Our 2nd Amendment rights are under attack worse than they have ever been before. We face tremendous challenges from the opposition including the proliferation of false statements that are being presented as facts. As with any cause, there are those that can be over zealous and emotional in its support which often can be manipulated by the opposition and labeled as fanatics or crazies. It is with this back drop that I will look at this year's candidates for the NRA Board of Directors to attempt to choose individuals that can represent the 2nd Amendment with poise, grace and clarity while at the same time understanding the need for direct and concise communication supported by facts that have been well thought out, tested and documented.
When I look at what Rob Pincus brings to the table, its hard for me to see many that are more strongly qualified. My experience over the years with Rob is that he is open, insightful and welcomes challenges for his position and will even change his thinking when warranted and supported with facts and data. When I have questioned him, Rob has had a very well supported and documented reasoning for a given position. He is excellent at communicating his point and collaborating with others for a common goal, as has been demonstrated by the success of the Personal Defense Network, which great repository of information from a wide range of contributors related to the personal defense arena. Rob's willingness and ability to continue to reevaluate his position and assess the position of others is critical in our continued fight for the 2nd Amendment. Its my opinion that we need this roll up the sleeves approach in the representation of our interests on the Board of Directors as well as publicly.
Since Rob's announcement that he is seeking the 76th seat on the Board of Directors there have been some public challenges in the social media to his positions related to firearms training, constitutional carry and open carry. My opinion is that some of this has been taken out of context or presented in such a fashion to try to indicate that Rob is not as strong supporter of the 2nd amendment as we would want. To avoid confusion, all of his positions are presented directly by him in detail at this link. I do however want paraphrase my interpretation of his positions because it is important for us to understand.
Open Carry
Rob has presented his position on open carry in 2 manners. The first relates to those who have chosen to be very aggressive in presenting their rights to open carry by carrying firearms in a open manner simply to make a political statement. Often times this tactics are done with the intent to create some level of shock value in order to bring attention to and justify the right to open carry. I think Rob would acknowledge that there is a time and place for open carry and that his feelings of when it is inappropriate has nothing to do with limiting ones right to open carry. Further I agree with Rob that there are far more effective and appropriate methods of presenting your position for open carry that do not include such bully type tactics.
The second position related to open carry addressed by Rob was in the vain of a personal defense situation. Again his opinion is not saying that he disagrees with open carry but instead, it is his opinion, and the opinion of a high majority of personal defense instructors, that open carry for personal defense is largely counter productive and may actual hinder you personal defense efforts. I understand that some would say it would act as a deterrent to a would be criminal, however, the obvious counter argument is that it could also act as the catalyst to make you the first target of that would be criminal. Unfortunately there is little to no data addressing this topic and, with such a very small percentage of individuals using open carry as their method carry, it is unlikely that a statistically relevant conclusion could be drawn.
Constitutional Carry
Rob's position on this is pretty clear to me. He is 100% in favor of any person who can legally own a firearm to have the right to carry for defensive purposes. Rob further believes that it is not an unfettered right to anyone and that some exclusions such as convicted felons should be applied. Finally relating to the licensing requirements in order to carry, I agree with Rob's opinion that having a carry permit licensing process is simply a method of taxing and inconveniencing those that have a desire to carry.
Mandatory Training
It may be a surprise to many that Rob, who has dedicated much of his life to personal defense education and training, is against government mandated training in order for an individual to purchase, own or carry a firearms for personal defense. His rationale for his position is very simple; The amount of training that would or should be required for person to have the appropriate skills necessary to effectively carry a firearm far exceeds the standards that any current state mandated programs require. Other than the most serious students, many are not willing to invest the time, money or effort to that level of training and understanding. When I speak to folks that have expressed an interest in having a firearm for personal defense, one of the first questions I ask is "How much practice do you intend to do?". Most often the answer is presented with a blank stare and a question such as "What do you mean practice?" The dynamics of finding yourself in an ambush type personal defense situation is beyond the scope of this blog but the complexities and ramifications are great and it is not as simple as draw, aim and shoot.
In summary I understand that we are not all going to agree on all points. In that regard, I think it is important to have people that are willing and have demonstrated a willingness to fully evaluate the various positions, formulate a stance based on data and facts and accurately communicate that position to others. Rob has repeatedly shown not only willingness to do just that but has demonstrated his willingness to adapt as he is continuously evolving his training curriculum as new information, methods or equipment come to light. Its for this reason that I will fully support Rob Pincus' run for the 76th seat of the NRA Board of Directors. More information on how to support his candidacy can be found at this link
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