By Max B. Porter

The price for apathy will be very high this election because the gulf between the candidates couldn’t be wider. If American freedom and liberty are to prevail, then the election of [Ken] Cuccinelli, [E.W.] Jackson, [Mark] Obenshain and [Al] Peschke must be ensured.

Our Declaration of Independence boldly declares that the people’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness emanates from God Almighty and not the State. Embedded within this truth is the individual’s God-given right to proportional self-defense and indeed the responsibility to protect oneself. After all, the courts have ruled abundantly clear that the police have no legal obligation to guarantee the personal protection of anyone. Each of us is the responsible party for protecting ourselves, our loved ones and other innocents within our charge. Life in a truly free society can exist no other way. For this very reason, access by the law-abiding public to equal or superior weaponry, of the sort likely to be encountered when affronted by the lawless, must not be infringed.

But like his mentor, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is bankrolling his negative campaign, Terry McAuliffe is unapologetic about his intention to restrict the people’s rights, freedoms and liberties. He has a plan to ban commonly owned, semi-automatic firearms and standard capacity magazines. He anticipates criminalizing private firearm transfers between friends and family members. And he is plotting to restrict the number of defensive weapons law-abiding Virginians may purchase. He obviously is working hard to maintain his well-deserved NRA “F” rating. And oh, how convenient to have a complicit mainstream media run interference on behalf of his dangerous agenda.

In August, McAuliffe told Breitbart News that it doesn’t matter that crime is going down in Virginia while firearm sales are soaring at the same time. No, don’t bother Terry with the facts! Even more telling, the former chairman of the National Democratic Party told Breitbart, “I’m a gun owner. I take two of my sons hunting and skeet shooting.” Oh yes, he followed our illustrious vice-president’s advice and just bought a $2,000 double-barrel shotgun this past January, so now he can call himself a gun-owner. How transparent! More proof he doesn’t have a clue that The amendment has almost nothing to do with hunting and sport shooting. We must never forget: It’s the Second Amendment that guarantees all the others.

Throughout history, the first step of would-be tyrants toward enslaving the people is to begin curbing their access to arms. Those who promote laws and policies, calling it control or even safety, that result in a reduction of liberty and freedom are taking the nation down the road of ever-increasing tyranny.

Benjamin Franklin wisely observed, “Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” And George Mason added, “To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.” How prophetic!

The progressive, liberal movement has already wreaked havoc with the creation of “defense-free” zones throughout our nation, resulting in virtual killing fields for the murderous criminal to practice his trade, by preventing law-abiding citizens from legally defending themselves and others with personal weapons.

By the time a politician makes it to state-level office or higher, rest assured he can no longer plead ignorance as to the repercussions of the philosophical positions he supports in governance. He is pursuing the well thought-out implementation of policy positions that result from his belief system. Terry and his ticket mates share a frightening, common ideology.

Elections do matter and the clarion call back to our founding principles is clear. If there is to be a chance of remaining a truly free, just and self-reliant people, the extremist ticket of McAuliffe, [Ralph] Northam, [Mark] Herring and [Roslyn] Tyler must be thoroughly rejected by each of us. True patriots can do no less.

Max Porter is a life-long resident of Franklin and Southampton County. A local businessman, he is a member of the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League and a Life Member of the National Rifle Association. He may be reached at maxporter56@gmail.com.