Nothing characterizes the American Revolution better than Thomas Jefferson’s words that “All men are created equal.” Those words were realized in several ways, one of which is the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The idea that an armed citizenry is the bulwark of liberty is very American, truly exceptional, broad, and inclusive.

However, there is a part of human nature that refuses to accept equality, and one of the fundamental ways it manifests itself is the denial of the right to keep and bear arms to those considered inferior. Although there are lots of historical examples to learn from, including from imperfect moments in America’s past, some people in power still refuse to accept that they are peers of their fellow citizens who have the same equal rights as they do.

Enter Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Democratic congresswoman from Virginia’s 7th District:

As a former federal agent, I carried a gun and two extra magazines every day — marked “for law enforcement use only.”

My mags held more than 10 rounds — the limit under federal law at the time.

That provision was part of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004. 1/

— Rep. Abigail Spanberger (@RepSpanberger) July 7, 2023

I have seen enough detractors preface their support for the Second Amendment with, “As a former…” that my skepticism meter ticks up mid-sentence. What Spanberger is saying here is that she was “special,” and the proles shouldn’t have the same rights as her.

As a quick reminder of how those “special” among us can mess up with guns, I would like to show you this video of a DEA agent, a federal agent similar to Spanberger, who called himself “the only one professional enough to carry a gun” and proceeded to shoot himself in front of a classroom full of kids:

Or this federal agent with the FBI who negligently discharged his weapon while showing off his cool dance moves at a nightclub:

In case you were wondering if she really meant what she said, Spanberger followed up with another tweet to dispel any doubts:

I’ve helped lead the discharge petition to force a vote on the U.S. House floor to reinstate a ban on the manufacturing, sale, and transfer of military-style weapons and large-capacity magazines — devices manufactured for the efficient killing of people. 2/

— Rep. Abigail Spanberger (@RepSpanberger) July 7, 2023

It would be nice to know what is and what isn’t a military-style weapon. Every weapon has been used by the military, from sabers to smoothbore muskets to select-fire carbines. Marines carry Ka-bar knives; are those military-style weapons? What’s “style” anyway? Is a “military-style” weapon something that has picatinny rails or is black or has FDE cerakote?

If those devices are manufactured for the “efficient killing of people,” who was Spanberger trying to efficiently kill as a former federal agent?

Because weapons of war do not belong on our streets.

A restored Assault Weapons Ban is an overdue, commonsense step to save American lives. 3/

— Rep. Abigail Spanberger (@RepSpanberger) July 7, 2023

If “weapons of war” do not belong on our streets, why was Spanberger carrying them on domestic soil instead of a foreign battleground? Who was she waging war against?

At least the phrase “assault rifle” has a definition: a select-fire rifle that fires an intermediate cartridge to at least 300 meters using detachable box magazines. “Assault weapon” is a genie’s wish for gun controllers, a sort of silly putty in their hands to toy around with our rights and change them at will.

I looked at Spanberger’s background. She is a former postal service inspector and ex-CIA. I thank her for her service, but that gives her no right whatsoever to use her prior service as a platform from which to wreck her fellow citizens’ rights. She was and remains a citizen equal to us, and will remain so after she returns home from exercising the powers we temporarily delegate to her during her service in Congress.

People’s respect for law enforcement depends on the respect that law enforcement has for the people. It’s a two-way street. Likewise, people’s respect for their elected representatives depends on their respect for the people’s rights as delineated in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Rep. Spanberger is close to losing, if not already lost, the respect of a good swathe of the people.

Gun control is inherently elitist. Those pushing gun control almost invariably think of themselves like Soviet apparatchiks in Moscow did, that they were just “more equal” than their peers. It’s time to put Spanberger’s notion to rest. If you’re one of her constituents reading this, contact her office and ask her to explain her positions and politely express your concern.