Special to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Not too long ago I published an article titled “Open Letter to the Student Activists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School” to help these misguided kids see the fallacies in demanding that our legislators create more gun laws on top of the 25,000 that we are already have on the books. Despite giving them some fair criticism in many areas, I actually went easy on them, partially because of the trauma that they received from the ordeal and partially because they are at an age where their brains haven ’t even fully developed. Though, to paraphrase the Charlton Heston character in True Lies “Whatever slack I cut these people, doesn ’t necessarily extend to you.” Just as I pointed out in that open letter, I am much harder on adults who buy into this same nonsense, so don ’t expect the same pleasantries that were offered to the student activists.

I’ll start with the lamestream media, who have never hesitated for a minute to exploit a tragedy to help their anti-gun buddies in congress. What the media did with the Parkland shootings, was no different than what they have done with the previous shootings, except that they now have student activists that they can hide behind. Excuse me, I meant rally behind. Look, contrary to popular belief, gun owners are not stupid and they can see right through this tactic. You think by getting a bunch of misguided kids together, you can shame us into allowing our representatives to adapt the “Common Sense” gun laws that you have been screaming about since the 1960’s. I know that you are trying to hit us bellow the belt, but in reality, your fists are actually hitting nothing but air. Just because a few of them had survived a traumatic event, it doesn’t mean that they know what course of action should be taken. I can’t speak for all gun owners, but I can definitely say that instead of being shamed into changing my stance, I have actually become even more disgusted with your movement.

Especially you, CNN. I know that the father of Colton Haab admitted that he deleted a key part of the email that he claimed showed that the questions being asked at the Townhall Meeting were scripted. Many now believe that the father intentionally fabricated the email to make it seem like the Townhall event was scripted, though I still have trouble giving CNN the benefit of the doubt. Aside from the network compromising every last ounce of their journalist integrity by declaring war on Donald Trump, it is still obvious that the participants at the Townhall Meeting were coached. If they weren’t coached by CNN, then it was by some anti-gun organization, though either way it doesn’t mean that CNN is in the clear. Then they had the nerve to act butt-hurt when Dana Loesch, the spokeswoman for the NRA said that there is nothing the media loves more than White Mothers crying over their dead kids, when they did nothing to discourage those kids at the Townhall Meeting from calling Loesch a murderer. Then they wonder why their ratings are lower than networks that show Dragnet reruns.

Then there is Sheriff Israel, a prime example of a politician posing as a law enforcement officer. It was bad enough that the police did nothing to stop this psychotic nutjob when he made his intentions known, but he had four officers who stood outside and did nothing, while the shooter claimed more lives. What really makes me angry is that he has the nerve to blame law-abiding gun owners for his own short comings. Sheriff Israel, you are a disgrace to the badge and if you truly had any decency you would not only resign, but you would apologize to the victims and their families for the short comings of your officers.

Let us not forget the corporations who for some reason seemed more afraid of facing the wrath of a tiny group of fanatics than they did of millions of NRA members and supporters. Like a conservative friend of mine once said, corporations fear the side that screams the loudest. Still, I have never understood why corporations are so scared of boycotts, when history has actually shown that they rarely succeed. In the case of Dick ’s Sporting Goods, I have never been a regular customer at any of their stores, since I have been unimpressed with their selection and their prices. What I find telling about the heads of the company refusing to sell “ Assault Weapons” is that they made the exact same promise after Sand Hook in 2012. There are only two conclusions that can be reached. One of them is that the heads of the company were insincere when they made their promise back in 2012 and the other being that they had already stopped selling AR style rifles six years ago, which means that this gesture serves no other purpose but to virtue signal. What I really take issue with is the way that Dick’s has refused to sell firearms or ammo to anyone under the age of twenty-one. I believe that private companies have a right to make their own policies in regards to who they want to sell certain items to, but as J. Neil Schulman pointed out on his Facebook page, there is a double standard when it comes to discrimination. Christian bakers are called bigots when they refuse to participate in gay weddings, yet when businesses refuse to sell firearms to those who are of legal age, it’s considered virtuous. You have to love that double standard.

 Now, I am about to really get down to the nitty-gritty. it doesn’t surprise me that the left is using this opportunity to try and shove more gun laws down the throats of everyday Americans so they can erode whatever is left of our Second Amendment rights. They have been doing this since the sixties. The real sense of betrayal actually comes from Donald Trump, as well as the RHINO’s in both the Florida State legislature and Congress. In Florida, they decided to pass bills that raised the legal age of being able to purchase a long gun to twenty-one, while law enforcement can unilaterally confiscate guns without the benefit of due process. What’s worse is that Donald Trump and the RHINO’s in congress are pushing the exact same laws on the federal level. I have always found it reprehensible that anyone can honestly say with a straight face that it is reasonable to forbid the same kids the pleasures of drinking that the government wouldn’t hesitate for a minute to send to fight and die in some third world hellhole. Now there are people who want to deprive them of their fundamental right to defend themselves. There you have it boys and girls under the age of twenty-one. You are old enough to start a family, but God forbid that you ever take up arms to defend that family or you will likely be tried as an adult for it. How ’s that for irony? As for the part about confiscating someone’s guns before it has even been decided in a court of law whether that person is unfit to own them, I have nothing but contempt for you. Yes, that’s including you, Donald Trump, a man who I have constantly had to defend from the Never Trumpers and just about everyone who despises you. This shows that not only do you have little regard for the Second Amendment, but you seem to have zero regard for the Fifth Amendment that prohibits the seizure of somebody’s property without due process. Guess what guys? You are never going to appease the anti-gun side. They are never going to stop calling you “The NRA’ s Bitch.” If you give in to their demands they will just ask for a whole set of new ones. The NRA, which has had an entire history of compromise, is just now starting to understand this concept. Believe me when I say that you need to worry more about your voting base than you do about trying to appease people who will never appreciate your efforts.