Today's a very special 2A Tuesday for me because it was 20 years ago that the very first Cam & Co aired live on NRA News from the 2004 Annual Meetings in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday, but when I think back to the Second Amendment landscape that existed in 2004, I'm reminded of just how far we've come. 

When Cam & Co debuted, we were still four years away from the Supreme Court's decision in Heller that established what we already knew to be true; the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. We were fighting to get "shall issue" concealed carry in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Illinois, where concealed carry was utterly prohibited. The federal ban on so-called "assault weapons" was still in place, though there were already signs in April 2004 that Congress was going to allow the ban to sunset that fall. 

The threats to our Second Amendment rights haven't dissipated over the past 20 years, and in some ways, it feels like we're still having the same arguments, but the truth is, we've made incredible strides in strengthening and securing our right to keep and bear arms during the past two decades. 

That progress has been a group effort, and the same can be said of Cam & Co. I've been blessed to work with some of the most talented and professional folks in broadcasting, including producers John Popp and the late Cameron Gray, along with videographers and editors Mike Aitken and Dennis Azato (and more recently Jim Kent and Micah Rate). Cam & Co wouldn't have existed without their contributions, and their friendship has made me a better man.

From the beginning, Cam & Co was designed to be guest-driven, and we've featured thousands of folks in the 2A community over the years. It's impossible for me to name my favorite guest, but there are a few who stand out. As cool as it's been to interview celebrities like Tom Selleck, Richard Dreyfuss, Ted Nugent, or R. Lee Ermey, the guests who really stand out to me are those men and women who've had compelling stories to tell, like Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, sexual assault survivor and campus carry advocate Amanda Collins, and armed citizens like Stephen Willeford, who stopped the attack on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. There's no shortage of amazing individuals within Second Amendment circles, and one of the best parts of my job is getting to meet these folks and helping to bring their personal stories to a large audience. 

I've always believed that part of my job isn't just to inform gun owners about the latest news and information impacting their right to keep and bear arms but to educate and inform non-gun owners about who we are. In the early days of Cam & Co, we had a "talkback" feature that allowed viewers to send me a direct message while I was on the air, and I will never forget the very first talkback I received. It was from someone who described themselves as a "San Francisco dyke," who told me that she didn't want me to forget that there were gun owners like her out there, too. From the beginning, I've tried to live up to that request, understanding that the Second Amendment is a right of We the People; including people who don't look like me, think like me, pray like me, or even vote like me. The Second Amendment movement is perhaps the last big-tent movement in American politics, and it's even more diverse now than it was when Cam & Company began, which I think is one of our greatest strengths.  

Without question, however, the most rewarding aspect of hosting Cam & Company over the past twenty years has been the friendships made possible through the show; not just guests but from the community of listeners and viewers as well. I would never have met many of my closest friends were it not for Cam & Co, and so many of y'all have been with me through personal milestones like the birth of my youngest kids in 2005, my wife's cancer diagnosis in 2016, and the death of my oldest son just two years ago. The support I've received in both good times and bad has immeasurably improved my life. 

When NRATV imploded in the summer of 2019 I wanted to keep Cam & Co alive, and I was once again blessed to have found a home at Bearing Arms and Townhall Media. Jonathan Garthwaite, Storm Paglia, and the rest of the Townhall Media crew are wonderful colleagues, I'm lucky to soon celebrate my fifth anniversary here at Bearing Arms in July of this year, and to once again be working with such a talented and dedicated team. 

Will Cam & Co be around in another twenty years, perhaps coming to you via neural implant or in holographic form? Who knows. I'd love to believe that by then our right to keep and bear arms will be secure, but as long as the Second Amendment exists there will be folks out there intent on its destruction and our disarmament. I've dedicated nearly half my life in defense of our fundamental rights, and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. 

With Big Tech censorship running rampant and the gun control lobby trying to silence pro-2A views, support from readers and viewers is critical to keep our mission going. If you're looking to help celebrate 20 years of Cam & Co, there's no better way than by signing up as a VIP or VIP Gold member today. Use the promo code SAVEAMERICA and you'll get 50 percent off your membership, as well as access to exclusive content not available to non-subscribers, the ability to comment on Bearing Arms stories, and (with a VIP Gold membership), all kinds of exclusive perks and shows across the Townhall Media universe of websites (Townhall, RedState, Twitchy, PJ Media, HotAir, and Bearing Arms). 

I promise that your membership money won't be spent buying me fancy suits or leasing private jets. Instead, it will help us continue telling the truth that the anti-gun media won't report, speaking to 2A advocates the gun control lobby doesn't want you to hear, and fighting for the fundamental right to keep and bear arms in every state of the Union. Thank you for helping me do that for the past two decades, and hopefully for many more years to come.