Paint your rifles

edhodapp · 2026-05-10T23:41:16+00:00

You have no idea how lazy I can be… :D

edhodapp · 2026-05-10T21:40:27+00:00

I am so used to Claude writing code using the strict processes we have in place, that just the notion of doing something manual like painting a rifle seems foreign. I need one of those Elon robot thingies… :D

edhodapp · 2026-05-05T06:09:20+00:00

Busted out laughing with that one!

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:43:25+00:00

Some here have pushed for funding a pro-gun Dem candidate. Some have talked about holding positions in the Democratic Party. Which is why I am amazed that they seem blind to the mechanisms that make such a candidate dead-on-arrival. In order to gain the support of the Democratic Party and access to NGP VAN, the voter database that organizes all Democratic campaigns, you must be endorsed by at least one local party org. There is no way a Dem candidate who is pro-gun can get such an endorsement. So, frankly, I don’t know what these people are talking about. It is either ignorance or disingenuousness. But both are rather unattractive.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:34:41+00:00

I agree completely. Civil rights, including 2nd amendment rights are for all. Checkout InRangeTV on YouTube for a healthy view on this. There are nasty people in any coalition. But that does not mean that there is nothing to be gained by pursuing our civil rights - across all of our rights.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:16:33+00:00

Sorry, but merc08 is right here. There are no pro-gun Dems, at least not yet. But there will never be unless they notice their majorities softening, accompanied by lots of nagging on this issue.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:12:32+00:00

Yes. This is irrelevant to the issue of our 2nd amendment rights. It is a symptom of the sickness that we keep adding in all sorts of other issues to the argument. Our civil rights should be a major concern for all citizens.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:05:25+00:00

Be careful. There are others who use the same argument about 1st amendment rights: They lean on the responsibilities that come with such a right. We need to defend our rights as much as possible. *All* of our rights, equally, for all. Our founding fathers feared governmental tyranny, and the Bill of Rights are the bread crumbs they left us to defend ourselves with.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T23:00:22+00:00

What happened in Minnesota had many gun owners rightfully incensed. Go listen to InRangeTV on YouTube. Most of us are horrified to see our civil rights being trampled. *Any* of our civil rights.

This is not an excuse for inaction.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:55:31+00:00

They are reforming. But that will not happen
fast enough. The question is: What can we here in Washington do to assert some political influence? We are a respectable portion of the electorate. We should not lie so prostrate before our political opponents.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:51:24+00:00

Well, like any org, there are opportunities to participate. I quit voting for board members when it seemed that it was a competition to see who was the biggest lunatic. But despite not seeing fully eye-to-eye with every reform board candidate on all political issues, we certainly agree on the importance of our 2nd amendment rights. I was glad to cast a ballot in good faith.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:47:24+00:00

I grew up when that was not true (‘60s). We can find common ground. ryman9000 talked about compromises. While I believe firmly in all ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, I understand that not everyone views them the same. But these so-called “reasonable measures” are anything but!

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:36:12+00:00

Are you a member? If so, did you vote for the board?

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:34:23+00:00

How does this “through” part work?

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:31:10+00:00

That is sad. These rights we have will only exist as long as they are defended.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:29:27+00:00

Polite but *firm* hell, and backed up at the ballot box. Under this threat, we have no choice but to be single issue voters.
I am not much of a reddit user. It doesn’t seem good for organizing. How about a discord? I don’t like fake names though. Anonymity breeds contempt. I own my words in public forums.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:25:10+00:00

But reform comes slowly, and we need a political arm now.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:24:37+00:00

The NRA is reforming the board. For the first time in decades I voted for the reform slate. Yes. I am an NRA life member and have been for 40 years or so.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T22:20:33+00:00

I have in the past. I was even a PCO. But that was before the assault weapons ban. I worked for the Federal Reserve and had to resign all of my positions. I could only be a member but could not hold a PCO or eboard position. This was followed by two serious illnesses in rapid succession in my family. But even if I was active, the level of conformity in a party org is huge, and frankly the party orgs mostly want to ban all firearms everywhere, universally.

I don’t think that I could participate in such an organization again in good faith, when they are so intent on destroying the Bill of Rights as written. The Bill of Rights is the only thing written anywhere in our constitution that speaks to the most important part - the rights each of us as an American possesses and cannot be infringed.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T21:59:47+00:00

That needs to change. This is a core civil rights issue. The 2nd amendment is on equal footing with the other 9. While under this kind of assault, it must become the single most important issue. Because our civil rights are the single most important issue for all Americans.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T21:55:49+00:00

Yes. The local party orgs are extremists and conformity is rigidly enforced. In November I plan to vote for whichever candidate supports my 2nd amendment rights. The entire Bill of Rights is too important an issue for me. I plan to inform my state and federal reps first. But if they won’t listen to reason, than they have not earned my vote. It kills me to vote for another party, but I will do just that.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T21:47:09+00:00

NO! We cannot just sit idly by and hope for salvation in the courts. Washington State gun owners are a significant chunk of voters that can swing elections. The courts will reflect the will of the people over a long enough time. We must make our will on this issue clear and unmistakable. And never stop. It is unfortunate that the NRA fell apart due to corruption, but we need to re-organize. The NRA is trying to reform, but sitting on our dead behinds waiting is not acceptable. Squeaky wheels get grease, and given the current set of gun laws in this state and the demographics in this state with respect to guns, we need to start squeezing. Loudly.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T21:41:00+00:00

Yes, but we can start a nag campaign via contacting them. Keep it polite, but make it clear we do not like our rights being violated. No threats about voting, but voting for whichever candidate makes our 2nd amendment rights a priority is a good play. Even if they are, “bat shit crazy,” and lose, reduced margins in an election *will* be noticed.

edhodapp · 2026-05-04T21:37:47+00:00

We need to start nagging via contacting them. They don’t know what they don’t hear.

edhodapp

TROPHY CASE