It is the time of year where most of us are planning for 2016 and committing to our resolutions for the New Year—Democrats are planning more gun control.

Perhaps you are planning to run a marathon, lose a few extra pounds, or cut your tactical reload times to up your performance at a 3-gun match. If you are a Democrat in Congress, you want to once again beat the Assault Weapons Ban drum. I understand that it is election season, but do they really think they will have any more success than they have in the past?

That is a hard question to answer. On the surface, there is little chance of this bill going a further than the previous attempts. The democrats supporting the bill will likely get a few donations from the regular donors and free airtime from the gun control media to bolster there reelection chances.

The danger is timing. Sure the bill does not stand a chance today, but it looms as threat. It is a hidden dagger waiting to be drawn at an opportune moment. Imagine a 9/11-type scenario or mass-shooting event that shocks the conscious of the nation. That moment of shock is the most dangerous. That is the time they could strike and slip their dagger into the ribs of the Second Amendment, effectively gutting it forever.

Make no mistake; Cheaper Than Dirt! is in the business of selling guns, ammunition, and other hunting, fishing, camping and survival supplies. Although I am sure I will be accused of it, this is not an appeal to run out and buy a new cache of guns or a pallet of ammunition—although I assure you, the boss will not stop you if that is your pleasure and you are in compliance with all local laws…

“I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few politicians.” – George Mason, co-author of the Second Amendment.

This is an appeal to get involved in the political process at all levels. The next President will have a strong influence on the direction of the Supreme Court for years, perhaps even decades. If we lose the battle for the Second Amendment, our chance of ever getting our rights back is next to nil.

The danger is also present at much more than just the federal level. States and local governments are chipping away at our rights as well. California will be able to walk in and seize a person’s guns on nothing more than what amounts to heresy as of January 1, 2016. Virginia is cancelling all of its reciprocity agreements in February 2016, and Chicago is imposing taxes on each firearm sold and every bullet sold within its jurisdiction.

“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed, unlike the people of other countries, whose leaders are afraid to trust them with arms.” – James Madison.

Even the liberal leaning New York Times had to admit its polling results in December 2015 (page 23) showed the majority of Americans are against an Assault Weapons Ban, but the will of the people is least of the gun control lawmakers’ concern.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2015

Let me step down off my soapbox and get to the subject of this article, H.R. 4269, “To regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.”

Other purposes…?

“The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that’s good.” – George Washington.

H.R. 4269 directly counters the wording of the Second Amendment. Its only purpose is to infringe on your rights by outlawing the majority of the top selling handguns, shotguns, and rifles being sold today—and it does not stop there.

Magazine, Accessory Ban?

The bill uses vague language that could be interpreted in even more sinister ways. H.R. 4269 would ban any device or part that could “accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle. What does that mean? Could a magazine accelerate the rate of fire? How about a single- versus two-stage trigger? Every part would be subject to the whim and will of the BATFE to decide based on vague language in the bill. If H.R. 4269 was passed, the will of the people would be in the hands of a few bureaucrats and political appointees.

No Transfers

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 differs from the 1994 version in that they are seeking to ensure a complete elimination of the firearms subjected either immediately or over time. The 2015 version purposes to do this by making it “unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon.”

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” – Thomas Jefferson.

That means the intent of this bill to grab all of the guns. Perhaps they would not get the guns today, but in time without the ability to sell or pass them down to heirs, they would get the guns through attrition over time. This is not as simple as you can keep yours; this is a threat to the future of firearm ownership for our future generations. Quite simply, in time, H.R. 4269 would be the complete demise of the Second Amendment.

The Future

The Democrats have shown their hand. Their plan is simple: make 2016 an election about gun control. If they have their way, we will lose some of our rights immediately, others over time. Either way, the Second Amendment would be feckless.

The sponsors of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2015 (including Debbie Wasserman Shultz, the head of the Democratic National Committee) fail to acknowledge that firearm homicide rates are the lowest in recorded history. During the last debate, Hillary stated there were 33,000 gun deaths in an attempt to bolster the numbers. However, she was less than honest about the breakdown of those numbers.

“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.” – Noah Webster.

In 2013 there were 33,636 gun deaths. Over 21,000 of those were suicides. Over 3,000 were the result of confrontations with law enforcement. Other deaths were attributed to self-defense situations, accidents, and unknown causes that could have been suicide or something more nefarious. Once you go through all of the numbers, only about 25% of the 33k+ that Clinton cited were homicides. That’s about a maximum of 8,000 of the estimated 270 million firearms privately owned in the United States—with only a small percentage of the firearms used in the homicides having been legally purchased in the first place.

Act Now

You have a choice. Make gun control politicians forfeit their positions at the ballot box or risk losing your Second Amendment rights forever. The will of the people and the crime statistics both show there is no reason to infringe on the Second Amendment. Guns are not the problem. Guns never have been the problem and only threaten the power of those who would prevent private citizens from ownership.

Dave Dolbee

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.