So the owner of Nova Armory decided to launch a massive lawsuit against people who were actively opposing the opening of the store. The suit includes delegates that were pretty much using their powers as elected officials to “advise” (In a very Sopranos way) other store owners and the owner of the mall their dislike for a gun store to be opened in their area. Other took to the social media to also show their disapproval and apparently some took it the extra mile and now are being sued too. One of them is Ryan Albert who the Washington Post gave a full Opinion column to express his displeasure under the title “I was sued because I don’t want military-grade weapons in my town“.

I grew up shooting shotguns and rifles with my grandfather in rural Georgia. He would take this city boy out to the farm that has been in my family for more than 150 years. He would teach me how to safely load, discharge and clean the weapons. 

The SJW version of “I have a Black friend.”

I understand why people want firearms and I believe there are reasons to own hunting rifles, shotguns and, with proper training, handguns for self-defense.

No, you don’t.

I do not believe, however, that there is any legitimate reason for ordinary citizens to own military-grade weapons or use suppressors (better known as silencers by many among us). Yet these are somehow legal to be bought and to own.

But you have no problems with hunting rifles and shotguns which have been designed and used for warfare but they are now “acceptable” to make a point against Ugly Black Rifles. It only takes a second and a political need to change hunting rifles and shotguns to Sniper Rifles and Riot Guns. It is all in the re-branding, ask the Brady Campaign. 

It is because of these beliefs that I posted on Facebook my opposition to Broadstone Security’s Nova Armory opening in Arlington County. The owner opened an online store that sells variants of AK-47s, AR-15s and other semiautomatic weapons, short-barreled rifles and silencers.

I admit I don’t know what you posted, but must not have been very nice if you are being sued.

Those weapons belong in the hands of our trained law enforcement and military personnel. 

“trained law enforcement and military personnel” You see why I oppose legislation mandating firearms instruction?  Why would I lower my standards to LEO and Military? Do you really want to shoot like an NYPD officer under Spray and Pray and Hit Everybody but The Bad Guy training?

An AR-15 makes a lousy self-defense weapon unless you are worried about guerillas invading your home from a distant ridge.

Yup, tell that to the looters in South Florida after a hurricane…wait, we don’t have looters. They don’t like being shot from afar.

Because I expressed these beliefs in two Facebook posts, I have been named as a defendant in a frivolous lawsuit that seems designed to intimidate me and 63 of my neighbors and state legislators into silence.

The store is already open, you spoke your piece. Somehow I don’t thing silencing applies. 

In most states, a blatantly abusive lawsuit would be illegal. The irony is not lost that I can be sued for exercising my First Amendment rights while the owner of a gun store cannot be sued for negligence even if he knowingly sells a weapon to a mentally unstable customer who will later use it to murder innocents.

And this is why you got sued. Nice of you to provide evidence for the plaintiff. 

My constitutionally established right to freedom of speech and right to assemble have been directly attacked. I must decide whether to surrender and be silent or endanger my welfare and that of my family.

Again, you spoke your piece. The issue is if your piece can be considered libel which the plaintiff seems to believe and for the court to decide. 

And that is before we consider that my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are threatened every day by the presence of military-grade weapons in the hands of untrained or, in a worst-case scenario, violent people.

You really have to tone down the shrill. You have to stop vilifying gun owners.

It saddens me that we live in the only industrialized country with gun-death rates equal to or greater than those of many developing countries.

Yep, we are the same as Mexico or Venezuela or Honduras. You are officially into full-blown hysterics.

It saddens me that somewhere along the way, we forgot that all of our rights matter, not just those of people who want to make money by selling military-grade weapons.

I guess nobody informed Ryan about that document called The Constitution.

And it saddens me that we are being silenced into not expressing our beliefs and opposition for fear of being financially attacked, vilified and threatened by a minority of armed and aggressive neighbors.

Cognitive dissonance anyone?