It’s frustrating and irritating to see and read day after day attacks from the right regarding democrats exercising their second amendment rights while also supporting common sense reforms. I get it, sometimes it boggles people’s minds that you can be pro 2a AND support gun law reforms. What is frustrating is people believe you can’t be both. I’m also tired of seeing daily from the right that democrats/liberals are “agitators”. Who knew following our constitution and laws made you an agitator?
In a recent Firearms News magazine dated April 2026 Mr. Darwin Nercesian, the magazine’s News Field Editor penned a “Special Report” titled “Trump Enforcers Reject Seconded Amendment After Minneapolis Shooting” where he makes numerous statements that are in my opinion ignorant.
His opening paragraph he states that “Democrats continue to organize groups of agitators bent on disrupting federal efforts to apprehend and deport those who have violated the sovereignty of America’s borders…” He’s painting with such a broad brush that not only is it an offensive generalization, it’s also patently false. Grass roots efforts occur when a group of like minded individuals get tired of something and join together to speak out against it. It doesn’t follow one party or the other, its not Democrats vs. Republicans when it comes to grass root matters. Mr. Nercesian mentions that people should be deported for violating our country’s borders, however his article is devoid of any mention of the settlers that invaded this land. America as a country did not exist until it was founded in 1776. If we are rounding up and deporting people, then shouldn’t we start with every single person who is not Native American? Why are only “certain” one’s a problem? Why are not all of us deported? The facts are we immigrated to this country seeking a better life than what was happening in England. In many cases, we stole the land from the people who owned it before our ancestors, so what makes us any better than someone escaping gang violence in another country?
And I can already hear it now, “come here legally”. That wouldn’t be a half bad idea if the system actually worked correctly. Instead we have people waiting sometimes decades for the process to play out. If you want legal immigration, you have to have a system capable of handling it, currently the US does not. It’s severely broken and let’s face it, American’s are lazy. I don’t know of any American citizen that is willing to go work 12-16 hour days, bent over in a field picking carrots or lettuce, for $7.25 an hour. Frankly, the fact that our minimum wage hasn’t been raised to keep pace with inflation is a failure on the government’s part. Immigrants, both legal and illegal, frankly are the manual labor backbone of this country. Everyone wants everything dirt cheap, how else do you get items dirt cheap if American’s won’t do the work for penny’s? Usually immigrants. Is it right? No – they deserve better pay, however at the end of the day, immigrants keep America running.
Mr. Nercesian asks “Why do conservatives take issue with democrats exercising their seconded amendment rights?” He answers the question with that they don’t, however I would disagree with this. Often times when I’m met with hostilities in certain conservative circles – gun ranges, shops, etc.- when folks find out I’m not conservative. In a few cases, I’ve been asked to leave even after spending considerable amounts of money in that location. Mr. Nercesian goes on to state that for years conservatives have espoused the principals of responsible firearm ownership but have they? Responsible gun ownership comes with numerous layers, including proper storage, training, safety, etc. If conservatives have been espousing these principals, why do they always go up in arms anytime someone suggests a law locking your firearm in a secure manner to keep children from playing with it? How many more children have to die before this simple safety requirement stops getting so much push back?
I enjoyed the laugh I received from reading Mr. Necesian’s views for the real reason for the second amendment “providing the means for citizens to defend against a government gone tyrannical”. I don’t seem to recall any conservatives in arms defending the United States Capitol from an elected official attempting to overthrow Congress by sending a violent mob of agitators to attack, kill, and destroy Congress. THE ONE TIME in modern history where the 2A had it’s chance to shine brightly and instead, the very group people who claims democrats are full of hypocrisy just proved on the international stage that they don’t give a damn about the 2a or any other laws in this country if they don’t get their way and will resort to violence to accomplish it.
Mr. Nercesian continues on and claims California Representative Eric Swalwell is a “traitor” for having in my opinion a blunt, frank answer to a US Vet’s question. While I disagree with Mr. Swalwell’s word choice, the sentiment is shared. If there was a citizen uprising and the government had to shut it down (Capitol insurrection notwithstanding), the federal government could likely squash it quickly. Why? Because America spends more than any country in the world on it’s military. Anyone with a nickles worth of knowledge knows that the US Military is not a force to be messed with and if needed, they will squash any uprising in a hurry if needed and given the opportunity. Why wouldn’t they though? Because using the military against civilians should be an absolute LAST resort and if weapons of war have to be involved, then it likely the last resort military leaders have. It’s foolhardy to think that US Military would never be used against it’s citizens. Even as a liberal, I know that it’s a possibility.
Mr. Nercesian writes later in the article “Make no mistake, Democrats are using the Second Amendment much like the American Communist Party perverts the First Amendment, neither of which provides the right to commit treason by way of overthrowing our Constitution Republic or threatening people when you don’t get your way” YOU DON’T SAY! THAT’S WHAT THE CONSERVATIVE TYPES HAVE BEEN DOING SINCE 2008! Conservatives attempted to overthrow the will of the country when the election did not go their way, murdered police officers on the steps of the Capitol, and attempted to hunt down and harm members of Congress.
He continues “In fact, the government is responsible for protecting and defending our nation from lawlessness and invasion, a duty of the highest order with significance beyond a simple yet undeniable fiduciary obligation to the American citizens.” I don’t think Mr. Nercesian understands those words at all in the manner to which he wrote them for this article. For as long as I’ve been alive, the government has never performed it’s fiduciary duties to me. In fact, they give more of my money away to red states and billionaires than I get. The government has long abandoned its fiduciary responsibilities to American’s and instead has given our taxes to corporations, other nations, and the 1%. I agree with Mr. Nercesian that our government is responsible for protecting and defending our nation from lawlessness and invasion, however I also believe they have a responsibility to protect ALL people within it’s borders or subject to it’s jurisdictions, not JUST American’s or those “born here”.
At the end of the day, while liberal and conservatives won’t ever agree 100%, it’s frustrating when the right paint’s with such a broad brush then gets mad when it’s done to them or when valid counterpoints are raised to their stances. Democrats exercising their second amendment rights is in direct response to the threat environment that conservatives have placed America in.
Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.
Evan
