Similarly, he preferred the idea of big government over big people, believed he was an elite blessed with special insight and feared the inherent power of an armed citizenry.

A revealing story about Mr. Lenin centers on his promise to grant women the right to vote should Marxism prevail in Russia’s civil war. Like many of his promises of equality, opportunity and unity, that “common sense” message was a magnet to his hammer and sickle.

Lenin was successful and — it may surprise you to know — he kept his promise to grant women the right to vote. And that within a year or so, he took away everyone’s right to vote, tells us more.

In the name of “common-sense gun control,” the Democrat Party and a few opportunistic Republican leaders are on the prowl to alter the liberties of the Second Amendment. Those who value the means to effective self-protection would do well to pay attention to this Lenin-like ruse.

Look to Canada

In 2010, roughly one in five of Canada’s citizens owned some type of firearm. That was the year that soon-to-be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau famously shared, “We will never take your guns away.”

Canadians believed this progressive-socialist, but within 10 years or so, he effectively legislated the right to keep and bear self-defense firearms out of existence. Trudeau’s promise was hollow from the onset, but like most progressive elitists, he found convenient means to rationalize his flip.

Look to any country that began the process of gun control — Australia is a stellar example — and you will find that in short order, the final outcome was gun seizure.

Those who believe in big government are simply unable to tolerate anything less and inevitably nibble or gulp gun ownership rights to death.

There is no common sense

One of ironies to today’s latest “common-sense gun control” initiative is the total lack of common sense in anything else our government does. How is it that they have suddenly rediscovered this compass on gun-control?

Watch our borders, the fractious interaction between our governing bodies — the fecklessness of any federal agency or program, or their collective inability to operate without mammoth deficit spending — and the total lack of common sense is obvious.

Then there is the matter of new gun-control laws. What about the existing ones that are largely unenforced? Contrary to the relentless chatter of the left, that is the real tragedy in this opera.

Without effective enforcement, laws mean nothing. We can’t stop people from pooping in our streets, shoplifting or abusing our polling booths. Where does the idea originate that new gun-control laws are going to be different?

What will result are wiggles and giggles for today’s broken mass-media outlets and the liberal governing elite, a pretense of action for the rest of us, and eventual seizure of the average citizen’s best means to self-defense.

Real common sense tells us that disarming the good guys will just make things easier for the bad guys.

Why it matters

Pause a moment if you think earning your black belt will effectively protect your loved ones and yourself from evil actors. In today’s world, a gun is the counter-answer to darker forms of violence.

A gun makes a woman under assault the physical equal of a man. A gun takes the word “less” out of powerless. A gun in the hands of law-abiding citizens is a remarkable counter to the predatory indifferences of the lawless.

Sure, guns are useful for hunting. But there’s a bigger reason the Founding Fathers made the right to keep and bear arms a priority amendment to the Constitution. They knew guns in the hands of patriots are the only realistic counter to despots, elitists and others who would steal our liberty.

Besides, very few guns are actually used to shoot someone. Ninety-nine percent of the time they serve as a deterrent. That’s why police officers carry — but rarely use — lethal weapons.

What to do

Angry and conscience-impaired people are mass-produced in today’s America. As we make more of such people, it is natural that normal people would seek means to self-defense. Give yourself permission to own a gun and then be responsible enough to learn how to use it in the right way under the right circumstances.

Guns in proper hands are the average man/woman’s bodyguard, gated community, security system and life assurance policy. That’s not something to let people —  who have bodyguards, live in gated communities, own an elaborate security system, and care more about their life than yours — legislate away.

When our world figures out how to turn evil-doers into social workers, mass-produce morality, and make personal responsibility a priority over personal indulgence, then maybe, just maybe, we can all turn in our guns.

While we’re waiting, may I offer a personal observation? 

Like the Founding Fathers, I value the idea of my government being more afraid of us than we are of it.