Exercising the Right
The Great Sorting Out
Bloomberg News reported on November 18 about how registered Republicans in Florida now outnumber Democrats. As recently as 2008, Democrats had an enrollment advantage of roughly 700,000, but as of the end of October 2021, Republicans took the lead by around 4,000. Florida has always been a popular destination for retiring Baby Boomers who trend Republican, but it has also attracted younger, working-age people seeking to escape onerous COVID restrictions in Democrat-controlled states. Political observers are still waiting to see how these changes impact future presidential elections as Florida transitions from a blue-leaning swing state to potentially a solid red state.
These changes in political affiliation are not limited to Florida, as other parts of the country have seen sizable migratory shifts in their population in the post-COVID era. These changes also involve gun manufacturers. The Daily Wire reported on October 2 that Smith & Wesson will move its corporate headquarters from Massachusetts to Tennessee. The company has been based in Springfield, Massachusetts, since 1852, but will now relocate its company leadership and significant amounts of its operations to Maryville, Tennessee. “After an exhaustive and thorough analysis, for the continued health and strength of our iconic company, we feel that we have been left with no other alternative,” Smith & Wesson CEO Mark Smith explained in a press release. Smith cited Tennessee’s “unwavering support of the Second Amendment” as part of their rationale for the move.
The Smith & Wesson CEO mentioned an expanded “assault-weapons” ban currently being proposed in the Massachusetts State Legislature, as well as other potential anti-gun laws, as to why his company was left with no choice but to relocate. “These bills would prevent Smith & Wesson from manufacturing firearms that are legal in almost every state in America and that are safely used by tens of millions of law-abiding citizens every day exercising their Constitutional 2nd Amendment rights, protecting themselves and their families, and enjoying the shooting sports,” the CEO wrote in his press release. Smith also criticized the proposed legislation as “arbitrary and capricious,” and wrote that, if enacted, such laws would ban products that accounted for over 60 percent of the company’s revenue in 2020.
JBS Member or ShopJBS.org Customer?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account username and password or use that login to subscribe.
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 24 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically