Some in media and many anti-gun/gun control advocates are desperately trying to gaslight everyone into thinking that Virginia’s Second Amendment lobby day will be Charlottesville 2.0. Since 2002 the Virginia Citizens’ Defense League has peacefully gathered law-abiding Virginians in Richmond to speak to lawmakers on behalf of preserving Second Amendment rights. This year is no different — except the numbers are expected to be astronomically larger due to state Democrats’ gun control kegger.

Do not be baited. Do not be provoked.

You are at an extraordinary moment in history and the rest of us in states, counties, and cities across the country (all of us dealing with rights grabs like you, some at stages earlier than others) are watching you, praying for you, and depending on you. How you choose to use your time and impact your community will send shockwaves throughout the rest of the country. Do not be distracted from your good work by bad actors sent to incite, antagonize, and sabotage your efforts. Stay relentlessly focused. Speak truth and ignore every provocation tomorrow. That is not the day for it.

After CNN’s infamous town hall I often thought about what would have happened had I responded to slight with slight, anger with anger. It would have been a disastrous and dishonest representation of the millions of law-abiding gun owners across the country, regardless whether or not they consented to such representation. Now it’s your turn. Instead of a town hall, you have Richmond. You also have an energized coalition of grassroots Second Amendment supporters across the nation.

Of course bad actors who are unaffiliated with the people actually organizing the day will attend, and of course many in media will bend over backwards in an effort to portray them as the face of Second Amendment rights. You will never, ever get a fair shake from legacy media and you know what? You don’t need them to justify your good work and most importantly, they know it.

Lies have a shelf life. Truth doesn’t.

Travel safe. Represent your rights well. The future is counting on you. Godspeed.

I’ll leave you with this from my friend Cam Edwards: