‘MERICA-It was rather amusing a couple of weeks ago to hear anti-gun CNN marveling over the fact that Ukrainian citizens had taken up arms to fight back against the thug Vladimir Putin’s invading army.
(Article by Jim Patrick republished from LawEnforcementToday.com)
After all, most “experts” that grace CNN’s airwaves hate the Second Amendment and say the founding fathers never meant it to cover so-called “weapons of war.”
Of course there’s always the old fallback, “who needs an automatic weapon to hunt for deer,” as if they even know the difference between a semi-automatic and automatic weapon.
The situation in Ukraine has naturally led some to ask what would happen if such an armed invasion by a foreign adversary took place in the United States.
Would an armed populace, owners of literally tens of millions of guns, be able to hold off psycho invaders from, say Russia? According to Bearing Arms, one supposed “expert” says he doesn’t believe so.
Jonathan Entin, a constitutional law expert at Case Western Reserve University (we never heard of it either) says that civilians with weapons wouldn’t even enter the equation.
“Would it be irrelevant? I wouldn’t go that far,” Entin said. “But it’s just kind of hard to believe that it would dissuade a foreign power from invading.”
An article in Cleveland.com said, in part:
American gun rights supporters have been crowing recently that the civilian resistance in Ukraine against Russia’s invading force illustrates the importance of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.
They say the guaranteed right to bear arms—coupled with the fact that the U.S. is the only nation with more guns than people (nearly 400 million firearms in civilian hands)—makes us safer from an attack and more capable of fighting outside oppression.
But are they correct? Would the proliferation of guns in American households—where four in 10 adults have access to a firearm—really deter a potential invasion?
Experts say the answer is likely no, for a variety of reasons. And although a heavily armed citizenry could play a role in resisting an occupation, staving off an invasion from a foreign power was not necessarily what the framers of the Second Amendment had in mind.
So this professor, a “constitutional law” expert has no experience whatsoever in military affairs. And while he can “assume” what the framers intended the Second Amendment for, that’s all it is…an assumption. Entin continued:
“The notion that these private actors are going to somehow deter an aggressor—that reveals a sort of Lone Ranger idea that all these individuals are going to prevail,” Entin said.
Entin may have somewhat of a point, if everyone acted independently. To assume that the American people…the patriots who stay behind to fight (Republicans), not flee to another country (Democrats) would not band together in order to defend our country is an assumption that is based on hypothesis, not fact.
John Benner, a gun rights supporter and president of the Tactical Defense Institute, who has taught hundreds of people over nearly three decades how to safely handle firearms, disagrees with Entin.
Tens of thousands of Americans know how to handle guns, including so-called “assault” weapons, and Benner believes more than just a few would be willing to fight back against an occupying force.
“That’s a whole different ballgame,” Benner said. “If it’d save my country, I’d give my life.”
In addressing Ukraine, Benner feels that even if the Russian military becomes successful in “occupying” the country, Ukraine’s citizens will continue to keep fighting back.
“That’s their homeland…they will keep fighting and they won’t stop,” Benner said.
Jonathan Flint, a visiting scholar, and professor at Case Western, an expert on strategic studies, agrees with that contention, noting that occupation becomes difficult without cooperation.
Using a hypothetical situation, Flint explained:
“Let’s assume Canadian forces come cross Lake Erie and move on Cleveland,” he said. “Can I imagine citizens taking up arms against the Canadian horde? Sure, I can.”
He also said that it would make no difference if every volunteer had gun training or not.
“If you have 200,000 untrained people with guns, they may only be as good as 50,000 trained with guns, but that’s still 50,000 guns,” Flint said.
By all estimates, Russia would need over three-quarters of a million troops to control an occupied Ukraine. The population of the United States is seven times more than that of Ukraine.
Still, what was the mindset of the founders when they drafted the Second Amendment? Flint says he believes it was to fight oppression from within, not an invading foreign army.
“There was a longstanding suspicion of standing armies,” Entin said, with the fear being that a government would use it to oppress the people.
The National Constitution Center, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia, says that the Second Amendment was added to the Constitution in order to satisfy concerns of anti-federalists, who were concerned the Constitution would take away the defense against federal usurpation.
One benefit America enjoys is the fact that due to our geography, bordered by oceans on two sides, any foreign invasion would be, to say the least, difficult.
Although one might make the argument that due to Biden’s open border policies, we are indeed facing an invasion, albeit unarmed, at our southern border. So geography is one advantage, and an armed populace is another—that cannot be dismissed.
Let’s not also forget that in both Vietnam and Afghanistan, small arms, and determination by a group of armed citizens led to our exit in both cases, even with a military that vastly outgunned the opposition.
One of our potential adversaries is well aware of this—China. Rumor has it that China is one of the leading forces behind anti-gun legislation in our country. Why are they so concerned? The answer is easy to find. Millions of guns in the hands of a potentially armed populace.
For more on the proliferation of private gun ownership in the U.S., we invite you to read the below op-ed from our friends at the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF):
DIG DEEPER
It must be deflating for national gun control groups. They push for more and more restrictions on law-abiding Americans whom they label “dangerous” and “impulsive” only to watch as millions of new gun owners search out firearm education and training and prove they are safe and responsible gun owners.
Recent firearm industry retail data revealed first-time gun buyers especially, totaling more than 5.4 million in 2021 and 8.4 million in 2020, are seeking training opportunities with their new purchases.
Once experienced with the process involved to legally purchase their gun and confident with using it, it’s no wonder gun-owning Americans view the push for more gun control with increasing skepticism.
Taking Initiative
Law-abiding Americans were concerned about their personal safety for a number of legitimate reasons. That’s why throughout 2021, millions visited their neighborhood firearm retailer and left with a newly purchased gun.
Take for instance in Philadelphia, where there were a record-setting 562 murders and Democratic District Attorney Larry Krasner faces calls for impeachment over his soft-on-crime approach that lets criminals off easy through plea deals.
Philly’s Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney knows his citizens are in danger. “I think people should be concerned about their safety,” he admitted. But he continued, saying, “I don’t advocate carrying guns for anybody, to tell you the truth, other than law enforcement… Nobody else should be carrying one.”
Los Angeles is experiencing rampant crime and budget cuts left law enforcement short staffed. They told residents to “cooperate and comply” if they were the victim of a crime. George Soros-funded Democratic District Attorney George Gasón is facing a recall for his own horrible prosecution record.
That’s not going to cut it for millions of Americans and all told nearly 14 million Americans were driven to purchase their first firearm. As gun control groups cried and warned that millions of new guns were going to put everyone in danger, new gun owners are getting trained instead of living in fear.
New survey data of thousands of firearm retailers across the country found that nearly 50 percent of new first-time gun buyers inquired about professional firearm training while purchasing their gun. Forty-three percent of those new gun owners even signed up for training then and there.
All Walks
Will Rose wanted to help break the stigma of African-American gun ownership and founded BMC Firearms in Connecticut to provide a comfortable and non-intimidating experience for new gun buyers. His business is booming and recognized his customers didn’t just want a gun – they wanted the training and education too. His customers speak highly of the experience.
“I purchased a couple of firearms from Will,” Neville Brooks said, according to media reports.
“People come to me all the time asking where they can get the training they need for a pistol permit. I’ve sent several people from the Hartford area to him to be trained. I’ve sent doctors and nurses. They all come back with rave reviews about how safety conscious he is and how comfortable he makes them feel.”
Similar local media report the same story: new gun owners are looking to be educated, trained and confident. Victoria Martinez in Las Vegas, one of the many new Hispanic-American gun owners in the United States, described why she took the steps to get armed and trained.
When she was growing up, “Only people that were bad had guns, we never had guns in our house or close to us,” Martinez told media. “In the past years, especially how everything has changed in the environment I feel a little less secure, so last year I got a revolver. It’s been empowering for me to be not so scared walking to my car or from my job. It’s very empowering for me so I can protect myself.”
According to the retailer data, women accounted for approximately one-third of purchases in 2021, down only slightly from 2020’s mark of 40 percent. Becca Mineo and her husband operate Hawkeye 22 Tactical Training and have witnessed the influx of women buyers interested in learning more and being a return customer and learner. “We want to help people be safe and feel comfortable throughout the process of going from the beginning to being able to go to the range on their own,” she said.
Read more at: LawEnforcementToday.com
Please contact us for more information.