MODERATELY SPEAKING: Spanberger’s Gateway to Gun Control

So, Abigail Spanberger claims her promise to ban assault-style rifles is a pragmatic, targeted solution to gun violence, especially among youth.

The Reality: Spanberger’s proposal isn’t just statistically misaligned… it’s a political gateway, and many of you who voted for her in the 2025 Gubernatorial Election got played if you believe she and her admin are going to “reach across the aisle.”

Her push to ban “assault-style” rifles is part of a broader agenda that opens the door to future bans on other firearm types, despite the fact that most “gun deaths”… especially among youth… are caused by handguns, and the majority are suicides… not homicides.

And the organizations (Everytown/Moms Demand Action) backing her?

They’ve quietly borrowed their “gun safety” playbook, such as BeSmart & TRAINSmart, from the very groups they vilify.

Why? Because they know that “Gun Control” doesn’t win based on the Constitution, unless they can redefine it legislatively or use it to emotionally gaslight/manipulate the populace. They’re historically known for this!!

Let’s talk about what the numbers ACTUALLY say:

Handguns dominate “gun violence” statistics. FBI, NIH, and CDC data show that handguns are used in over 80% of firearm homicides. Rifles, including so-called “assault-style” weapons, account for a VERY small fraction.

Links to the research:

• https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/
  

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30529633/#:~:text=A%20retrospective%20study%20of%20autopsy%20reports%20from,of%20having%20a%20potentially%20preventable%20death%20(PPD)
  

• https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm

Suicides make up the majority of gun deaths. More than half of all firearm-related deaths in the U.S. are suicides. Among youth, suicide by firearm is one of the leading causes of death. Not a single “assault-style” weapon, such as the AR-15, are used in these cases. So, why does Abigail Spanberger want to ban THESE TOOLS? If you say “School Shootings”… ok, but research the evidence from Virginia-related cases and you will find it wasn’t “assault-style” rifles that were used.

These are the statistics Gun Control Orgs and Politicians rely on for their messaging. Also notice in the last handful of years how politicians like Spanberger and her Gun Control backing groups have “courageously” started promoting concepts like “Safe Storage” to curb these issues.

THAT topic was NEVER part of their original founding, but we will come back to that a bit later on. Keep reading if you have the brain capacity to do so.

Mental Health IS The REAL Crisis!

Gun Control advocates often cite total gun deaths to justify bans, but those numbers are inflated by suicide statistics, pointing to a need for mental health reform, not rifle bans. Why people don’t understand this, is a mental health issue of its own.

In order to promote their POLITICAL Gun Control agenda, politicians like Spanberger, use the mental heath topic against itself in what I call “The Gateway Effect” to further firearm confiscation. Their promise of rifle bans, magazine capacity restrictions, and push of Red Flag Laws are just the start. Spanberger’s campaign statements and legislative record show support for a wide range of gun control measures… ALL DEMOCRAT POLICIES- NOT MODERATE… but because she words these policies to appeal to the emotions of the Virginia Majority who are NOT fully informed on how these laws are meant to control (hence “gun CONTROL”= “Self Defense CONTROL), these people ignorantly vote for her. She gets them in their “feels” and they are blinded by it.

“The Moderate Mirage”

Spanberger and her affiliates market themselves as political moderates, using sanitized language and cherry-picked data to appear reasonable. In reality, their agenda is deeply partisan. The push for bans, registries, and expanded enforcement mirrors historical patterns of control… not empowerment.

The implications echo Jim Crow-era tactics; Policies that disproportionately target rural, minority, and working-class Virginians under the guise of “safety.” These policies are not new. Instead, they’re repackaged control mechanisms dressed up as reform. And when you vote based on your values for ONE of these topics, it gives way to a domino effect into ANY other “value” you may have and have aligned yourself with these politicians over (i.e. the economy, boarder control, jobs, education, etc…).

If you understand anything about marketing and advertising… PR… “Language” is broad and expandable, especially for psychological manipulation. I mean… when you’re selling a product, you have to use language styles to sell it, right? Gun Control groups understand this. Their talking heads are PR PROFESSIONALS.

For example: Terms like “assault-style” are often loosely defined, allowing future legislation to target semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and even handguns under the same umbrella. But because the word “assault” is used, people become triggered. (Pun intended) Same thing when Abigail says she’s going to “help rural” communities, but the truth is, her policies target those communities and demographics most. She sold ya! And why not do all of this in Virginia? I mean… this is where the First Slaves were brought to. (You see what I’m saying now? If she sets the tone there, she does it for the rest of the nation when it comes to racial issues… all while getting these demographics to vote for her revisionist Jim Crow laws)

I’ll give it to them… Gun Control Politicians and Proponents ARE SMART. This strategy of theirs is incremental, though. By starting with emotionally charged weapons just from re-wording, politicians like Spanberger builds momentum for wider restrictions, despite their limited role in actual “gun violence.” (“Gun Violence” is another form of wordplay if you’re not catching the message here).

She’s LITERALLY brainwashing folks, but what do you expect from a CIA Spook?

The REAL solutions already exist- existed for a while, even, and sadly, folks like Abigail Spanberger don’t want to work with those who originally established them, and those of us who work to expand them into society for all. (If she did, I WOULD BE GETTING A PHONE CALL FROM HER) They’re NOT non-partisan or even bi-partisan. Have you ever noticed that not a single Everytown or Moms Demand Action candidate has run for office on a Republican/Conservative ticket? NO! You haven’t! Abigail Spanberger ran as a “moderate” (more wordplay) all because of her background in FEDERAL law enforcement and surveillance (which many in her ilk wanted to defund not too long ago and are afraid of possibilities now, under the Trump Admin). She used this experience to gain support from “across the aisle,” mostly from law enforcement, and so many folks have fallen for it. And because she’s expressed publicly that she will NOT work with Trump’s Presidential Administration, she has in turn, used the same tactics to weaponize it all against Virginians, too.

Yes! It is true, most Right Wingers tend to support our efforts in the 2A Arena, making us single issue orgs seem partisan ourselves, but even they’re limited to the positions they hold in our legislatures… especially if they’re the minority. But if you objectively (without emotion) research THE FACTS, these politicians stand more for your Constitutional Rights than those on The Left. Ask ChatGpt if that’s what floats your boat!!

My personal position… It’s all a Merry-Go-Round of STUPID!!

While Spanberger claims to offer “pragmatic” answers, organizations like the NRA, NSSF, USCCA, and the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), have been actively providing real, community-based solutions for years:

• NRA’s Eddie Eagle program teaches kids firearm safety in schools without politics or fearmongering. Many of you grew up on these programs. If they didn’t work, you wouldn’t be reading this article.

• NSSF’s Project ChildSafe distributes free gun locks and promotes safe storage nationwide. This is the very org that Everytown and Moms Demand Action stole their BeSmart Program from.

• USCCA offers training and legal protection for responsible gun owners, with a strong emphasis on de-escalation and situational awareness. Very NONPARTISAN. (I’m certified through them)

• VCDL leads grassroots education across Virginia- empowering families, hosting safety workshops, and defending rights with facts, not fear. (I’m their Academy Director)

I’m including GOA in this list, because they’ve been working hard to ensure that real Gun Safety practices and instruction by legitimate organizations are seen and heard in the courts in order to ensure our Second Amendment rights are preserved across the board. They’ve taken lead in defending this Constitutional Right for ALL AMERICANS.

These groups, including MANY others in the (ACTUAL) PRO Second Amendment Community, invest in education, mental health awareness, first aid, and responsible ownership, without vilifying law-abiding citizens or pushing redundant bans. We are limited, though, because we don’t have billionaires running out the gate to support us. Granted the 2A Community and fight has seen a number of SCOTUS “Wins” lately, you have to understand these cases take time… and a lot of money. We are truly grassroots- we depend on THE PEOPLE, not politics. You also have to understand how the Federal & State Governments interact with one another, especially regarding these cases.

Bruen, for example, was fought for four years. Do YOU have another four years in ya? WE Legitimate Gun Safety Advocates and 2A Activist Orgs have been tied up in the courts fighting and strategizing FOR YEARS, and because we have limited support, we fall behind our opponents.

Meanwhile, Gun Control groups, with their major funding, have rebranded themselves as “safety advocates” by mimicking the very programs they once mocked. This is where we get into “The Imitation Game: Gun Control’s Quiet Rebrand.”

Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action have struggled to gain traction with their emotionally charged, anti-gun messaging over the last handful of years, but they’ve seen OUR weaknesses. So what did they do? As I’ve touched on, they hijacked the language of actual gun safety groups, like those mentioned in a few paragraphs above. Their new “gun safety” programs mimic the structure and tone of NRA, USCCA, and NSSF initiatives- using terms like “responsible ownership” and “safe storage” while still advocating for sweeping restrictions and working to eliminate these REAL Gun Safety orgs already established.

Why? Profit and Political Control.

Their mission is to CONTROL it all!

In hindsight, this mission of theirs- where they steal OUR (Real Pro 2A/ Gun Safety Groups) talking points- proves that facts, not fear, win hearts.

At the same time, though, individuals who don’t understand this, fall for these Gun Control propaganda tactics and vote for them.

With that said… Spanberger’s moderate mask? It’s just that… a mask. The policies behind her platform are anything but. Her voting record proves THAT!

It’s a bait-and-switch that they are very dedicated to. The fact of the matter is that the Constitutional Rights of We the People were never meant to be politicized. The Constitution was set in place to keep our government(s) at bay with an outline of how it needs to work for WE THE PEOPLE. These Gun Control groups, though, have rebranded to sound reasonable, but their policy goals remain rooted in prohibition (very unconstitutional), not education.

Regardless of how many times a Pro 2A Candidate comes in and debunks them with facts, or in Virginia’s case with Governor Youngkin, vetoes them, Pro Gun Control candidates regroup and reword the old laws that didn’t make it- to make them sound “new” and “glamorous” all under the guise of what many voters would consider “Common Sense Safety Policies.” (Hence Everytown’s and Moms Demand Action’s wordplay with “Gun Sense.”) The truth: they’re not safe practices because their rewordings go AGAINST the original basis of the Constitution, and they rely on YOU to vote for it. When YOU vote based on these policies that they push, YOU are literally working to dismantle our Constitution… which protects your right to vote… which is LITERALLY these politicians USING DEMOCRACY AGAINST YOU!

Furthermore, their efforts do nothing but waste time, energy, and taxpayer dollars during legislative sessions. And when these laws are officially passed, they mostly just restrict sales (the numbers Gun Control Groups watch most) to RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERS while emboldening CRIMINALS who do not care about ANY laws, especially gun laws. (Hence the word “Criminal”) Not only that, a few years go by and these laws find use when a generally RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNER ends up inadvertently breaking said laws, because the laws are so confusing… which then leads to possible imprisonment, hefty fines, and really long court cases. (Another reason why 2A Orgs can’t get ahead)

Common Sense would be understanding that anything that is potentially dangerous, you become educated on its use in order to prevent using said thing to harm oneself or another.

I mean… how many of you always end up killing a family member at dinner while cutting a steak with a knife? Did you need a “knife sense law” in place to come to that realization, or did your parents educate you on its use and instill good morals in ya prior to family gatherings and meals?

(For the Vegans that don’t relate to the above, switch out steak with asparagus. I feel ya!)

The Facts

• Spanberger’s rifle ban is a Trojan horse for broader firearm restrictions.

• Most gun deaths are suicides. That’s a mental health crisis, not a rifle problem.

• Groups like VCDL and USCCA are already doing the work, without the politics.

• Everytown’s ‘gun safety’ is just gun control in a borrowed uniform.

• Spanberger’s Moderate branding doesn’t make a policy moderate, especially when her policies echo Jim Crow logic.

Abigail Spanberger’s assault-style rifle ban is not pragmatic. It’s political. It is PARTISAN. Simple as that, and she IS going to use it AGAINST We the People of Virginia in other areas of policy.

It’s a gateway to broader bans across the board, built on emotion, not evidence. Real solutions already exist. Real safety comes from education, empowerment, and truth. Not fear and control.