Opinion
Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- Gun control advocates are not concerned with gun safety. This reality was brought home once again by the anti-gun reaction to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and the firearm industry’s work to ensure Texans have free access to gun locks.
Following a high-profile shooting in Santa Fe, Texas in May 2018, Gov. Abbott released the School and Firearm Safety Action Plan. As part of the plan, the governor called on the state to promote the voluntary use of gun locks.
To carry out this goal, Abbott partnered with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Under the plan, Abbott created a $1 million grant from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division to help fund NSSF’s “Own It? Respect it. Secure it” and “Project ChildSafe” campaigns.
As explained in the governor’s plan,
The NSSF “Own It? Respect it. Secure it” initiative was developed to promote and encourage firearm safety and safe storage. It also supplements ongoing firearm safety and education campaigns such as Project ChildSafe, which has distributed more than 37 million firearm safety kits that includes a cable-style gun lock, lock-installment instructions, and a safety booklet. Project ChildSafe firearm safety education kits are free to law enforcement agencies.
NRA opposes mandatory storage laws. Such restrictions can leave gun owners defenseless at the critical moment that they need a firearm most. Moreover, American gun ownership is diverse. A one-size-fits-all approach to gun storage doesn’t consider the varied needs of law-abiding gun owners.
However, like NSSF, NRA encourages gun owners to take the appropriate steps to voluntarily secure their firearms. Through its Education and Training Division, NRA has taught millions of Americans how to safely own and handle firearms. NRA’s gun safety rules teach firearm owners to store firearms so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the first of the grant money was delivered last month and the first batch of firearm safety kits are now making their way to law enforcement agencies. The full grant is expected to fund 625,000 safety kits.
Gov. Abbott’s efforts to provide more than half-a-million free gun locks were not enough to please so-called “gun safety” group Texas Gun Sense. The Chronicle reported that Texas Gun Sense Executive Director Gyl Switzer expressed doubts about the program. The paper noted,
Switzer said free gun locks “are always a good thing,” but said she would evaluate the project with skepticism “since NSSF is the lobbying arm for gun manufacturers.”
Why would a purported “gun safety” group care about how free gun locks are provided? Because their goal isn’t gun safety, it is gun control.
When it comes to gun control advocates, unless a measure encumbers honest gun owners, who they view as their political rivals, then it is not worth doing. Gun control isn’t about gun safety or public safety. Gun control is about controlling law-abiding Americans and indulging in ugly political and cultural prejudices.
Gov. Abbott and NSSF should be congratulated for their efforts to promote gun safety while respecting the rights of gun owners.
About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
This is never about “safety” It is always, ALWAYS, about control of the people.
Get your (trigger finger under control) we are likely going to need it.
If possible get a rig that allows you to become a member of the ELR Club.
Control? Call it what it is: Oppression.
I was talking about the trigger finger bro.
I thought that attack was in El Paso Texas not Santé Fe New Mexico. There is nothing wrong with having access to locks on firearms. There IS something wrong with being forced to have one’s firearms locked and thus not accessible in time of need. The insanity, the tyranny, the treason of those who would delay or deny an American citizen their GOD given, constitutionally protected right of self defense and/or their right to keep and bear arms is there for all to see. Treason has a price.
Arm up, carry on.
@DB – You are thinking of 2019 Walmart attack in El Paso. Article references a school shooting in Santa Fe, TX in 2018. While it was a horrific event, media never got excited because the kid did not use a rifle – which is also part of why he was able to kill so many. Story does not play up to popular efforts to ban ARs, so media and gun grabbers are not interested – even though it was the 3rd worst school shooting in our nations history – with 10 dead (about average for Chinese mass knifings I keep… Read more »
Another interesting factoid from Wikipedia about the news coverage or lack thereof: “Unlike the residents of Parkland, Florida, the residents of Santa Fe largely declined media attention and also did not support political gun control actions.”
Never heard of these turds, piss on them.We will come for them first.
A TEXAN.
“Gov. Abbott and NSSF should be congratulated for their efforts to promote gun safety while respecting the rights of gun owners.”
I’ll believe Abbott is pro second amendment when he disavows the Red Flag laws he is advocating.
If he wants to REMAIN Governor Ala Rick Perry’s years of tenure, then he will VETO any crap the legislature throws at him, I donate to him regularly.He is a very good man and an Honorable one. I A disgusted with the AG, which I used to like,but HE needs to stop acting on emotions and start thinking logically. One cannot make sound decisions on emotion. Get the facts before legislating in anger of for popularity. Texas will likely go Blue in 2020, if not then 2022(state legislative session.Trump will be gone. Texas 2A supporters need to Red Flag all… Read more »
Texans are completely oblivious to what is coming to their political future. Every one of their major cities is under leftist control. We constantly hear about their leftist politicians doing stupid shiit, their cops violating laws and people’s rights, and other leftist agendas happening there. It will not be long before Texas turns blue and it’s 38 electoral votes will make America leftist permanently!
We have 34 Counties now,2A, far cry from tjhe 252 we have, but your correct Dallas,Houston,Austin,and San Antonio, and Brownsville areas are all FREE FOR ME, but not THEE Zones. As this crap spread the SNAKES heads must be cut off. Trust me only the Progressives and the rich leftists moving in,the illegal issue TRUE Texans are very well aware of. There are millions of us.Our main advantage is the REAL Texans are very well versed in weapons use and from close up to ELR. WE are MANY. VA is pitiful, a ONE Senate Majority, and an increase of FIVE… Read more »
When your project is dishonest, it is important to delicately balance crisis with solutions that you alone provide. Having other people step in and do honest things in accordance with an honorable goal, such as actual safe, responsible, and personally decided management of firearms by all gun owners, only interferes with your agenda, because it stands to reduce the crises and the public sense of panic upon which your plan depends.
@wjd – Just hope we don’t have to become a separate country. Way things are looking, it’s becoming a more realistic possibility. Have certainly observed prejudice against Texas on my most recent trips to both coasts. Not sure whether we should perpetuate those assumptions or not – would prefer not to lose political power, but would also like coastal people to have assumptions which motivate them to not move here.
Will: I have found ant-Texans outside of Texas amusing, but not when they are in Texas. People who spread their oppression accepting attitudes though out the US are anti-American and should stay were they are. It is preferred to have freedom demanding immigrants from anywhere on the planet than any anti-American citizen. Like our prohibited person underclass, citizens who are anti-American infiltrators cannot be identified by sight. It is suggestible when asked directions by new comers. ask why they want to go there. If they then seem to be anti-American, advise that they cannot get there from where they come… Read more »
Finnky: I too, do not yet demand that we Texans secede from the US to defy anti-Americans. However, not being the first state to do so would be embarrassing.
The US Const and our State Const allow us to separate into FIVE states.THIS was agreed to before we stopped being a Republic(a nation to ourselves),and before we would SIGN on.
Mandatory Storage laws are UNCONSTITUTIONAL under the 2nd Amendment. KEEP AND BEAR ARMS.(what does BEAR mean?),It means in your hands, or on your person,a slung rifle. Another misunderstood part of 2A, is “WELL REGULATED”. It Means: All men are to KEEP and store ammunition, and equipment ready and in working order, should they be called at any time,and for defense of the state/country/selves. Also the Militia (as the retards in the progressive camps always say),is NOT the National Guard. The National Guard is for state use first BUT can also be called by the Feds(ask many Nat’l Guardsmen,and women have… Read more »
I was born in 1939 into a family who lived on a farm and had plenty of guns. No gun safe and never kept them locked up away from the kids. At least one of them was kept loaded in the house. The saying was empty guns are clubs. We were gun educated early in life. For instance I was taught to shoot a gun and gun safety when I was five. By my grandfather on my mothers side. A single shot 22. I was given my first gun when I was nine by my grandfather on my fathers side.… Read more »
Welcome to my youth old friend.
When Americans were FREE and the CONST was FOLLOWED.
To all Texans and other freedom demanding Americans: Our garden of freedom is saturated with anti-freedom weeds that must be pulled before we are overgrown.
We know who the TARES are,if the time comes we will glean the fields.
Yet another Criminal Protection Project being kicked off with much sleep-inducing brainwashing and self-congratulatory promotion for the benefit the sheep.