On Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle tweeted, “I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.”
His tweet sparked uproars of support from the mainstream right including talk show host Mike Gallagher and many others. DICK’S Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart have also taken action concerning firearms. Both stores will now restrict the sale of firearms to those 21 years and older and will cease selling “assault style” weapons.
It should be noted that Washington Post reports Cagle is a “lifelong member of the NRA” and has been given an A+ rating from the NRA (National Rifle Association) every year he has served in public office. Obviously it goes without saying Cagle is a huge supporter of the NRA.
It is also clear he has sold out his fiscal conservative values (if he ever had any) to an association to win brownie points with his electorate. This is no doubt a political move to boost his bid for the Georgia governorship in Nov. 2018.
The ultimate irony of Cagle’s tweet is that the action he is proposing to defend conservatives is extremely non-conservative. It’s actually a very “big government,” left-wing idea. To use the legislature’s most expansive and fiscally lethal power, the power of the purse, to force two non-government entities to engage in a business relationship in no way represents conservative, limited-government values.
Rather this type of executive threat should be expected to come from a left wing politician like Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) or Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). If either senator were to ever hold executive office, that is. How can Cagle claim to be a conservative after such a threat?
Regardless of where you stand on gun control, the fact that so many “conservatives” rallied in support of the lieutenant governor should scare us all.
State Senator Rick Jaffares (R) also proclaimed support for Cagle’s proposed measure. Many of those on the right may like the outcome of a NRA-Delta Airlines business relationship.
However, using government coercion to force this deal is no way to bring it about. This is a clear threat to undermine the free market. The free market is the engine of the American economy, and the thesis of the conservative doctrine is to protect this engine.
Cagle’s tweet highlights a much larger issue in American politics.
I first heard conservative pundit Ben Shapiro speak of this problem, stating something to the extent of “it’s rare to find people who are honest enough to admit the means matter.”
He means in today’s world, people are only concerned with the outcome of policy and political decisions. They are not concerned with the means used to achieve an end result.
We have to be honest enough to admit that while we may like the result of some policy proposals made by mainstream politicians, the means of implementing them do matter.
Imagine a reverse scenario. If Delta Airlines was being coerced to end its business relationship with the NRA, would conservatives not be up in arms shouting “government overreach!” and like statements from the rooftops? I am willing to vote yes.
