Why now?
As mentioned recently, we’ve seen a surge of activity from people who previously weren’t interested in exercising their Second Amendment rights. We are getting asked the same questions in nearly every interview: Are we seeing an increase in interest (yes), who is asking (everyone, women, people of colour, LGBTQ folks, urban professionals, across all age groups and genders), and why now?
I want to talk about the “why now” briefly.
To be fair, we have seen increased interest over the years, tied to specific political or social events.
After each mass casualty event involving a firearm, there is an almost scripted response by politicians to ban guns or call for everyone to have them. Some folks see that and decide for themselves they need to be educated.
The 2016 election and the following four years saw a marked increase in women, people of color, and liberals who feared what that election meant and what might happen to them. It was time to learn.
The pandemic and the social unrest following the murder of George Floyd sparked another surge, where people were either finding guns because of the unrest, or in many cases, because of the response to the unrest.
January 6th was a siren call to some who believed that the people storming the Capitol should not be the only ones in our society armed.
And the 2024 election, rinse and repeat.
But as we keep saying to reporters, this seems different. It’s an order of magnitude larger, for one. The people asking, as noted above, are from all over and not just minorities. Folks who don’t normally defend the right to keep and bear arms are asking out loud: Do we really have that right? Maybe if the “most pro-gun administration in history” doesn’t think I should exercise that civil right, that by itself is a good reason to look into it.
Why are they asking? They see themselves in Renee and Alex’s faces: “normal” looking, middle-class folks. White folks. If it can happen to them on the streets of a midwestern city, it can happen to anyone. Which comes as absolutely no surprise to us, or any of our minority siblings.
As they say, representation matters. The best time to get involved was then. The second-best time is now.
Now that everyone (sadly) has a seat at the table, let’s work together to preserve all of our rights.
For everyone.
Why now? #GunControl #SecondAmendment
18.02.2026 18:49 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
@meidastouch.com
EVERYWHERE TO EVERYONE
👇👇👇👇👇
18.02.2026 01:19 — 👍 7 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
Today's phone call to my senators included the words "I could appeal to your patriotism but I know you don't have any, because you let Trump violate the Constitution seven times a day, so I'll appeal to your self-preservation" so you could say I'm mad.
18.02.2026 01:27 — 👍 21 🔁 7 💬 1 📌 0
The reason speaking out is so important is that it lowers the perceived risk of those who are silent and have something to say. Your courage matters. Your words matter. Every voice is a key to unlocking another’s.
-Attributed to Ian Smith
Keep speaking out. Whether it's conversations with friends or whistle-blowing to Congress, keep going. Your words matter.
Goodnight 💚
14.02.2026 04:00 — 👍 400 🔁 115 💬 3 📌 2
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
#TaxBillionaires
14.02.2026 04:59 — 👍 91 🔁 38 💬 3 📌 0
DHS System for Confirming Voter Citizenship Is Making Widespread Mistakes
A federal verification tool expanded under Trump has misidentified hundreds of voters as noncitizens.
If you live in one of these states, you need to check your voter registration and make sure it hasn't been invalidated:
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming
Alt: a voting booth with an American flag image and the word "Vote" on the front.
13.02.2026 23:24 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Having their finances disclosed, and made to resign if there's undue influence, would be a good place to start. Unfortunately, the US does the 1st poorly, and the 2nd not at all.
Reference: Clarence Thomas.
13.02.2026 23:14 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
The implication is there. Otherwise, why even bring his name up?
13.02.2026 23:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
I have no opinion either way on that, having not looked into it. However, poor judgement in associates doesn't make their dirt rub off on you.
(Although, yes, "everyone knows" that it does. At least until that one friend of theirs gets caught.)
13.02.2026 04:56 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"Western democracies" - ?
Do you think there's any political system that doesn't provide hidey holes for it's wealthy scum?
13.02.2026 04:53 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Logic Fallacy - Guilt by association.
A likes B
B likes C
Therefore A Likes C.
Epstein's retinue - how many people did they know or directly associate with?
Unless Obama is directly linked to Epstein, he's not a guilty party. Let's hang the guilty, not 2nd-hand "friends". Guilt isn't contagious.
13.02.2026 04:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
TSA is useless. They need to go, too.
12.02.2026 01:11 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Time to contact your Senator.
12.02.2026 01:04 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
☝️💯
09.02.2026 21:04 — 👍 244 🔁 41 💬 1 📌 1
This year we also need (unofficial) poll watchers outside polling places, to make sure the nazithugs don't stop people from voting, or intimidate people.
We need people to drive voters to the polls, too.
09.02.2026 21:39 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
More information needs to accompany this type of reports. MAGAts need to hear these, but they refuse to believe. We need to hit them with facts, photos, videos.
What - who- where - when - how? Details, please!
07.02.2026 23:58 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
I hope you won't need to know this, but better to know and not need than to need and not know.
07.02.2026 23:35 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
That's their cover story. But...
A school teacher could loudly pray in class daily, & parents would have no recourse, since the teacher "doesn't represent the school" (according to this document.)
There are more loopholes, but I don't want to get deeply into it. Suffice to say it's BS.
07.02.2026 23:33 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
You know how I keep saying that every damn skill and capacity is needed in this moment???
What do you know how to do that can serve in this critical time??
07.02.2026 22:56 — 👍 874 🔁 262 💬 4 📌 6
Liam Ramos's family and all those most vulnerable need to be helped into hiding right fucking now. Tonight.
07.02.2026 03:42 — 👍 61 🔁 27 💬 1 📌 0
Those who failed to vote at all because "both parties are the same" made a selfish, ignorant, and dangerously naive choice. They could have voted against Trump, and worked with progressives to change the system, but no, they needed to "show them".
05.02.2026 22:22 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Bernie won't take the corporate money. They hate him. I love him for that.
05.02.2026 20:00 — 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
That's what he said.
05.02.2026 22:09 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Fascism runs on intimidation and the sloppy inaccuracy of AI is just their oligarch provided ticket to making anyone feel unsafe from their scapegoat targeting.
bsky.app/profile/dell...
05.02.2026 21:38 — 👍 6 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
Thanks for letting us know what you are.
05.02.2026 21:40 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
One, she's not a baby boomer, and two, ageism sucks.
05.02.2026 21:35 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Read it all please.
05.02.2026 21:17 — 👍 2381 🔁 1219 💬 70 📌 38
Why are the traitors still in office? Where are those sworn to protect and defend the Constitution?
05.02.2026 20:52 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Kegbreath know what his tats mean, and he hasn't disavowed them, as far as I know.
The only thing they have in common is being drunk when they got their tats.
05.02.2026 03:59 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
#Resisters; retired math prof (2000) & USMC pilot; CA-ARNG medevac; ACLU & SPLCenter; #BLM; ex-Hospice Vol.; Wife of 45 years, Meggy B., passed 4/18/22; VOTE DEM! 💙
Sacramento, CA 95825, USA; born 10/4/36
(NO DMs!/request if necessary/no "chatting")
Art by NIKKI FRIEDE
"If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise...
If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds."
-Reverend Jesse Jackson
Likes to discuss food, the NBA, art, etc. Secretly doing important work that I won't discuss on here. I have opinions!
Dedicated research monitoring and exposing right-wing extremism and other threats to democracy.
Politics, world events, culture, and, every once in a while, something gratuitously silly. Good discussions accepted. Not looking for online pals. Lastly, I Will NOT chat (DM / PM), unless I otherwise know you.
Cat fan, scenery lover, snapping pics & creating with AI. 🐾📷
Living slow in Shizuoka — writing stories, sharing AI art.
📖New book coming soon — Slow Living Under Mount Fuji
Dad, Veteran, Requires Democracy in the Country I served. Drummer, Need Music in my life. Telephony Engineer.
🚫 DM
Writer, cat fan, blue politics. No DMs pls.
my other platforms: https://linktr.ee/waffles_mcgrawl
🦋🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻 🦋
Political Commentator, Government Whistleblower, Independent Journalist, Graphic Designer
🕷️🕸️
Landscaper & Cook
🦋🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻 🦋
No Twitter
No Meta
No Nonsense
Posting any NYT article is an immediate block
Every goon will serve 20 years in prison.
The President of the United States is a fruitcake and we are doing nothing to remove him.
No one walks away.
Falmouth Massachusetts
Woke Inter, cross, & anti-disciplinary scholar/researcher/author/artist/activist. Critical psychology/sociology #diversity #education, #culture, #socialjustice, artistic mediation of trauma, violence. Boomer still fighting after all these years. 💙💙💙
Hello, I am progresist, atheist, pro ecologist, anti racist and feminist. Hope you like my twits.
Liberal. Anti Fascist & MAGA.
Get the latest US political news in 5 minutes. Subscribe now and get today’s top headlines in your inbox. 📩
https://thelensnews.substack.com
X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheLibBoJack
Here for some sanity. Mom,Grandma/gardener/surviving on sarcasm and tired of bs. Nothing but love for most humans, all animals, nature, history, architecture and the solar system we inhabit. Married to my best friend 28yrs
Power to the people ✌🏻
"The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth" - Garry Kasparov
"Defiance till death!" - Robert Arnold
When the facts change, I change my mind.
Raised woke. Stayed woke.
Left. On the right side of history.
Dogs. Books. Travel. Wildlife.
Politics. Architecture. Humor.
Musical Theater. W.T.F. 🤬
Geeky/nerdy stuff, metal 🤘🏻, housing advocate, accessibility/disability advocate, and speaking hard truths.
"If you look at the world and look at the problems, it's usually old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way." Barak Obama
I'm an atheist/anti-theist. Autonomy for all! Separation of church and state! 💙🌈🌍 #humanist #resist the oligarchy 🚫evangelizing 🚫maga 🚫 Do not ask me for money! 🚫 No porn