Op-Ed: The 2nd Amendment Defends Us, The 1st Amendment Defines Us

We live in unprecedented times.

I would never have dreamed in my lifetime that as a country, we would listen anxiously while a sitting president destroyed state sovereignty and threatened governors of states who stand their ground and will not comply with federal overreach. A sitting president plainly stated that your freedom and your right to choose have no bearing on the decisions he was handing down. We have a president that stepped so far outside of the few and clearly defined parameters of our founding contract that it is beyond comprehension.

We hear gun owners across the country say they will have their guns removed from their cold dead hands. Unfortunately, my fellow Americans, that day may be closer than we choose to admit.

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When Covid-19 first began, it was only a matter of days before many could see that this situation was being used to complete what Bush I and Obama clearly stated: create one world order and fundamentally transform America.

I believe the virus is real and can be deadly. However, that is not the point of this discussion. The use of this targeted and politically charged issue proved that the American people, to a great extent, would indeed trade safety for freedom.

First, we were told to wear a mask until there was a vaccine. Then we were told to wear two or three masks because one just wasn’t enough. We were told that the world would return to normal and freedoms restored when the vaccine was available. Now, we are told we still have to wear a mask, even if we are vaccinated, and that we must now get “booster” shots on top of the other shots we already have. People are doing these things without questions while their freedoms continue to be eroded.

What does this have to do with gun rights?

When I was confronted with the option of drawing my weapon to defend my daughter or letting something unimaginable happen to her, the choice was clear. The danger was very defined and obvious. We were cornered and human predators were advancing which made the decision easy. Unfortunately, what we are facing today is not so clear.

Many citizens ask, what can we do and what should we do? But, unfortunately, what should have been done is a ship that has long past sailed. Examining the history of gun control on this blessed land, as early as 1640, it is clear the removal of the right to keep and bear arms is congruent with the removal of most human rights.

I believe that today history will not repeat itself when it comes to the end of our God-given right to bear arms. We are witnessing the loss of rights as basic as life by way of “legal” murder called abortion. Pursuit of happiness is disappearing as you must participate in a medical procedure as a condition of employment, often against your will. Free speech and the right to disagree are disappearing quickly as private businesses do the dirty work of government and monitor your speech for “misinformation.”

In the name of safety, imagine not being able to travel, engage in commerce, go to a restaurant, a sporting event, or any other social event if you are a known gun owner. Imagine having a card in your pocket or a QR on your phone showing that you do not possess a firearm. Beyond imagination? Think about the vaccine passports being shoved down American’s throats right now!

As we have seen in the state of Idaho, considered one of the reddest in the country, the sitting governor has used generations of legislation that has slowly eroded citizens’ rights.

Governor Brad Little shut down small businesses and schools, divided friends and families, and by declaring the necessity of keeping people safe, used the bloated bureaucratic agencies, greased with billions of federal debt dollars to accomplish this world view goal.

When the 2nd Amendment is gone, the transformation of this great nation will be complete. After that, we will be serfs to the powerful elite’s that now control more of our existence with each passing day, with our consent. The ruling elite has no compassion for anything beyond compliance. Therefore, they will use any means necessary to achieve their goal.

History has proven, and we see in real-time in other countries, that when the right to keep and bear, defend our homes, families, persons, and freedom is gone, there is no republic.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. (Preamble to the Declaration of Independence)

We hold our weapons and the right to protect and preserve all that God has blessed us with, with a tenacity that should not be taken lightly. I encourage each of you to stand now for every right that God has granted us.

No one can take your rights away; you can only give them away.

Note: Christy Zito is a State Senator from Idaho.