With New York Attorney General Letitia James declaring war on the National Rifle Association, she likely figured that it would raise her profile with little risk to her. After all, it’s not like New York voters–most of whom live in anti-gun New York City–would actually care if she lost her case. They’d just care that she tried to take on the evil special interest that most people seem to think is responsible for every violent crime in the last 30-40 years or so.

It’s unlikely she expected a significant number of other attorney generals to come right out and oppose her, but they did.

One of those making a stand is West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently joined a 16-state coalition supporting the National Rifle Association’s lawsuit against New York’s attorney general.

The coalition argues that New York’s attorney general unjustly seeks to dissolve the NRA, which is the country’s oldest civil rights organization and leading Second Amendment advocacy organization.

“New York’s lawsuit seeks to destroy the Second Amendment,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “West Virginia remains in fervent support of the Second Amendment. Our office will vigorously oppose any effort to roll back gun rights and attack those who cherish the freedom to bear arms.

“As I said when New York filed its misguided lawsuit, West Virginia invites all national gun groups and gun manufacturers to consider relocating to the Mountain State and work with our office to protect gun rights for citizens in West Virginia and across our nation. We vigorously enforce all of our state laws and never let politics impact our enforcement,” he continued.

The NRA’s countersuit seeks to block a politically motivated attempt by New York’s attorney general, in a separate lawsuit, to dissolve the NRA. She hopes her initial lawsuit to dissolve the organization will undermine Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

And really, that last line there? That’s what this is really about. James doesn’t like the fact that when it comes to a discussion about gun control, the NRA becomes the 800-pound gorilla everyone has to contend with. They’ve blocked countless anti-gun proposals through the years and James resents it.

New York officials have declared jihad on the NRA over the last few years and they’re not even trying to hide it.

Morrisey and the other attorney generals are making a state that we all need them to make. It’s a stand that, frankly, more attorney generals need to make. After all, if James can get the NRA dissolved, how long until other groups become the target of some attorney general’s ire? It would set a dangerous precedent that no one should be comfortable with.

Frankly, the NRA’s membership doesn’t need James to stand for them. They don’t want James to make any kind of gestures or moves on their behalf. They just want James to go away and leave them alone.

James won’t, though, because it’s not about the membership. It’s about taking on the entity that she and progressives like her absolutely despise because it won’t let them have their way.

That’s all this has ever been about.