National Rifle Association News Commentator Billy Johnson is an interesting dude. He’s a news junkie, a political wonk and an absolute purest when it comes to all his Constitutionally-protected rights — not just the Second Amendment.
In many ways, he reminds me of myself. Yeah, that sounds a bit egotistical given that this is his interview, but it’s true. I share a lot of Billy’s libertarian (we-need-fewer-laws, not-more) views. Specifically, I couldn’t agree more with what he had to say about former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s universal background check movement.
“Having to ask the government to exercise my any of my rights is an infringement on my rights… I do believe background checks do qualify as an infringement on my rights,” explained Billy.
Amen, brother, amen! I then went on to ask him about his thoughts on the bipartisan Manchin-Toomey bill that would have federalized universal background checks, essentially requiring them for all private sales and transfers, including those made over the Internet and at gun shows.
Since Manchin-Toomey was supposed to be a compromised version, it did include some perks for gun owners, I asked him whether it would have been better to strike a deal back in 2013 and pass Manchin-Toomey as opposed to fighting the Bloomberg machine at the state level where he is uniquely poised to pass his uncompromised background check bill (Bloomberg’s money has had an impact at the state level, thus far he’s been behind the passage of at least two UBC bills, one in Colorado, one in Washington State. Now Bloomberg’s group is introducing a UBC bills in Nevada).
“I’m done compromising,” Billy said, rather candidly. “Gun control advocates have always said, ‘Just compromise, just compromise, come to the table. ‘ Since 1936 gun owners have compromised, gun owners have given something up every step of the way, we have never gotten anything back.”
“People say, ‘Well you got concealed carry”– well that was always my right,” he continued. “It was always my right to carry a gun. Don’t tell me that concealed carry was some kind of concession by the anti-Second Amendment movement. That’s ridiculous.”
He’s right. Gun owners have compromised every step of the way. Meanwhile, anti-gunners have only become more insatiable in their desire to roll back the Second Amendment. That aside, what if we had compromised and agreed to ratify Manchin-Toomey?
Well, Billy brought up a great point.
“They’re not going to go away, they’re not going to close up shop, and say, ‘We won, go have your guns.’ It’s not going to happen.”
Right again! Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors Against Illegal Guns (all of which belong to Bloomberg) are not going away ever. They’re here to stay. Therefore, as Billy insinuated, we ought to be prepared to fight them every step of the way.
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Thanks to Billy Johnson and NRA News for giving us this opportunity. Follow Billy on Twitter: AmidstTheNoise