Do you expect the presidential election result to have any impact on gun rights?
Not really, as Miloš Zeman didnt do much to support our effort despite claiming to be against the directive during his first term.
I disagree. The election outcome is very important for gun rights and general heading of gun policy in the country. It is true that the presidency is largely ceremonial function in the country, yet the president has a very large influence on the course of publicly debated issues.
We could hardly ask more from Zeman when it comes to support of gun rights:
- he repeatedly publicly opposed the EU Gun Ban
- his wife made a publicity stunt during the first term by getting concealed carry license and he often speaks about the fact that she CCs a revolver (on top of several pictures of her firing military rifles)
- he repeatedly spoke in favor of private firearms ownership
- he may very well be the only single high ranking politician within the entire Europe that has in the past several decades asked holders of CC license to do carry their firearms and be vigilant and ready to act in case of terror attack / criminal act happens
Hi rival, Mr. Drahoš, has for a long time headed the advice of his well paid advisors and kept clear of firearm issue and especially of showing any antipathy to gun owners. However, firearms became one of main topics of their first (of two) televised debate, and there Drahoš let his view to be clearly known. When Zeman applauded a shop owner who shot dead a thief who stabbed clerk in the neck, Drahoš replied by saying that "not all shop owners can be armed and everyone who gets into a shop should not be killed." My only thoughts were ***?
On point as regards Directive: Zeman's taking the easy way out (given that his post is mostly ceremonial), saying that the Directive should not be implemented. Drahoš is taking the "correct" way out: it is our duty to implement now.
Despite mostly ceremonial role, the President will serve one important role: He will have to sign any law implementing the Directive into effect. Zeman's position and possibility of using his veto power makes "hardcore" implementation further less likely.
[There is nothing else to like about Zeman, and plenty of reasons to vote for the other guy just to get Zeman out. But when our gun rights are under attack, we don't have the comfort of choosing the best candidate, we must base the vote on the one issue, or else we are lost.]
And now some pics of Mr. Zeman and his wife.
(Note that human shaped targets are illegal in most of Europe. Where they are legal, their use would be akin to political suicide)
In my humble opinion, any gun owner who voted against Zeman should surrender their firearms. And since surrendering them to the state would be a waste, I volunteer to take a good care of them guns.