New York – -(AmmoLand.com)- If Andrew Cuomo is winning his fight to erase pro-Second Amendment activism, the tool that will ensure his success is going to be the financial blacklist. This is something a lot of people are missing with regards to his abusive actions towards the National Rifle Association. He made it clear that Second Amendment advocacy had “no place” in New York.
Let’s face it, anti-Second Amendment extremists have come up with an effective long-term strategy to address likely reverses that will come as President Trump’s judicial nominees are confirmed and rule on cases. It’s very simple: If pro-Second Amendment groups are denied access to financial services, they are toast. Forget being able to pay employees, own (or even rent) the office space they need to carry out that defense, or even pay the expenses necessary for that defense. This also goes beyond just pro-Second Amendment groups.
Already, we’re seeing a financial blacklist targeting FFLs and gun manufacturers from corporations. Salesforce has also targeted the Second Amendment, pulling the rug out from under users of its software unless they agree to the preferred policies of Dianne Feinstein, Cuomo, Charles Schumer, and Eric Swalwell. Those are policies that have not been passed into law, but instead come via edicts from the boardrooms of banks and insurance companies, who are often currying favor with those same officials.
This isn’t new. The fact is, Cuomo has been willing to wage a full-spectrum fight against our rights for decades. When there were pro-Second Amendment majorities in Congress, he quarterbacked abusive lawsuits by big-city mayors to get the gun bans and rationing that he wanted. In essence, he said in the 1990s, “To hell with democracy, we’ll use massive legal fees to force gun makers to choose between compliance with our agenda and staying solvent or bankruptcy for standing by the Second Amendment.”
Now, with his attacks on the National Rifle Association, it’s “To hell with the First Amendment, we’ll misuse financial and non-profit regulations to silence those who stand against our anti-Second Amendment agenda.” Here’s the thing, when you look at the facts, Cuomo’s “financial services” attack on the NRA is a politically motivated hit, and not real enforcement. The NRA is the victim of government abuse here.
NRA’s Carry Guard, whether or not it was duplicative of USCCA (and keep in mind, USCCA is also under attack from Washington and New York), wasn’t unprecedented in terms of affinity insurance programs: AARP has its sweetheart insurance deals with the Hartford for auto and homeowners insurance. The American Bar Association also has insurance deals of its own, including with one company, Chubb, that took part in NRA Carry Guard.
This is why the NRA has to prevail in this battle – and the other fights going on need to be put off. Because if the Cuomo-James regime succeeds, no Second Amendment group will be safe. They will be targeted for elimination under one pretext or another – facing cases that could drag on for months or even years – making the litigation process a governmentally-imposed punishment for defending the Second Amendment, until nobody will be able to speak up against Cuomo’s anti-Second Amendment extremism (or anyone else’s for that matter).
You don’t have to like the NRA or Wayne LaPierre, you can disagree with their approach. You can question whether NRA Carry Guard was a good idea. But it is undeniable that the financial blacklist is perhaps the biggest existential threat that Second Amendment supporters are facing. If pro-Second Amendment groups are cut off from banks and financial services, they cannot carry out their advocacy. If manufacturers and FFLs are cut off because they want to sell the types of firearms people want to buy, then the Second Amendment is a dead letter.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Boycott those frikkin banks if you can and they will be the first to go when the SHTF
Harold, you’re not winning any hearts and minds here with your shameless peddling of NRA koolaid. Change your tune or expect more criticism from patriots who won’t EVER lift a finger to help the NRA!!
NRA needs to put out their dumpster fire and get rid of WLP before any of us lift a finger to help them!!
@wjd: I have considerable experience in mortgage banking at the street level, and some contacts. I’d be open to working on this but not as the Lone Ranger. If there is an interested core of people we should be able to get to work. I can be reached at [email protected].
Headline should read “New York blacklisted by all Americans”
We’ve moved well past the point where we can view the anti-2A forces as a cottage industry. We should be convening conversations with the aim of establishing our own financial infrastructure. We need our own bank/credit union–depositor controlled, offering banking services to retail businesses, credit card services, etc. There is a long history of disenfranchised groups forming their own financial institutions. Look at the huge number of building and loans established in SE Baltimore neighborhoods because downtown banks would not give home loans to various immigrant groups (Italians, Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, etc.). This approach will be formidible, but the result… Read more »
We do need to establish financial alternatives. However, that could take years. In the meantime we should fight fire with fire. We should counter-sue and initiate legal action where discrimination against the NRA and other groups or businesses can be shown. Como is making that easy with his overt hatred and heavy handed actions against the NRA. But, as long as Wayne L. is at the NRA he is an easy target for Como and his litigators. The NRA needs ti clean house and then go on the offensive.
Yes, Harold just keeps trying to sell us on the NRA. I’m afraid it like beating a dead horse, and it is not going to work. Clean the organization up, and I mean squeaky clean, then we will see if it is worth saving. It is not the member’s fault it is failing, it is management’s fault. This dead horse you are beating is decomposing, Harold. Find a new occupation.
What every law-abiding gun owner needs to do is go to Wells Fargo.. they support 2nd Amendment rights!! Tell Citibank to shove their card and send it back to them in pieces in your last payment….
Boy it sure is becoming to hard to make a simple comment on a “gun rights supporting site ” with all the new red tape.. pretty soon gun supporters will just not bother because it takes too much time.. big long hard to remember passwords, really.. they’re doing more to silence gun owners than other places here lately..
These arrogant anti American financial shit holes and politicians continue to put manufacturers and citizens on their anti gun/no money available “black list”. That is fine, because those shunned manufacturers and citizens are quietly adding them to the SHTF “to do list”…..
HOOAH !!!
Hopefully the market will fix this problem.
…and what is up with all of the anti-NRAer’s? Sheesh.
Some day there will be backlash over the financial blacklisting that is happening. Imposing one’s moral standards by these tactics will cause the people of our Republic to revolt against the system in ways that the tyrants do not expect. Coumo, Bloomberg, et al will not destroy our Right to Bear Arms. They killed backpage bit by bit but the activities they tried to stop just move to another venue. Gun owners that are law abiding citizens will find a way to prevail and so will manufacturers and dealers. Stock up and be ready, the revolution is coming
From an article in The Federalist: The NRA filed a lawsuit last spring after it became known that Cuomo ordered the state’s Department of Financial Services to tell the banks, insurance companies, and other financial firms it oversees “to review any relationships they may have with the National Rifle Association and other similar organizations. Upon this review, the companies are encouraged to consider whether such ties harm their corporate reputations and jeopardize public safety.” Last November a judge agreed to let the NRA’s lawsuit proceed. U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy of the Northern District of New York wrote: “The allegations… Read more »
Seriously Harold, at this point your constant support of the NRA in light of all that is coming to light is akin to standing on a streetcorner with your pants down at your ankles. Embarrassing to say the least.
When the banks and financials come crawling to the American people,the too big to fails,the American people should view them with suspect and their former lending habits,perhaps it’s time for some to fail.