Despite resistance from some NJ Republicans, 2nd Amendment advocates score victories
/By Sussex County Watchdog
What began in Virginia as an important demonstration of popular support for the Second Amendment has spread all across America with towns and counties formally passing resolutions declaring public support for the Second Amendment and the Bill of Rights. These resolutions have served as a rallying point for political action – bringing people together, educating voters, recruiting new activists – which has manifested itself in grassroots political action and lobbying.
What started out as a movement to pass pro-Second Amendment resolutions in Virginia became a grassroots effort that shaped a surprise win that successfully blocked passage of an “assault weapons” ban in the Democrat-controlled Virginia Legislature. The resolution movement quickly turned into a wide-reaching and comprehensive grassroots movement that frightened 4 Democrat legislators into joining a solid block of Republicans to kill the “assault weapons” ban.
Here in New Jersey, grassroots activists Bill Hayden and Mark Cheeseman have led a similar pro-Second Amendment resolution effort that has led to the passage of resolutions in towns and counties across the state. This effort has aided the work of longtime Second Amendment advocates – like the 2nd Amendment Society’s Alex Roubian – who successfully stopped two anti-Second Amendment bills on Monday.
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The Second Amendment Society has taken legal action against 28 towns in New Jersey and won every battle. They have sued the state 3 times and won every time – winning back legal fees of more than $200,000.
Imagine the grassroots movement that could be built if even just a portion of New Jersey’s Republican establishment would lend a hand? There have been some notable heroes – the District 24 legislators, particularly Parker Space, as well as freeholders from half a dozen counties, particularly Sussex County’s Dawn Fantasia – but too many pretend not to notice as the Bill of Rights is assaulted.
Worse still are those who actively talk down the work of Second Amendment advocates and the grassroots resolution movement. This includes the campaign of Mayor Michael Ghassali of Montvale, a Republican candidate for Congress in CD05.
Ghassali has resisted passing a pro-Second Amendment resolution in his town, which is controlled by the GOP. But he had no hesitation in adopting a leftist “anti-hate” resolution authored by a Democrat “social justice” activist and elected official.
And Ghassali’s campaign has gone even further, by publicly crapping on the pro-Second Amendment grassroots movement itself. His campaign issued this statement in a two-part social media post yesterday:
“The 2nd Amendment on its face is the right to bear arms as such, why would a municipality need to pass a 2A resolution?”
“Exactly, it’s one of the dumbest things I’ve heard…”
While we don’t expect establishment GOPer’s to possess the imagination to energize the Republican base, they should at least have the intelligence to copy what conservatives in Virginia and many other states are successfully doing. The grassroots resolution movement is producing victories, which is more than can be said of these establishment types.
Ghassali is a victim of one of those GOP confabs where a few insider consultants are presented as “experts” (while their actual win-loss record are, shall we say, glossed over if mentioned at all). For some establishment GOPers, the idea of a grassroots movement mobilizing the Republican base and bringing in thousands of new pro-Second Amendment voters is a nightmare that disrupts all their calculations. They don’t want that. That doesn’t serve their interests.
But Mayor Michael Ghassali – who after all was mentored and urged to run by Steve Lonegan – should have better instincts than those he hired to run his campaign. We expect better from anyone who is a Lonegan person and Michael is a Lonegan guy. So what’s the deal? Is Ghassali afraid to take a stand and help grassroots conservatives?
Steve Lonegan had no problem standing up for what was right. Say what you will, the guy had balls. Does that make Michael Ghassali a Steve Lonegan without the balls?
Michael Ghassali needs to get real and soon. And stop taking the advice of GOP establishment wimps.
