So, without shredding the founding document itself, foes attack that constitutional right from every conceivable angle. That’s where the next bulwark of defense comes in.
Those who treasure this hard-won freedom must remain strong in the face of the onslaught of legal maneuverings and propaganda. And while much of this comes from grandstanding government officials, still more now springs from corporate America.
It is now fashionable in some circles to attempt to exclude the constitutionally protected firearms industry from essential services that any major company needs to survive. One particularly insidious tactic that anti-gun zealots use is to withhold access to financial services — everything from basic banking transactions to lines of business credit.
But there is now a strong pushback against this backdoor method of trampling on constitutional rights.
The Firearm Industry Nondiscrimination (FIND) Act was introduced into Congress by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) with the backing of 14 original co-sponsors. If enacted, the legislation would block corporate entities that discriminate against the weapons industry from access to taxpayer funded federal contracts.
After all, when a major firm clearly attempts to counteract constitutional freedoms, why should that same company be allowed to profit from funds that originate from the same taxpayers it targets with its dishonorable actions?
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) came out in strong support of S. 428.
NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane declared that Sen. Daines’ proposed legislation sends a shot across the bow to corporations “that Americans’ God-given Second Amendment rights aren’t for sale. Corporations that choose to deny lawful businesses in the firearm industry essential goods and services would no longer benefit from taxpayer-funded federal contracts.”
Those funds, of course, could then be used to advance their anti-gun activities.
Keane further asserts that this measure means public policy will be enacted by people who are actually elected to perform the task. That authority is not delegated to unelected and “unaccountable corporate executives.”
Sen. Daines’ bill also means that “artificial and agenda-driven barriers” are not erected based on politics to sink the ability of a lawful industry to conduct business.
Supporters of the FIND Act note that it does not tell companies who they can or cannot do business with. Instead, it exercises the right of the federal government to choose where it spends taxpayer dollars.
Unfair discrimination against the firearms industry will be met by the drying up of federal contract funds. In that way, the government is not supporting activist corporations that oppose Second Amendment rights. In other words, the federal government is free — just as these corporations are also free — to choose who to conduct business with.
A companion bill, H.R. 53, was introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and gathered an impressive 102 co-sponsors. A law like the FIND Act is already in place in Texas and is being considered in several other states.
Proponents of the Second Amendment do not have to accept egregious actions by public corporations targeting their basic liberties lying down. Just as the Bill of Rights defends our freedom to keep and bear arms, it is critical that citizens protect the Bill of Rights and ensure that it applies to every law-abiding American.
Only by consistently doing this will we ensure that future generations enjoy the same freedoms that were once taken for granted.
