo as a “stockpile,” and three different handguns as an “arsenal,” and who think the NRA is terrorizing anything other than my poor mailman who has to carry all of their letters asking for money.
Why do anti-gunners love red flag laws so much? Because unlike just about every other ban they’ve tried to pass, they’ve managed to get a few misguided pro-2A people to support them. Because passing those laws allows them to feel like they did something. And, finally, because they’re hoping they’ll be the ones who get to decide from whom the guns will be confiscated first.
Just as the ACA was a step towards single payer healthcare, Red Flag laws are just another step towards the banishment of all firearms. IThey figure if they get enough feet in the door, the door won’t close again.
I gave a talk at a 2A Gun Sanctuary Forum this past Saturday. I focused on two things, one being Red Flag and the other being Rapid Response Teams. Red Flag is not only deadly to innocent civilians who are suddenly under surprise assault by SWAT Teams in the middle of the night, but also to the Police Officers who are assigned to carry out such enforcement. This is an EXTREME danger to all involved. So here’s what I suggest: Legislators who sign these unconstitutional and extreme laws, SHOULD be the ones charged with the enforcement OF these pretended legislations. YEAH?
Rapid Response Teams is a 5 Step effort of County by County, Patriot Volunteers that respond to all unconstitutional rules and laws in an expeditious manner. NIP the violations in the bud ! Find these steps at this link: https://pact.yolasite.com/the-five-steps———8-4-2019.php. This is yours to employ no matter where in America you live, and we HIGHLY recommend it. Find us also at: Rapid Response Teams of NY on Facebook, and Madison’s Militia on Facebook.
There will be the first person to say no, and stand on it. After the bullets fly and God forbid someone dies, then they will say “see, we were right. Remove all guns!” That’s their end game. Besides, who make the laws, and who has to go knock on the door?
Already happened.
The other reason there gun-grabbers love RFOS: it IS the KEY to Pandora’s Box of complete gun confiscation. once democrats get a state’s governors seat, they will abuse it against all registered republicans.
The best defense we have is to call RFOS on democrat voters esp anti-2dA &/or if they don’t own guns. Anyone think the police will just walk away when the person says, “I don’t own any guns.”? Police don’t know if they own guns or not, all they will know is the person is refusing to cooperate. Let’s give them a taste of their own crap! This way, they will learn the meaning: Be careful of what you wish for, you just might get it!
Me: Hello, State Police? There is a crazy, hysterical person threatening me & my family’s safety. He also has
talked about killing babies.
Dispatcher: The address?
Me: 1111 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia.
Dispatcher: Person’s name?
Me: Northam. Ralph Northam.
The real danger in Red Flag law lies in both the front end, the lack of veracity and accountability in the initial complaint as well as the execution. Lying to authorities to initiated a complaint is protected in many of the boilerplate Red Flag laws such as California’s. Abuse is rampant on the part of scorned former spouses and live in’s as well as vengeful neighbors. Fact. There are cases trying to get through the courts based upon this very fault in San Bernardino County. I know this because I have interviewed the victims. The second danger is this. Once the gummint has your property, your guns, ammo, reloading equipment, 782 gear and John Wayne can openers you will play pure bloody hell getting it back. I know a former FFL and collector who won his 10 day hearing (after waiting 23 days) and has yet to get his guns back. San Bernardino SO is letting him get one back at a time from a local FFL, one DROS, one gun at a time. It is costing him 50 bucks per gun and he has 122 guns in their evidence locker. That is not due process. That is harassment. Sheriff John McMahon needs to explain this one the next time he runs for office. Rialto PD has kept a collection of antique Mausers since March of 2015 when the intial complaint was overturned by a judge. So far that attorney has not even been able to sight the evidence. Wonder where those valuable antiques are? So, place your blind trust in gummint and you end up blind. Cases in point. Semper Fi
I’m tempted to cite this comment in an upcoming article! Would you be comfortable with that?
I was going to mkae the same points. One thing I would add is that even when they do give a method for the person to try and get their property back, it comes with great expense of time and money. Many people cannot afford to pay a psychiatrist and/or lawyer to fight false accusations.
The only way I could ever support this is to make it a felony with mandatory fines and imprisonment for people that use the law as a tool to harass lawful gun owners. Politicians and law enforcement must be held to the same standard and punished if they too abuse the system. The 2nd amendment is about tyranny not hunting.
The good news from Nebraska is that the red flag law failed this year, but we need to stay vigilant in the coming years.