I believe in the Constitution. All of it

I was at Route 91. I lived through a mass shooting. I saw what happens when firearms end up in the hands of someone who should never have had them. But it wasn’t just that he had firearms—it was the amount and the type. Modified, high-powered, and designed for maximum harm. There should have been red flags. There were warning signs. And yet, nothing stopped it.

Still, I understand and respect the Second Amendment. I’m not arguing to change it. I believe in responsible gun ownership, and I know that the right to bear arms is part of our nation’s foundation.

What I don’t understand is how so many people who scream about defending the Second Amendment are so quick to ignore or trample the First.

The First Amendment was first for a reason. It protects our freedom to speak, to write, to gather, to report, to question power, to worship—or not—to dissent without fear. It is the bedrock of every free society. Without it, there is no democracy—only obedience.

So why are the loudest “constitutionalists” silent—or worse, complicit—when this administration targets the press, censors opposition, punishes protest, or demands loyalty over liberty?

If you only care about the Constitution when it suits your ideology, then you don’t really care about the Constitution.

And here’s what I hope everyone remembers: the pendulum swings. If you accept violations of the First Amendment now because it benefits your side, you are setting the precedent for when the other side is in power. If you allow it now, you must be willing to accept it later. That is not freedom. That is short-sighted loyalty.

I’m not asking you to give up your rights. I’m asking you to honor all of them. Because loving the Constitution means defending every amendment—not just the one that makes you feel powerful.