By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Jeff Knox
Jeff Knox with the Firearms Coalition, a grassroots gun rights organization, put it bluntly to activists in the audience at the 2019 Gun Rights Policy Conference in Phoenix.
“You are the gun lobby,” he stated, explaining that each one of them is “the most powerful entity in the United States political system.”
Knox said the most important job of the activist is to influence and elect good politicians, and fix the things that are wrong. If that happens, “we win every single time,” he said
Knox also encouraged the audience to support local gun rights groups, and warned them that the media “is completely in the tank for the anti-rights folks.”
He plugged the upcoming Nov. 2 gun rights rally in Washington, D.C., and reminded the audience “it’s up to” each of them. Knox counseled people to watch legislation, take action when needed.
“We’re going up against something that all of the ecards are stacked against us,” he said. “It’s up to us.”
Alan Korwin
Alan Korwin, a consultant with Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, called attention to the “Worldwide Gun Owners Guide.” That was part of the stack of books provided free to everyone who attended the conference.
Korwin said “the Jews who get it, they really get it. Jews who don’t get it are the problem.”
He encouraged everyone to join JPFO, because membership does not require being Jewish. According to Korwin, the “gun lobby” has 100 million members, “and you’re the gun lobby.”
He also offered some tips on how to communicate with people. He advised thinking of yourself as “pro-rights” instead of pro-gun and the anti-gunners are “anti-rights” people. The JPFO newsletter includes “pro-rights” language that activists can use to change the semantics of the debate.
Instead of discussing “mass shootings,” Korwin counseled people to talk about “mass murders.” Instead of “high capacity magazines,” he suggested “normal capacity magazines.”
Next at the microphone was Matt Larosiere, director of legal policy for the Firearms Policy Coalition. He noted up front, “Without a Second Amendment, what’s the point of having the First Amendment?”
He hailed the cooperation between different organizations resulting in productive activities and victories for Second Amendment issues.
The FPC is involved legislatively and in the courts, and the group now has a “dedicated gun rights think tank.” This group is FPC’s legal policy shop, and it has already produced white papers and policy memoranda that have been sent to politicians.
“Our philosophy drives all of our work,” he said.
The Constitution, he said, is written to protect rights, and the Second Amendment is not about hunting.
He advised activists to make friends with non-gun owners, educate them and “have these discussions” about what gun rights are about.
Erich Pratt
He was followed by Erich Pratt from Gun Owners of America. He called the audience “fellow patriots” and explained what GOA has been doing in the past year. He mentioned the mass shootings and said “gun grabbers like Beto (O’Rourke) have started a ‘do something mantra’ on Capitol Hill.”
Pratt encouraged activists to keep flooding Washington, D.C. with cards and letters, because gun owners have put a lot of pressure on Congress to not push bad gun laws. Instead, he has encouraged lawmakers to “pass concealed carry reciprocity.”
“It’s having an impact,” Pratt said.
He’s also been reminding Republican lawmakers that passing gun control could cost them re-election.
“It doesn’t take a huge revolt,” he said. “All it takes is for a few gun owners to sit this one out or vote for a third party.”
He said “universal background checks” is gun registration. GOA opposes universal background checks and so-called “red flag laws,” Pratt stated.
GOA is also challenging the bump stock ban in federal court.
Todd Rathner
Todd Rathner, chairman and executive director of the National Firearms Act Freedom Alliance and an NRA director, said the conference is important because it brings people together to network and share ideas. Because of things that have changed at the federal level, the alliance has been focused on state-related issues. He noted one case of a friend being arrested for possession of an NFA item.
Rathner discussed suppressors/silencers and reports that the shooter in Virginia Beach earlier this year had used a silencer. However, he has not seen documentation that confirms that. He said banning silencers is absurd because they are hearing safety devices.
An attempt to pass gun control in Virginia was derailed because Republicans in that state’s legislature stuck together.
However, he predicted there will be calls to ban silencers in several states. Rathner said Republicans and Democrats will jump onto gun control if they believe an issue will help them get re-elected.
“For the first time in a long time,” he said, “I believe we’re going to be on defense.”
Rathner asked for donations to help with his travel schedule to get around the country to fight “this stuff.”
Doug Ritter
Doug Ritter with Knife Rights, Inc., said “knife rights is about freedom.”
“We are dedicated to the principle that a person who carries any inanimate object with a sharp point should never be considered a criminal just for possessing and carrying such sharp object,” Ritter said. “Knife rights is the second front in defense of our Second Amendment.”
After six years, he noted, legislation was passed in New York State to stop the arrests and prosecutions of people who carried pocket knives in New York City.
There is legislation in the U.S. House to protect the rights of knife owners, and he urged people to “get out the vote in 2020.” Ritter wanted activists to make sure rights-friendly politicians win elections in 2020.
Joe Waldron
Joe Waldron, CCRKBA legislative director, opened by telling the audience that they are not paranoid. Anti-gunners really are after their rights, and he said lobbyists are important to address political issues. Gun rights lobbyists are interested in making sure gun owners are left alone and they play a critical role in passing or blocking legislation.
“Registered lobbyists are the public face of the gun lobby,” Waldron said. “They’re the point of the spear. But without the weight of the shaft behind it, the point won’t penetrate. You are the gun lobby, too. Our strength lies in the fact that there are a hundred million gun owners out there.”
He stressed the importance of communicating with lawmakers. A lobbyist’s job is educating lawmakers about things they may not understand.
He discussed Point Blank, the CCRKBA’s monthly newsletter, which contains a Citizens Action Project. It offers suggestions on how to communicate often with lawmakers. It is up to gun owners to do their own grassroots lobbying and make sure everything is spelled correctly.
He referred the audience to the CCRKBA website.
