What would happen if you or I were to go out and decide that we were going to build full-auto firearms and hand them to anyone we wanted?

We all know what would happen. We’d be arrested and charged with committing several crimes.

Now, what if we told the court that it was OK because we were really on the right side of history? Do you think that would make any difference at all?

Probably not.

Yet a Pittsburgh city councilman thinks that it’s fine for his city to ignore state pre-emption laws for just that reason.

As you may recall, Pittsburgh has been looking to pass gun control laws despite the state’s pre-emption measure that bars communities from making their own gun control rules. Even Pittsburgh’s district attorney warned them that it would be illegal.

City Councilman Corey O’Connor, however, says that it doesn’t matter. His reason? Typical leftist clap-trap.

HAYES-FREELAND:So, final question, Corey O’Connor, representative from City Council, you got this letter, you got it last week, surprised you that it popped up on social media today, but the bottom line for you is you’re gonna keep pushing toward the proposed legislation.

O’CONNOR: Yeah, you know, we believe we’re on the right side of history. We believe we’re doing what’s right for our city but we think this is what’s right across the country, and nobody is gonna stop us from doing that. And we are going to get, hopefully, our votes from City Council to pass this bill and move forward from there.

In other words, O’Connor is going to give the middle finger to the law because they’re on the “right side of history,” which is just a way to try and bully people into supporting legislation and ideas that they can’t give a good, logical reason to support. They’re trying to play on the fear that someday, your legacy will be one of obstructing something good and noble and you just don’t want that.

The problem is that history doesn’t work that way. The view of “right side” and “wrong side” is a matter of perspective, and it’s impossible to know how events will shake out. Our Founding Fathers, for example, are people who built this nation, who booted out a tyrant and created a new country out of nothing. Now, they’re being attacked and purged because of things that weren’t all that controversial at the time.

What makes O’Connor think this is the “right side of history?”

More importantly, what makes him believe that breaking the law is how to get on the right side of history?

Look, the truth of the matter is that the only reason this is happening is that O’Connor and his fellow travelers won’t be punished for their role in this nonsense. They can do this with impunity because there won’t be any repercussions.

While O’Connor is convinced that he’s on the “right side of history,” I’m firmly convinced that it won’t matter. There’s no way this law survives legal challenge, and it will face legal challenge.

The only problem is that O’Connor won’t end up in prison for breaking this law, and that is the real crime.