Schaefers Guns

10/30/2026

10/29/2026

The Price of Surrender: When Freedom Becomes Permission

An allegorical political story inspired by real events, historical examples, and the enduring debate over government power, civilian disarmament, and individual liberty.

There was a time when the people of the world believed that peace could be guaranteed by removing the weapons from the hands of ordinary citizens.

The rulers called it progress. They promised safer streets, quieter neighborhoods, fewer tragedies, and a more civilized society. They stood before their people in tailored suits and spoke gently about responsibility, assuring everyone that the government would protect them.

“Give us your weapons,” they said, “and we will protect you from those who would do you harm.”

And many people agreed.

They handed over their ri**es, pistols, and am******on. They signed new laws, accepted new restrictions, and celebrated the promise of a safer future. Those who questioned the arrangement were often portrayed as paranoid, dangerous, or unwilling to embrace a more peaceful society.

At first, the changes seemed reasonable. Certain weapons were prohibited. Certain activities required permits. Certain public gatherings needed authorization. Officials explained that every restriction was necessary to protect the public.

But something happened as the years passed.

The government that had promised to protect the people began demanding more authority over their lives.

New regulations appeared. Some concerned speech. Others concerned movement, property, business, personal choices, and what citizens could say in public without facing consequences. Every new rule came with a reassuring explanation, and every objection was treated as evidence that the objector did not understand the greater good.

The people had surrendered their weapons believing they were exchanging them for security.

They slowly discovered that security and freedom were not the same thing.

And the question that began to haunt the older generation was this:

When the government becomes the source of the danger, what power remains in the hands of the people to resist it?

Chapter Two: The Rules That Followed

In the Republic of Meridian, the first thing the government restricted was the right to possess certain weapons.

The second was the right to possess them without explaining why.

The third was the right to question the first two decisions without being labeled a threat to public safety.

By then, the government had discovered something that governments throughout history have repeatedly discovered: once people accept that their freedoms can be restricted for a sufficiently important reason, officials can argue that almost any new restriction serves an important reason.

There would always be another emergency. Another threat. Another crisis. Another expert insisting that ordinary people could not be trusted to make their own decisions.

And every crisis left behind a new office, a new regulation, a new database, or a new power that rarely disappeared when the crisis ended.

The rulers did not need to announce that they were taking control. They only needed to announce that they were managing risk.

The citizens of Meridian began to notice that the rules seemed to flow in one direction. Ordinary people were expected to explain themselves to the authorities, while the authorities were rarely expected to explain themselves to the people.

A farmer needed permission to keep certain tools of his trade. A shopkeeper needed to comply with a growing stack of requirements. A citizen who questioned a public policy found that the official response was increasingly to question the citizen’s character rather than address the argument.

The government still held elections. Parliament still met. Newspapers still published.

But the people began asking whether a country could retain the appearance of freedom while steadily reducing the practical ability of its citizens to challenge authority.

Their grandparents had warned them that liberty was not simply the absence of prison bars. It was the ability to live without constantly seeking permission from someone more powerful.

And now permission had become the organizing principle of their lives.

Chapter Three: The Warning Signs in the Real World

Meridian was fictional. But the debate that inspired its story is real.

There are documented cases in which governments expanded their authority in ways that raised serious questions about civil liberties. There are also cases in which restrictions were adopted in response to genuine threats and were supported by citizens who believed the benefits justified the costs.

The important question is not whether every regulation is tyranny. It is whether emergency powers, restrictions, and government surveillance remain limited, accountable, and open to challenge.

Here are several real-world examples that illustrate the debate.

1. Australia: The surrender of hundreds of thousands of fi****ms

Following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, which killed 35 people, Australia adopted a sweeping national fi****ms agreement. The resulting buyback removed approximately 640,000 prohibited fi****ms from circulation, alongside stricter licensing, registration, and storage requirements. National Museum of Australia +1

For critics of expansive government power, this became a lasting example of how quickly fi***rm ownership can change from a broadly available legal activity into one subject to extensive licensing and government-defined eligibility.

For supporters, the reforms were a public-safety response to a horrific mass shooting. Research has associated the reforms with reductions in fi***rm deaths, although determining how much of the change was caused by the legislation alone is difficult. PMC +1

The civil-liberties question is not erased by either argument: What limits should exist on government authority over lawful ownership, and what safeguards protect citizens against future abuses of that authority?

A government may have a legitimate reason to regulate weapons. That does not mean every future restriction should be beyond scrutiny.

2. Australia and the pandemic: When emergency powers reach into everyday life

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian authorities imposed restrictions that affected movement, gatherings, businesses, and everyday activities. In Melbourne, prolonged lockdowns made emergency public-health rules a central issue in debates over personal freedom and government accountability.

Supporters argued that strict measures could reduce transmission and protect hospital capacity. Critics questioned the proportionality of some restrictions, their duration, and the concentration of decision-making power in the executive.

This example demonstrates a distinction that matters: a law can be enacted through legitimate institutions and still deserve serious scrutiny over its scope, enforcement, and duration.

The danger is not necessarily that every emergency measure is malicious. It is that a power introduced during an emergency may become easier to invoke again, while the people affected have little practical ability to challenge it.

In Meridian, this was the moment people began asking why temporary powers always seemed to need extensions.

3. Canada: When a protest becomes a financial emergency

In February 2022, the Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time since the law was enacted in 1988, responding to protests and blockades associated with the Freedom Convoy.

The emergency measures included powers affecting financial accounts belonging to designated individuals and businesses connected to the protests. The government said extraordinary measures were necessary to restore public order. Critics argued that using financial restrictions against protesters posed serious risks to civil liberties. Library of Congress +1

The legal aftermath is especially important. In January 2024, Canada’s Federal Court ruled that invoking the act was unreasonable and that aspects of the government’s response infringed constitutional rights. The government disputed the ruling and indicated it would appeal. This differed from the earlier public inquiry, which had concluded that the high threshold for invoking the act had been met. AP News +1

Consider what this meant for the debate in Meridian.

A government did not need to confiscate someone’s property physically to restrict their ability to use it. Financial institutions could become instruments of government policy. A person could discover that their access to money was affected by an extraordinary government order made during a political confrontation.

This is a genuine civil-liberties concern, regardless of whether someone supported the protesters.

The central question is whether governments should be able to impose exceptional penalties on people outside the ordinary criminal process, and what independent review must be available when they do.

4. The United Kingdom: The expanding reach of online regulation

The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, established duties for online services to address illegal content and protect children from specified harms. Many of those duties have since taken effect.

Supporters argue that online platforms need enforceable obligations to protect children and prevent illegal activity. Critics have raised concerns about privacy, freedom of expression, and whether platforms might remove lawful material excessively to avoid regulatory penalties. House of Commons Library

This is another version of Meridian’s dilemma.

A government begins with a goal most people can support: protecting children and preventing serious harm. The difficult questions emerge when officials must define harmful content, determine what platforms must remove, and decide how compliance will be enforced.

A society that values liberty must protect people from genuine harm without making lawful disagreement unnecessarily difficult.

The danger is not that every online-safety law is an attempt at censorship. It is that vague rules, disproportionate penalties, or weak safeguards can discourage legitimate expression even when no official explicitly orders anyone to be silent.

In Meridian, the citizens began to realize that control over weapons was only one part of a much larger argument about power. They also needed to ask who controlled information, who defined acceptable speech, and who could challenge an official decision.

Chapter Four: The Rulers’ Favorite Argument

The rulers of Meridian had a standard response whenever citizens complained about their expanding authority.

“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”

They used it to defend surveillance. They used it to justify collecting more personal information. They used it whenever someone questioned why ordinary people had to prove their innocence, demonstrate their suitability, or obtain permission before exercising a right they had once taken for granted.

But an elderly teacher named Elias asked a question that silenced the room.

“If you have nothing to hide,” he said, “would you give the government every password, every private conversation, every financial record, and the right to enter your home whenever an official believes it might be necessary?”

The minister laughed.

“Of course not. There must be limits.”

“Then you agree,” Elias replied, “that innocent people need protection from government power, too.”

The minister changed the subject.

Elias had spent forty years teaching history. He understood that governments rarely describe themselves as oppressive. They describe themselves as necessary.

They invoke order, security, unity, morality, efficiency, and the protection of the vulnerable. Sometimes those are sincere objectives. Sometimes the policies genuinely help. But good intentions do not eliminate the possibility of abuse.

Nor does an election guarantee that every action taken by an elected government is justified.

The rule of law means more than the government following the procedures it created for itself. It also requires meaningful constraints, independent courts, accountable officials, transparent decision-making, and rights that cannot be discarded whenever public opinion shifts.

Elias explained that the most dangerous moment in a free society was not necessarily the moment when a ruler openly announced a desire for absolute power.

It could be the moment when citizens became so accustomed to asking permission that they forgot they were entitled to ask whether permission was necessary in the first place.

Chapter Five: What Happens When the People Cannot Say No?

In Meridian, a new generation had grown up without ever owning the kinds of weapons their grandparents once possessed.

Most had never thought much about it. They had phones, cars, jobs, entertainment, and comfortable homes. They assumed that the institutions around them would continue functioning as they always had.

Then came a financial crisis.

The government introduced emergency economic measures. Then came a public-security crisis, followed by a series of new regulations. Each measure was presented as temporary, but some remained long after the original emergency had passed.

People who objected were told to vote at the next election.

People who wanted immediate answers were told to trust the process.

People who questioned the wisdom of the regulations were reminded that experts had already considered the matter.

And people who wanted to challenge the government directly discovered that the available mechanisms were slower, more expensive, and less effective than they had imagined.

Some citizens began to ask whether their political rights were sufficient if exercising those rights could not meaningfully restrain the people in power.

Others responded that the answer was not to arm everyone, but to strengthen courts, preserve independent journalism, protect peaceful protest, enforce constitutional limits, and ensure that law enforcement remained accountable.

That disagreement continued.

And it was an important disagreement, because no serious discussion of liberty should pretend that weapons alone can guarantee freedom.

History offers examples of armed populations living under oppressive governments, just as it offers examples of democratic societies with strict fi***rm laws. Fi****ms can deter some forms of violence, but they can also enable violence against innocent people. Their political significance depends on institutions, history, laws, and circumstances.

The lesson was not that every nation restricting fi****ms had become tyrannical.

The lesson was that no society should assume that disarming citizens, by itself, guarantees either safety or freedom.

A free society needs more than weapons. It needs citizens willing to defend their rights through lawful civic action, institutions capable of restraining those in power, and a public that refuses to confuse obedience with virtue.

And it needs leaders who understand that authority is a responsibility, not a personal possession.

Chapter Six: The Line That Must Never Be Crossed

One evening, Elias addressed a gathering in the town square.

He was old enough to remember when the government first promised that every new restriction would be the last one.

He looked across the crowd and said:

“Do not make the mistake of believing that freedom means the absence of rules. Every civilization needs laws. We need laws against theft, assault, fraud, and the abuse of power. We need institutions that protect the weak from the strong.

“But never forget the difference between a government that serves its people and a government that expects its people to serve it.

“A government that serves its people accepts limits. It explains its decisions. It permits criticism. It allows its actions to be challenged before independent judges. It recognizes that citizens possess rights that do not depend on whether officials approve of them.

“A government that expects unquestioning obedience does something different. It treats every objection as a threat, every restriction as an entitlement, and every crisis as an opportunity to acquire more authority.

“Do not judge freedom by how kindly your rulers speak. Judge it by what they are permitted to do to you, what they must prove before they do it, and whether you have a meaningful way to challenge them when they are wrong.”

He paused.

“Some of you believe private fi****ms are essential to preserving liberty. Others believe tighter fi***rm restrictions make communities safer. You may disagree about that for the rest of your lives.

“But whatever you believe about fi****ms, do not surrender your responsibility to think, question, vote, organize, speak, and demand accountability.

“Because if you ever reach the point where you are afraid to question authority, where peaceful disagreement is treated as disloyalty, and where rights exist only at the government’s convenience, you will have a much greater problem than the question of who owns a gun.”

The square became quiet.

Elias looked toward the government buildings at the end of the street.

“Liberty is not preserved by trusting every ruler to be good. It is preserved by ensuring that no ruler has the unchecked power to decide what everyone else is allowed to do.”

The final lesson

The people of Meridian eventually understood that their mistake had not been simply giving up a particular kind of weapon. Their deeper mistake was believing that a promise of security relieved them of the duty to scrutinize power.

The real-world cases tell a more complicated story than the fictional one: Australia adopted sweeping fi***rm restrictions after a mass killing; Canada used extraordinary emergency powers during a disruptive protest; and the United Kingdom established online-safety obligations that continue to generate debate over expression and privacy. Each case has its own context, arguments, safeguards, and legal consequences.

They do not establish that every government with strict gun laws becomes authoritarian. They do establish why questions about the scope of government authority, civil liberties, and accountability deserve serious attention.

The ultimate warning is this:

Never judge a society’s freedom solely by the promises its government makes. Judge it by the limits the government must obey.

A government can promise safety and still make mistakes. It can pursue legitimate goals and still overreach. It can be elected and still need restraint.

And a citizen can support public safety while insisting that individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, and accountability must remain protected.

The strongest defense of liberty is not blind trust in government or blind faith in weapons. It is a society in which power is limited, rights are enforceable, peaceful dissent is protected, and no official stands above the law.

Because the moment a people stop asking what their government is allowed to do, the government may eventually begin answering that question for them.

And by then, the most important question will be whether the people still have the means, the courage, and the institutions to say no.

10/25/2026

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10/22/2026

Gun Shows, Fair Prices, and the Misunderstood Cost of Doing Business

Why do so many people walk into a gun show assuming every Federal Fi****ms Licensee (FFL) is trying to rip them off?

Spend enough time behind a table at a gun show, and you will hear it sooner or later: “What’s your best price?” “Can you do any better?” Or the classic, “I can get that cheaper somewhere else.”

There is nothing wrong with shopping around. Every customer has a budget, and every buyer wants to feel like they got a good deal. Competition is healthy, and nobody should be expected to pay more than they believe a product is worth.

But somewhere along the way, a troubling attitude has developed among some gun buyers: the assumption that if a dealer is selling a fi***rm, there must be plenty of profit built into the price—and if the dealer won’t discount it, he must be trying to take advantage of the customer.

The reality of the fi****ms business is often very different.

Most Guns Are Already Priced Below MSRP

One of the biggest misconceptions among gun show shoppers is the belief that a fi***rm’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or MSRP, is what the dealer paid for it—or that the difference between wholesale cost and MSRP represents pure profit.

Neither assumption is correct.

MSRP is a suggested retail price, not a dealer’s cost and not necessarily the price at which a fi***rm actually sells. Many fi****ms on dealer tables are already priced well below MSRP. In a competitive market, dealers often price aggressively just to remain competitive with online retailers, local gun shops, and other vendors at the same show.

A customer might see a fi***rm with an MSRP of $700 selling for $550 and still ask the dealer to take another $50 off. That customer may believe the dealer has hundreds of dollars in profit. In reality, the dealer’s acquisition cost, shipping, payment processing, overhead, and other expenses may leave a much smaller margin than the customer imagines.

The price on the tag is not the dealer’s profit. It is the starting point for covering the cost of the product and running a business.

And when a dealer is already offering a fi***rm at a competitive price below MSRP, there may be very little room left to negotiate.

The Customer Sees the Gun. The Dealer Sees the Entire Business.

When a customer looks at a fi***rm on a table, the value is easy to understand. It is a tangible product with a recognizable brand, model, and price.

What the customer doesn’t necessarily see is everything it takes to get that fi***rm onto the table and legally into the customer’s hands.

There is the cost of purchasing inventory. There is money tied up in fi****ms that may sit for weeks or months before selling. There are shipping charges, insurance, payment processing fees, travel expenses, show admission or vendor fees, transportation, equipment, and the time required to set up and tear down a booth.

For a licensed dealer, there are also the ongoing responsibilities of maintaining the business and complying with federal, state, and local laws. Depending on the business, those expenses can include licensing, recordkeeping systems, secure storage, inventory controls, insurance, rent, utilities, accounting, taxes, and employee wages.

Then there is the dealer’s time.

A gun show isn’t simply a matter of setting a few fi****ms on a table and waiting for money to roll in. Dealers may spend hours preparing inventory, checking pricing, loading vehicles, driving to the venue, setting up displays, answering questions, handling transactions, and packing everything back up at the end of the day.

All of that costs money.

And all of it must be covered by the business before the owner can consider what is left actual profit.

A dealer can sell a fi***rm for more than he paid for it and still make very little money once the expenses of doing business are accounted for.

Revenue is not profit, and the difference matters.

A Simple Question: Would You Do This at Walmart, Macy’s, or The Gap?

Here is where the gun show discount culture gets interesting.

Imagine walking into Walmart, picking up a television, and taking it to the checkout counter. Before paying, you ask the cashier, “What’s your best price? Can you knock another 10 percent off?”

Or imagine walking into Macy’s, selecting a shirt, and telling the salesperson that you will buy it only if the store takes another $20 off the ticket price.

What about walking into The Gap, choosing a pair of jeans, and insisting that the store negotiate with you because you believe there must be plenty of profit built into the price?

Most people wouldn’t approach those businesses that way. They understand that the item has a marked price, that the business operates within a pricing structure, and that discounts are generally determined by sales, promotions, management decisions, or specific circumstances.

Yet at a gun show, some customers seem to believe that the rules suddenly change.

They expect a personal discount simply because they asked. They may assume that the dealer’s refusal means he is greedy, uncooperative, or attempting to cheat them.

Why?

Part of the answer is tradition. Gun shows have long been associated with bargaining, private sales, collectibles, and the possibility of finding an unusual deal. Negotiation is part of the atmosphere, and many customers enjoy the process.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

But there is a difference between asking whether a dealer has flexibility and assuming that the dealer owes you a discount.

A gun show is a place to shop, compare prices, and negotiate respectfully. It is not a guarantee that every price is negotiable or that every dealer has room to cut it.

The Internet Has Changed Expectations

Online shopping has also changed how people evaluate fi****ms prices.

A buyer can search a model on a phone in seconds and find advertised prices from retailers across the country. That is useful information, and it helps keep the market competitive.

But comparing prices requires looking at the complete transaction.

Is the fi***rm actually in stock? Is the advertised price current? What are the shipping charges? Is there a transfer fee at the receiving dealer? Are taxes included? Are there other costs associated with completing the purchase?

A fi***rm purchased online generally must be transferred through a federally licensed dealer when required by federal law, and applicable state laws may impose additional requirements. That transfer can involve a fee and additional time.

A local or gun show dealer may already have the fi***rm available for inspection and purchase, with the applicable paperwork and legal transfer handled as part of the transaction.

That service has value.

A fair comparison considers the total cost, convenience, availability, and service—not just the lowest number found on a screen.

If an online retailer has a genuinely better total price, a customer is free to choose that option. That is competition, and dealers understand it.

But a lower advertised price elsewhere does not automatically mean the dealer standing in front of you is overcharging.

Small Margins Can Make a Big Difference

Consider a hypothetical example.

A dealer purchases a fi***rm for $475 and sells it for $525. The apparent gross difference is $50.

Now subtract the portion of the show’s expenses allocated to that sale, payment processing, transportation, insurance, and other operating costs. The amount left may be substantially smaller.

If the customer asks for another $25 off, that discount does not necessarily come out of some enormous pile of profit. It comes directly out of the already limited gross margin.

The exact numbers vary by fi***rm, supplier, business model, and show. Some transactions have more margin than others. Some fi****ms sell at exceptionally competitive prices, and certain sales may even be made at cost to move inventory or attract customers.

The point isn’t that every dealer operates on razor-thin margins on every fi***rm.

The point is that customers generally cannot determine a dealer’s actual profit simply by looking at the difference between the price tag and MSRP.

A business must cover its expenses, manage its inventory, and generate enough profit to justify the investment and risk. Otherwise, it eventually stops being a business.

Dealers Are Not Obligated to Match Every Price

A common misconception is that a dealer who won’t match another price must be trying to take advantage of the customer.

That simply isn’t fair.

A dealer may have purchased inventory at a different cost. He may have a different expense structure. He may be selling a model that is difficult to replace at the same price. Or he may have determined that the listed price is already the lowest price at which the sale makes economic sense.

There is also a human element. The person behind the table has invested his own money, time, and effort into building a business. He deserves the opportunity to price his products based on his costs and business judgment.

Customers have every right to walk away. Dealers have every right to decline an unprofitable offer.

That is how a free market is supposed to work.

A respectful question such as “Is there any flexibility on the price?” is perfectly reasonable. So is a dealer’s respectful answer: “I’m sorry, but that is my best price.”

Neither party has to be the villain.

The Value of the Independent FFL

Independent fi****ms dealers provide more than merchandise. They offer product knowledge, help customers compare options, maintain inventory, answer questions, and facilitate lawful fi***rm transfers.

Many invest years in developing their businesses and understanding the products they sell. They attend shows because it gives customers access to inventory and allows them to compete in a crowded marketplace.

These businesses also take on financial risk. Inventory costs money before it generates revenue, and products can lose value when manufacturers introduce new models, market conditions change, or consumer demand shifts.

Unlike a large national retailer, a small independent dealer may not have the purchasing volume, distribution network, or negotiating leverage to secure the same costs as a major chain.

Yet the independent dealer is often expected to offer the same price, provide personalized service, absorb additional expenses, and then negotiate even further.

At some point, customers must recognize that convenience and service have real costs.

If every buyer demands the lowest possible price while expecting knowledgeable service and a fully functioning local fi****ms industry, the economics eventually become difficult to sustain.

A Better Relationship Between Buyers and Dealers

None of this means that every dealer is honest, every price is fair, or every gun show represents a bargain. Like any industry, fi****ms retail includes good businesses, bad businesses, fair prices, and overpriced merchandise.

Customers should compare prices, ask questions, check reputations, and make informed decisions. Dealers should be transparent, professional, and competitive.

But a better relationship begins when both sides recognize that the other has a legitimate interest.

The buyer wants value for his money. The dealer wants to earn a reasonable return on his investment. Those goals are not mutually exclusive.

Instead of assuming that every dealer is trying to take advantage of customers, buyers should consider what the fi***rm costs, what the transaction involves, and whether the price is competitive.

And instead of treating every request for a discount as an insult, dealers can explain their pricing when appropriate and let customers decide.

A fair deal does not always mean the lowest possible price. Sometimes it means getting the fi***rm you want, at a competitive price, from a knowledgeable professional who stands behind his business.

The Bottom Line

The next time you walk through a gun show and see a fi***rm priced below MSRP, consider asking yourself a simple question before demanding another discount: Am I looking at an unfair price, or am I looking at a fair price that already leaves the dealer very little room to negotiate?

There is nothing wrong with wanting a bargain. There is nothing wrong with negotiating. And there is nothing wrong with walking away when a price doesn’t fit your budget.

But the belief that every FFL is making a fortune, or that every refusal to discount is evidence of greed, deserves a second look.

You wouldn’t necessarily walk into Walmart, Macy’s, or The Gap and expect a cashier to renegotiate the price of everything you buy. Those businesses have costs, employees, inventory, and operating expenses. Independent fi****ms dealers have those same realities, along with the specialized responsibilities of operating in a regulated industry.

A gun show is a marketplace, not a promise that every price is negotiable.

Respect the customer’s right to shop around. Respect the dealer’s right to run a business. Compare prices fairly, negotiate respectfully, and remember that the person behind the table is not simply selling a gun—he is trying to keep a business alive.

Because when the last independent dealer decides that the time, expense, and hassle are no longer worth it, customers may discover that having fewer places to shop doesn’t necessarily lead to better prices.

Sometimes, the best deal is not the one where you talked somebody into losing another $20.

Sometimes, the best deal is a fair price, a professional transaction, and a dealer who will still be there the next time you need one.