J.D. Vance has been nominated as vice president. Should former President Donald Trump win, the 'Hilbilly Elegy' author will be just a heartbeat away from the Oval Office. Considering that someone tried to end that heartbeat less than a week ago, that's an even bigger deal than it might ordinarily be.

I read Hillbilly Elegy years ago and was profoundly moved by it. I found it to be a thoughtful discussion of the troubles of the white working class. I also recognized many of those same troubles existing in the black working class that makes up such a large portion of my hometown, which showed me in yet another way that we're a lot more alike than some would prefer for us to believe.

But Vance then went into politics and has done pretty well for himself.

Now,  he's been nominated as vice president and the anti-gunners are losing their minds.

Meanwhile, gun control groups including Everytown for Gun Safety say that Vance's calls to abolish the ATF amount to defunding law enforcement — and that Vance is in the pockets of the gun lobby.

The National Rifle Association of America reported spending $479,663 to boost Vance’s 2022 bid for Senate, according to a database maintained by Open Secrets.

“There’s a reason the gun lobby spent half a million dollars to elect J.D. Vance: He opposes expanding background checks on gun sales, opposes Red Flag laws to keep guns out of dangerous hands, and supports abolishing the law enforcement agency responsible for protecting Americans from gun violence," John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told Salon. "Gun extremists have a dream ticket: Trump and Vance would put our communities at risk with their extreme positions on gun safety that are out of step with the American public.”

Everytown also posted this on X, formerly Twitter:

Donald Trump has announced his pick for Vice President. Here’s what you need to know about J.D. Vance’s failed record on gun safety: pic.twitter.com/cjP8e0nhot

— Everytown (@Everytown) July 15, 2024

Look, I already liked Vance. There's absolutely no reason to keep selling me on him.

I've criticized Vance in the past despite still liking the guy, but since he's been in Congress, he's done absolutely nothing to suggest he's anything but pro-gun here and now. Fair enough for me, really, because he's had opportunities to do just that and hasn't.

Some long-time Republican senators can't claim as much, can they, Sen. Cornyn?

And honestly, if all these folks are freaking out, that's only going to help the Trump/Vance ticket.

Of course, these are the people who think valuing your rights makes you a "gun rights extremist." They're acknowledging that these are, in fact, our rights in that term, and yet they're also essentially admitting they want to restrict those rights. Who here is the real extremist?

If Vance will help protect our right to keep and bear arms, then so much the better. If he won't, then his political career is going to flame out much faster than anyone imagined.

I don't see the latter happening, though. Everytown can learn to deal with disappointment.