Following any incident of gun violence, such as the recent shootings in Colorado Springs and the Walmart store in Virginia, the Democrats and their PR wing that masquerades as the news media have offered their standard reactions.

Until the identity of the shooter is known, they blame President Trump and his MAGA supporters; this enables them to further their MAGA extremist-domestic terrorist narrative. This dehumanization is used to justify draconian measures against political opponents.

If the identity of the shooter is established and the shooter belongs to a minority demographic, such as the Walmart shooter, they restart their campaign for gun control, which is a euphemism for gun confiscation.  They blame Republicans for the shooting and highlight Republicans who accepted donations from the NRA. They push the narrative that the GOP has shady links with the gun lobby and hence are enablers of murderers.

The GOP often finds itself in a quandary.  If they immediately defend their stand on guns, they fear being perceived as insensitive towards the victims. They also fear being the recipients of vicious attacks from Democrat media proxies, and Democrats. At times there could be violence from Democrat-enabled activists.

Hence, they pay homage to the victims and lay low.  The Democrats and their media allies, who have appointed themselves the judges of appropriateness, reject their tributes,  claiming that the GOP has blood on their hands.  The Republicans sway between being defensive, apologetic, and helpless.  Most Republicans prefer to stay mum till matters return back to normal.

It would be gravely erroneous for Republicans to presume that voters will reject these cynical Democrat ploys and continue to vote GOP.   The relentless bombardment through various channels could have an impact because there is still a section of people who probably believe what they consume in the news media.  The underwhelming performance of the GOP during the mid-terms, despite the catastrophic misgovernance of Democrats, should be a wake-up call.

Does that mean the GOP should give up its stand on guns?

Emphatically not.

They just need to repurpose their rhetoric so that their stand is more persuasive to voters.  Winning elections are not about facts but about driving narratives.   Narratives that touch the heart or strike fear in the minds of voters always dictate voting behavior.

In the matter of gun rights, the Republicans must stop being reactive or passive but instead be proactive and seize the narrative.  They could begin by not referring to it as gun rights but instead, calling it the right to affordable security.  The narrative must be built that since regular people cannot afford personal bodyguards or private security, they have no option but to choose firearms for their personal security.

Republicans must cite real-life situations where the possession of firearms actually saved lives.  They must cite all of the following and more

An Alabama man used his concealed handgun to stop a mass shooting in a McDonald's.

A Kentucky man was able to use his gun to stop a gunman outside a Kroger shop.

A Houston man fired several rounds from his AK-47 while fighting off five home invaders this year.

A Florida man used his AR-15 to fire 30 rounds while fighting off seven intruders.

They must remind voters that guns do not always have to be fired; the presence or merely the loading of a firearm could serve as a powerful deterrent.  A petite Maryland woman chased three burglars out of her home not by firing but simply by loading a round into the chamber of her AR-15. The burglars "took off" when they heard the distinctive sound of the firearm being loaded.  Republicans must cite research that guns are used 16 to 100 times more often to protect life than to take life. 

Next, the Republicans must talk about crime.

The GOP must highlight the fact that the crime wave has occurred due to Democrats such as incoming  Senator John Fetterman facilitating the release of at least 10 convicts serving life sentences for first-degree murder and Democrat-appointed judges releasing violent criminals on the streets.  Republicans must remind voters that Democrats are proponents of the ‘Defund the Police’ movement that is among the reasons for the crime wave. Republicans must also refer to Biden's open border which has also caused an influx of illegal aliens including violent criminals.

Next, the Democrat hypocrisy must be exposed.

The Republicans must tell voters that all Democrats demanding gun control are always under the protection of armed guards. Their homes and offices are protected by armed bodyguards and law enforcement. Whenever they make public appearances, they are surrounded by multiple armed bodyguards.  Voters must be reminded that is usually taxpayers who fund all the security for the Democrats, yet the Democrats do not want the same taxpayers to have their own security.

The GOP must remind voters that the Democrats demanded that Washington, D.C. be guarded by armed law enforcement for months despite there being no threats following the January 6^th protests.

The GOP could start a movement urging Democrats to be the change they claim to wish to see and give up their security: i.e., no armed bodyguard and no arms.  The likes of Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Hillary, AOC, and all those demanding gun control could be called upon to defund and abolish all their security.

When that doesn’t happen, the GOP must remind voters that when the Democrats demand gun control and defunding the police it applies only to citizens living in workings class neighborhoods or children attending public schools.  The Republicans must reiterate that gun rights are about affordable measures for self-defense.  

Democrats must be exposed as those who only think their lives matter. Hence, they want gun control for citizens whose only means of security is firearms, while they are always protected by armed bodyguards.

The GOP must also highlight the fact that criminals intending to procure guns will always manage to do so illegally and that laws and restrictions do not matter. They must also make a case that the unguarded border owing to Democrat misgovernance is probably one of the channels for gun trafficking occurs.

Finally, the GOP must also remind voters that those complaining about gun control did nothing despite being in active politics for decades

Biden has been in politics for more than 50 years -- he was a senator for 36 years, vice president for eight years, and has been president since January 2021. Obama was in politics for 25 years, and he was president for eight years. Nancy Pelosi has been in the U.S. House of Representatives for 33 years. Hillary Clinton was a senator for two terms, first lady for eight years, and served various political functions as a lawyer in both the Arkansas statehouse and Washington.

A case must be made that the Democrats will do nothing, but merely use guns as scare tactics to deceive voters.

Thus, a case must be made that firearms are the only effective and affordable means of security for citizens following that Democrat-enabled crime wave.

Those demanding gun controls are insensitive and uncaring because they are potentially endangering the lives of their citizens.

Image credit: Vector Portable  CC BY 4.0 license