By: Kayleigh Hamilton
One man put everything on the line to save the Second Amendment.
He made a sacrifice that inspired many people.
And now he is drawing praise from across the country for his actions.
People can have all kinds of different political opinions, but most people aren’t willing to truly put their money where their mouth is when it comes to their core beliefs.
After all, having an opinion is easy, but making a sacrifice in order to support something that you believe in is much harder.
That’s why people were so inspired by the decision that Ryan Appleby, a gun show promoter in Maine, made in order to stop gun control in his home state.
Maine is a state with a relatively high rate of gun ownership, but also a Democrat-controlled state government and a very liberal governor, Janet Mills.
After a “waiting period” restriction was passed into law in the wake of the Lewiston shooting, Appleby decided to forgo a large portion of his income to fund the fight against the law.
He decided that fighting for the right to bear arms was more important than money.
According to Bearing Arms, “In a little less than a month, gun buyers in the state of Maine will be forced to wait three business days before they can take possession of their purchase, even if they pass a background check within minutes. The 72-hour waiting period will take effect on August 9th after Gov. Janet Mills allowed the gun control measure to become law without her signature, but Second Amendment groups are already planning a legal challenge to the new measure, and an upcoming gun show in the state capitol of Augusta will help to fund the litigation.”
It’s clear that the gun owners of Maine are mobilized to do something about this law, and they are taking strong action against it.
Appleby is leading the way by making a commendable sacrifice in support of the cause.
According to the Portland Press Herald, “Appleby, the gun show promoter, said he’s donating all of the proceeds from the July 13 and 14 gun show at the Augusta Elks Club to efforts to overturn the law.”
Here is what he told the paper: “While many gun shows, including the ones Freedom Promotions holds, have been taking steps to comply with the new bill and attempt to lessen the negative impact, it will be felt by many small Maine businesses and jeopardizes the livelihood of many.”
The donations that Appleby is able to make to the cause are a small step in the right direction, but they set an important example for other people.
Supporters of gun rights can’t just post their opinions on social media and hope that makes a difference, they need to put their money where their mouth is and mobilize for the cause.
Hopefully more people will be willing to follow the example set by Appleby and make their own sacrifices for the cause of gun rights so that gun grabbers don’t get their way.