Rhode Island 2A Fight – Part 1

I have known Chris for twelve plus years now. We met at a sailboat manufacturing company we both worked at and our friendship quickly evolved outside the work place to similar interests which revolved around sailing, firearms, politics, and patriotism. We spoke after American Partisan ran the Tiverton Rod & Gun club post earlier this week and I asked him if he wanted to post Rhode Island’s story on the 2A fight and a follow-up post concerning the rally on January 23, 2020. Here is Part-1. Enjoy! 

Rhode Island 2A Fight – Part 1

By Chris Souza

I was pleasantly surprised to see that American Partisan posted the article RHODE ISLAND SECOND AMENDMENT CALL TO ACTION on January 22, 2020 because little Rhody typically receives little attention except when a Kennedy steps off the reservation.  I reached out to a good friend JohnyMac a prior Rhode Island citizen to share with American Partisan readers Rhode Island’s continuing fight and what transpired at the January 23, 2020 rally.

Part 1

A little background about Rhode Island politics and the current Government position on the 2nd Amendment.

Rhode Island has been an almost exclusively Democrat controlled State for the past few decades.  We have had some Republican Governors, but our General Assembly has been 80+% Dem controlled.  We are now in our 2nd term with Governor Gina Raimondo, a Democrat that wants nothing more than to use Rhode Island to get her into federal office.

Although this Rally has made some headlines and drawn some attention it is far from the first go around for the Pro-2A community within our state.  Over the past year the call has gone out through several grass roots organizations whenever there is a potential bill that is being presented further restricting our rights.  Each time the General Assembly is in session we generally get approximately 1-week notice on proposed bills that are on the agenda for either committee or a chamber vote.  This is when our local grass roots organizations rally the troops to get a good show or support (or in most cases dissent) for the proposed bill.

Historically this is when the Anti-Gunners also are in the building. The Red shirts of “Moms”, and orange shirts of “Everytown” (both Bloomberg funded) are always in attendance. That said in every case I can remember the yellow shirted pro 2A community out numbers the antis by numbers of 2000 to 40 or like totals.  In the past almost every bill that has come up has been “tabled for further study” following the overwhelming testimony and demonstration of dissent from the large crowd of 2A supporters.   The one glaring outlier was the passage of the “Red Flag” laws that passed here in Rhode Island last year.   This law, as most of its type proposed throughout the country bypasses due process, leaving the accused to prove his innocence to charges and accuser he is unable to face.  Even the ACLU has voiced their opposition to and filed against this law here in Rhode Island.

In one important difference that puts the 2A supports on the back foot is $$$.  The Bloomberg supported Antis have full time paid lobbyists at the State House and are present their daily.  Ironically most of the antis are not even Rhode Islanders, but are from New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. They have significantly more access to our elected officials than our Pro 2A community who is exclusively from Rhode Island.  There are registered lobbyists that are Pro 2A and are funded mainly by the same grass roots organizations that get the word out for the rallies.  Sadly, I have seen little to no support from the NRA, unless they are calling me asking for money.  Even with our numbers at specific events, with most of our support being both volunteer and locally funded, the Antis end up having a much bigger presence in our State politics than is proportionate.

Our Governor hosts press conferences of 100-150 people with Moms and Everytown as guests as she proposes new laws that effect law abiding gun-owners but do nothing to address the criminals that are responsible for the violence.  Compared to this kind of access to our highest Executive, our Pro 2A rallies draws 10+ times the number of attendees yet have almost no access to or attention from the Governor.  The answer for her as well as for the majority of the General Assembly is MORE LAWS.  It is nearly impossible to get them to acknowledge the laws already on the books, or the fact that they are not being followed.

Here in RI we have what most of the Antis scream for…..Universal Background checks.  I cannot transfer a gun to my son or daughter without completing a 4473 (Federal NICS check) and a background check with my local PD (part of the 7 day wait for a gun purchase).   With this in place no one that is a felon should have access to a firearm, legally at least.  Unfortunately if you look at the FBI table of active records in the NICS system, through December 31, 2019 the State of RI has 0, that’s right 0 felonies reported to the system.  Rhode Island is far from alone in this.

As the General Assembly has returned to session in 2020, they have once again posted a list of proposed anti-gun bills. Many of these proposed bills are just rehashes of bills from previous sessions, often with just slight additions or subtractions to them.   These include:

-“Assault Weapons” Ban

-Magazine Limits

-Ban on any gun that can accept a magazine over 10- rounds

-Semi Automatic Ban

-“Ghost Gun” Ban (3d printed and 80%)

-Expanded Red Flag

-Elimination of CCW licensing

It is great that there is finally some new attention being brought to Lil Rhody from the national audience.  The exceptional attendance and attention that was drawn as a result of the behaviors of our Governors and elected officials that was displayed in Virginia was very heartening to see.  To have 22,000+ people from all areas of the country show up in support of the 2A community and against the tyrannical behavior of the current administration was great.  That said, the issues faced by those in Virginia may be new to them, but that is everyday day life for us here in Rhode Island.  We already have many of the onerous laws that the people of Virginia are fighting against and our constitutional rights are regularly under assault.

This Pro 2A rally is the first for us in 2020, but sadly we here in Rhode Island have already been through this many times before.  We will also need to be prepared to do it again and again throughout the year!  Following the success and attention to Virginia we are starting to get more support from other areas of the country.  Approximately 130-140 people from Virginia are coming north to help us.  This will be really the first time that it hasn’t been just organic Rhode Islanders.  Let’s hope that this continues to grow!

I will post Part 2, The Rally in the coming days.

Chris is an owner of a Marine Manufacturing Company in Rhode Island where he has lived much of his life. In addition to his company he works as a gunsmith for several local shops and as an armorer and trainer for the regional LEO community. He is a self-professed training junkie who attends classes throughout the year in various parts of the country in a wide range of disciplines.

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10 Comments

  1. Scurvy January 24, 2020 at 23:21

    Mr. Sousa,

    Thank you for adding a humanistic view of your 2A struggle in Rhode Island. You are right that some of us do not think of your fine state as there is so little mentioned about her owing to her size. A blessing and a curse at the same time as your state is a beautiful maritime hideaway.

    Stay strong Sir,

  2. COMMUTATUS January 25, 2020 at 07:51

    Should not we be sniffing the breeze and realize that this whole wonderful system is rigged more thoroughly than a VC tunnel. All this voting and turnout and “HOOHAH” only delays the rats from getting in the grain…………..These commie bastards are just like the description Sgt. Reese gives of the Terminator in the first movie; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu0rP2VWLWw
    Better get your head wrapped around that truth; They absolutely will not stop until you (Mr and Mrs. Gun Owner) are dead. That’s their mindset and “They” have the “Law” on their side. It is open season on traditional Americans and their values and there is no limit or seasonal restraints.
    Now what?

    • NC Scout January 25, 2020 at 07:53

      Agreed 100% and then some.

    • johnyMac January 25, 2020 at 11:08

      Amen COMMUTATUS!

      As we have witnessed with our own eyes and ears spoken by Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton and most recently via Project Veritas video of two Mr. Sanders campaign workers; they want you and I dead, put in a gulag, or voices ignored. Although you, I and Mr. Souza will continue to vote, we all know deep down in our soul, a fight is coming. It is needed to burn out the underbrush of the left so the trees can continue to grow.

      Thanks for reading and commenting Brother!

  3. Anonymous January 25, 2020 at 08:48

    4.5

  4. Riflemyn January 25, 2020 at 10:58

    Thank you for bringing our constant struggle in RI to light. This was an excellent article.

    I would like to emphasize the commitment of the Pro 2A people in RI. Even though we have one of the lowest firearms ownership percentages in the US, we all believe we are some of the most passionate supporters of the PRO 2A rallies and despite being harangued by the Bloomberg and Soros funded folks, we maintain a professional and respectful demeanor during these events.

    Thanks again

    • johnyMac January 25, 2020 at 11:15

      Riflemyn,
      I know of what you write as MrsMac and I were citizens of Rhode Island for 20-years. What many folks do not understand is the little state of Rhode Island is surrounded by anti-2A states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Then add to the equation that many from New York retire to a beach house in the state. The Pro 2A Rhode Island citizens are constantly doing battle with carpetbaggers and border jumpers who bring their anti-2A position to this state.

      Thank you for reading and talking the time to comment Brother

  5. Kaiserworks January 25, 2020 at 16:49

    To those foot soldiers tramping the Halls of our legislatures, on your own initiative and expense; to preserve what’s left of America, you are hero’s! Every one.

    There has to be a goal though. An end. A measurable place where citizen tax slaves can say “yep, we can go home now and live our lives in peace. The state has recognized it’s error and will become as small as possible in the lives of it’s citizens”

    There is only one goal that can achieve this:
    – Permanent Separation – we go our own way and the left goes it’s way. There is no ‘fixing’ the largest government (a left-wing dominated government) in global history with it’s money printing and endless wars on climate, terror, guns, drugs, how much water my toilet flushes! On and on and on. Separate, and good riddance.

  6. RI Patriot January 26, 2020 at 18:52

    Appropriately for the times Rhode Island was the first state to use the rattlesnake and “Don Not Tread On Me” on a flag. The flag of the United Train of Artillery (UTA) bore a coiled rattler, thirteen stars, a banner with “Do No Tread on Me” on top and another below stating “In God We Hope”, “Hope” being the Rhode Island state motto.
    The state of RI has the wartime flag in storage.
    We’ve been fortunate in not having had these laws forced upon us- thanks to the work of well placed people in the General Assembly and local activism. The NRA hasn’t spent any money here, as opposed to Bloomberg’s unholy minions. I think this year though we may be royally screwed. We will see. Several thousands of us turned out last time we rallied.

    • johnyMac January 26, 2020 at 22:33

      Good comments RI Patriot and thanks for the history.

      I lived in Tiverton for 20-years and I know of the uphill fight that all 2A folks in RI have been up against. It took me hiring a lawyer to get the attention of my towns Chief to just get a lousy application for a CCW. When I received my first CCW my number was 0010. Then of course the year after year of fighting to keep what we had and not loose any of it to the anti’s.

      The anti’s were always financed by Bloomberg’s and Soro’s INC. and when we would go to Providence most of the anti’s came from CT. & MA. Add to that we had the dang NYC folks buying up land and dwelling’s for them to “summer” at or retire to in RI and of course they brought their ways to the state. It is a never ending fight for the 2A partisans in RI, that you know as I do will never stop until “they” win. But you and all of my RI Brothers and Sisters know this, in your heart of hearts but at the moment are taking the high road which is commendable.

      So my question is sir and I do not need an answer, just for discussion purposes – When do we stop playing the anti’s game and change tactics. What did Einstein reportedly say…The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Maybe it is a combination of new and old tactics that is needed. May I recommend looking into other cultures or countries to see what they did to be successful in similar situations. I am currently reading Martin Dillon’s Dirty War. Check it out. Or read John Ross’s Unintended Consequences, or Matt Bracken’s Enemies Foreign & Domestic.. I also have on order a book about the IRA fight called, The IRA by Tim Pat Coogan.

      Last, I have a great deal of respect for the folks that showed up in Richmond, VA. and the folks in RI who constantly show up. They are doing what they think is right and hopefully they will change the course. Let’s see what happens in Virginia and Lil Rhody in 2020 after the rally (s). Just do me a favor…Understand that “they” are capturing your cell phone info, face recognition, license plate number, etc. each time you go to a rally. “They” are building a database on you and when the Red Flag Laws in RI have met the final hurdle. The folks with the most “pings” will be getting a knock at their door to send a message to the others. Then maybe some folks will follow what others have done in the past.

      73 & God Bless Brother

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