part 2


Civil Society

Our most successful method by far has been civil litigation; WCI has filed dozens of successful lawsuits. In some cases, we seek damages for individuals who were unlawfully detained or arrested for openly carrying. Our most notable case was Wisconsin Carry, Inc. v. City of Madison, in which we sued the city for defying state law and banning concealed carry on Metro Transit buses. In a 5-2 decision in March 2017, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in our favor and forced Madison to change its policy.

Occasionally, our attorneys represent people in criminal cases involving carry rights where the opportunity to set legal precedent exists. This past year, Wisconsin Carry defended a teacher who had lawfully stored a firearm in his personal vehicle on school property as well as a truck driver who violated no law but was arrested for a concealed weapon violation for having an openly carried handgun visible in his semi cab. In both cases, our attorneys were successful in having the charges dismissed. The vast majority of the funding provided by our members goes toward litigation. As surprising as it might sound, the primary legislative task of a pro-gun lobbyist in 2018 is to persuade republicans to be as pro-gun as their campaign commercials. Legislative action is the most difficult and controversial aspect of Wisconsin Carry’s mission. Unlike professional lobbyists who are often disinterested third parties paid for their ability to access and influence legislators, WCI focuses on building a network of grassroots activists who leverage their power as voters and constituents to advance gun rights in Wisconsin. While this may sound like a straightforward proposition, the reality is that all stakeholders in the legislative process — from elected legislators to constituents — bring individual priorities, life experiences and belief systems to the table. Even within the pro-gun community, there are significant differences in opinion.

For example, some Second Amendment supporters believe open carry is a convenient and comfortable method of carry that acts as a deterrent to criminals and also serves to demonstrate to the non-gun-involved segment of the population that “good guys have guns.” Other pro-carry individuals believe concealed carry is the best method of carry and that open carry is unnecessarily brash and not helpful to the overall pro-gun movement. A key function in the fight for gun rights is an internal struggle within the pro-gun movement to bring these conflicting viewpoints together. Before we begin to push back against the tactics of the anti-gun crowd or address the priorities and challenges of influencing elected legislators, we have to unify support.

Hold ’Em Accountable

On the legislative front, many average gun-owning voters may be surprised to learn how many legislators campaign as supporters of gun rights but, after elected, dismiss pro-gun efforts and focus on getting re-elected or seeking higher office (and often both). Candidates who courted the Second Amendment crowd during their campaign often have to be begged, pleaded and sometimes even ridiculed into following through on their support for the right to keep and bear arms.

For years, I’ve stated that we don’t lose our gun rights to the anti-gun crowd. We lose our gun rights when Republicans who campaigned as pro-gun advocates get squishy and cave to the altered reality created by the anti-gun mainstream media. The gun-control laws proposed and passed by Republicans this year validates this assertion. As surprising as it might sound, the primary legislative task of a pro-gun lobbyist in 2018 is to persuade Republicans to be as pro-gun as their campaign commercials.

Unifying and motivating pro-gun citizens is equally crucial to legislative success. The risk of a successful organization is that individuals stop taking action on their own in expectation that the organization can do it all on their behalf. While there are many things an organization can do, it is crucial that individuals stay motivated and active. This includes being willing to pick up the phone and make a call or send an email to your representative when pro-gun bills are moving through the legislative process. As ironic as it sounds, the more successful an organization becomes, the harder it is to pull action — not just funding — from its supporters.

Never Give Up

While gun rights ultimately have to be restored with legislation, the cultural war is just as important to the fight. Gun-rights leaders and lobbyists work to find individual legislators willing to author, introduce and then drive support for pro-gun legislation, but without the support of a robust “well-regulated militia,” success can be hard to achieve.

The greatest thing you can do is “be the change you seek.” Teach your children about the history of the gun and what it means to our country. Bring a family member or friend to the range with you. Dispel gun myths. Support gun lobbyists and activists who produce results, but don’t outsource the fight for freedom to someone else. The mainstream media portrays guns as nothing but weapons for criminal use and blames gun owners for our country’s problems when, in truth, the greatest aspects of American society came about because of guns in the hands of average citizens. We should be proud of our guns and our heritage and do all we can to protect and preserve both.