In Defense of the "Gun Lobby"

Cruising The High Road the other day, I found this statement attributed to New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy on her introduction of the renewal of the Federal Ban On Scary-Looking Weapons (emphasis mine -- ed):

In Philadelphia, a gunman opened fire on his colleagues using an AK-47 assault rifle he legally purchased....
...The unfortunate situation in Philadelphia could have been avoided if Congress stood up to the gun lobby in 2004.

It seems we hear rantings about the eeevil "gun lobby" all the time from anti-gun politicians at pretty much every level of government. The antis rant about the "gun lobby" almost like certain anti-Semitic figures and organizations rant on about how they think the Jews supposedly run the world through various organizations like the media, the banks or what-have-you. And Lord knows it's gotten quite long in the tooth. I've thought about this now and then, and the more I think about it, the more angry I get as a gun owner.
Why? Because I AM the "gun lobby." I buy as many guns as I can, I am a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association and unequivocally support the right of all Americans to bear arms (from the smallest to the largest, from single-shot boltie to full-auto) in defense of themselves and this great nation. And the same could be said for anyone who reads the above and nods his or her head in agreement. The antis act like we're some massively funded organization that lurks mysteriously in the shadows when really, that applies a lot more to the antis than it does the so-called "gun lobby".
Who is The Evil Gun Lobby? It's (in all likelihood) you, me, and everybody else who owns, buys, and shoots guns on a regular basis and votes for those who would not abrogate our natural right of self-defense. We are not a bunch of Mafioso types who throw cash or goodies to those who would further our interests and send those who wouldn't to sleep with the fishes.
Who is the Evil Gun Lobby composed of? It's composed of all the hard-working, tax-paying, moral, upstanding, armed citizens who just want to be left the hell alone to our own devices to protect our familes and our society in good times and bad, as opposed to leaving it up to certain governmental organizations who, the courts have ruled on numerous occasions, have no obligation to protect us as individuals (which, I would argue, drastically undermines the concept of collective (societal) protection, but that's another post entirely).
I can only speak for myself, but I'm tired of being demonized by leftist asshats like Carolyn McCarthy, Teddy Kennedy and Chuck Schumer. A pox on all their houses. It's been said the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, and that is true, but it irks me immensely that certain politicians can get away with so vehemently demonizing us...