If you saw any of the coverage prior to today’s gun rights rally in Virginia, which took place to protest new (largely unconstitutional) gun control laws passed in the state, there was a common theme.

Whether it was CNN, MSNBC, the alphabet networks, or any number of liberal newspapers, they all presented the rally as a coming moment of doom. Numerous claims of the rally being for “white nationalists” and “militias” peppered the media sphere. Reports of possible violence were pushed despite very little evidence to support them.

Then the disappointment came.

CNN sounds disappointed pic.twitter.com/OWpsCCYR0q — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 20, 2020

TFW you didn't get the riot you wanted and now you're trying to save face pic.twitter.com/CrMEM0dxYN — It's still 2016 apparently (@jtLOL) January 20, 2020

Like a kid having his toys stolen on Christmas, the mainstream media gave a collective groan and realized they wouldn’t have an incident to play up for months to further erode the 2nd Amendment. If you perused Twitter prior, there were comparisons to the rally becoming like Charlottesville being made by outlets like The New York Times. They were practically begging for something to happen.

But it didn’t, because that’s not what gun ownership is all about. People who follow the laws and carry their weapons legally are not looking to hurt anyone. They are simply looking to exercise their rights, whether that be for self-defense or as a deterrent to tyranny. Past that, they want to be left alone. It’s Virginia’s Democratic party that started this nonsense with their gun grab. There was no major catalyst that occurred to even make this attempt. It was purely left-wing politics run wild.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the media aren’t going to try make connections where they don’t exist. CNN went so far as to run a chyron about a shooting in Kansas on top of footage and discussion of the rally.

Yeah… No narrative from CNN… pic.twitter.com/rfYx3BVeDP — Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) January 20, 2020

Obviously, they wanted inattentive listeners to take a passing glance and come away thinking there was a mass shooting at the gun rally. The dishonesty is beyond the pale.

The attacks on the 2nd Amendment are only going to increase. More and more, Democrats and their media allies are looking to make gun ownership societally unacceptable, realizing they don’t have much of a path legislatively. Virginia’s new laws will likely end up at the Supreme Court and gutted after someone gains standing to sue by their enforcement.

That’s why you see liberals on these networks scoffing at people open carrying today. Just like with a multitude of other issues, if they can change the culture enough, they can get their way eventually. This is why you consistently see gun rights tied to “white nationalism” now, just as was done with this latest protest.

Responsible gun owners have to be ready to push back on these narratives or they’ll be overtaken by them. Today was a good first step.

Front-page contributor for RedState. Visit my archives for more of my latest articles and help out by following me on Twitter @bonchieredstate. Read more by Bonchie