Why Are Lawful Gun Owners Tired of the Pressure from Everytown and GIFFORDS? Because We’ve Really Had Enough.

By Gregg Kielma, Tactical K Training and Firearms

As a firearms instructor, gunsmith, and lifelong supporter of the Second Amendment, I keep hearing the same frustration from lawful gun owners: Why does it feel like we're constantly being asked to surrender another piece of our rights because of crimes we didn't commit?

Organizations such as Everytown for Gun Safety and GIFFORDS Law Center are not hiding their objectives. Everytown for Gun Safety says it works to elect gun-safety candidates, enact and implement gun policies, advocate for reforms nationally and locally, and advance gun-safety efforts through the courts. GIFFORDS Law Center describes itself as fighting for gun laws, policies, programs, and legislative reform that it believes will reduce gun violence. [everytown.org] [giffords.org]

They have every right to advocate for those policies. I have every right to strongly disagree with them.

My problem is the direction of the conversation. Too often, lawful gun owners feel as though we're the ones continually being placed under the microscope. We're asked to accept another restriction, another regulation, another limitation or another political campaign aimed at firearms because someone else committed an act of violence.

At some point, people say enough.

Everytown for Gun Safety openly states that its federal advocacy includes working with the White House, federal agencies and members of Congress to advance legislation, executive action and regulations. It also describes what it calls the gun lobby's agenda as a danger to public safety and public health. I fundamentally reject the idea that defending the constitutional rights of responsible Americans should automatically be treated as some extremist position. [everytown.org]

I am not defending criminals. I am defending lawful citizens.

There is a huge difference.

If somebody illegally uses a firearm to rob, assault or murder another human being, prosecute that individual. Hold violent offenders accountable. Enforce the law. But don't act as though the responsible gun owner who goes to work, raises a family, trains, stores firearms responsibly and obeys the law somehow shares responsibility for another person's crime.

That's where many of us believe the debate has gone wrong.

And the battle isn't confined to legislatures. Everytown Law describes itself as a litigation organization dedicated to advancing gun-safety objectives through the courts and the civil and criminal justice systems. In July 2026, GIFFORDS Law Center and Everytown Law jointly announced a litigation tracker covering more than a decade of civil lawsuits involving firearm-industry defendants. [everytownlaw.org] [giffords.org]

Again, these organizations are entitled to advocate, litigate and lobby within the law. And gun owners are equally entitled to organize, speak out, challenge legislation in court, vote and defend the Second Amendment.

That's democracy.

What frustrates me is the tendency to frame the debate as though there are only two sides: people who care about preventing violence and people who care about gun rights.

I reject that choice completely.

I want innocent people protected and constitutional rights protected.

As a firearms instructor, I believe in training. I believe in safe handling. I believe in secure and responsible firearm storage. I believe gun owners should understand the enormous responsibility accompanying the decision to own or carry a firearm. And I believe violent criminals should be held accountable for their actions.

None of those beliefs requires me to surrender my Second Amendment rights.

Lawful gun owners aren't asking for permission to commit crimes. We're asking not to be treated like criminals before we've committed one.

That's why so many legal gun owners are tired.

We're tired of being stereotyped. We're tired of watching the actions of criminals become justification for proposals affecting millions of people who didn't commit those crimes. We're tired of being told that defending a constitutional right means we don't care about human life.

We do care.

That's exactly why responsible gun ownership, education, training and accountability matter to me.

America can have a serious conversation about violence. We can discuss criminals, mental-health crises, suicide prevention, responsible firearm storage, training, prosecution and community safety. But that conversation must include the millions of peaceful Americans who own firearms without pretending they're the enemy.

I'm a gun owner. I'm a firearms instructor. I'm a gunsmith. I believe in responsibility, training and safety. And I will not apologize for believing just as strongly in the Second Amendment.

If Everytown for Gun Safety and GIFFORDS Law Center are going to continue advocating for their vision of American gun policy, they're entitled to do it.

But lawful American gun owners are entitled to stand up and say no.

That's not extremism.

That's exercising the same American freedom of political participation everyone else enjoys.

Gregg Kielma
Tactical K Training and Firearms