In a blog piece at American Thinker yesterday, Michael Filozof, warned readers that Obama is using executive agency powers to make an end-run on the 2nd Amendment by banning a form of ammunition that the government fears most, the 5.56x45mm, 62 grain, M-855 military round. Mass-produced for use by our military, it is quite popular among American gun owners due to its relatively low cost. Ammunition manufacturers producing billions of rounds for military use have no problem in turning out an extra billion for civilian shooters. The ready availability of 5.56mm leads many American shooting enthusiasts to purchase very large numbers of the civilian versions of the military rifles that fire it.

Therein lies the problem for a government that fears its own citizens. Millions of military veterans, many of them combat veterans, have been trained in the effective use of the M-16 rifle and the M-4 carbine, both of which fire the 5.56mm round, with the M-16 in widespread military use since the mid-sixties. Pause for a moment to consider how many millions of soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen have been trained in the use of the M-16 in the half century since it was first issued to our troops.

If you’ve never considered that number before, others certainly have: the left-wing progressives in the Democrat party, the Alinskyites who are slowly but surely eliminating any vestiges of moderation in that party. A major obstacle to the ultimate implementation of their socialist programs is a heavily-armed populace resistant to being subjects of an all-powerful central government. Democrats have tried repeatedly to pass laws to begin the process of disarmament through gun registration, but conservative forces, fearing that registration is but the first step to owner identification and ultimately confiscation, have successfully fought back and limited passage of such laws to states controlled by Democrats. With most of their efforts thwarted, this ever devious administration, unable to disarm us outrightly, thinks it can turn our millions of guns into useless clubs if they can cut off our supply of ammunition, thus these machinations of the BATFE.

A comment on yesterday’s article said simply, “Join the NRA,” and I said to myself yes, yes, yes! I was shamefully reminded of my own failing in waiting so late in life to become a member; but I rather imagine there are millions out there like me, who didn’t wake up to the threat from the left to disarm us until this president took office with his promise of fundamental change. Barack Obama was the catalyst that made an NRA member of me and tens of thousands of others. Yet there are still millions of you out there who haven’t availed yourselves of this very inexpensive but very effective way to have your voice heard and your gun ownership rights ferociously defended in courtrooms and legislatures throughout America; all that for only $25.00 per year, including a subscription to their excellent monthly magazine, American Rifleman.

No other organization has stood taller and fought harder against liberal incursions on the 2d Amendment than the National Rifle Association through its Institute for Legislative Action, NRA-ILA. I hope these few paragraphs I’ve written will inspire you to get off your duff and join the National Rifle Association now. In an America governed by our constitution, our citizenry would need no organization like the Institute for Legislative Action to guard against government encroachment upon our right to keep and bear arms. But under the increasingly socialistic, centralized rule of Barack Obama and the Democrat party, we should be thankful the ILA is there for us. For $25.00 a year you get top-notch, legal representation throughout Washington, D.C. as well as in every statehouse, legislature and courthouse in this nation.

Try finding a lawyer who can match that.

The author has absolutely no connection with the NRA other than as a dues-paying member.