Michael Schwartz, host of Gun Owners Radio, didn’t bring on just any guest in his latest episode.
He invited Mike Gatto – a former California Assemblyman, an attorney, and yes, a Democrat who openly supports the Second Amendment.
Schwartz set the table right away. The stereotype says Democrats are anti-2A. Gatto says that’s too shallow and often wrong.
Gatto didn’t hedge. He calls himself a “solid” Democrat who still backs Democrats, still mentors candidates, and still believes the party’s core promise should be a fair shake for everyone.
That alone would spark a fight on social media. But Gatto went further – he argued the Second Amendment should never have become a partisan litmus test.
How Gatto Won in a Blue-Trend District
Schwartz asked how a first-time candidate survived in a heavyweight Los Angeles district. Gatto credits luck, hustle, and honesty.
He told Schwartz he jumped straight into the Assembly without the usual local-office ladder.
He faced established figures – even school board presidents – and beat them repeatedly.
Why? Because he was accessible and authentic. He answered the hard emails. He told people how he would vote, even on controversial bills.
By his last year, Gatto said his office logged 58,000 emails, the most in the Assembly. Voters learned that if they wrote him, he’d write back.
That approach had a cost. Gatto says he voted “no” more than any Democrat in his final year — not to be contrarian, but because no caucus produces 2,500 flawless ideas annually.
I think that’s the mark of an independent mind. If every vote is party-line, someone stopped thinking.
The Case for a Pro-2A Democrat
Schwartz pushed Gatto to spell out his Second Amendment philosophy. Gatto went straight to constitutional law – his favorite subject in school, where he says he earned top marks statewide.
He’s wary of selective reading of the Bill of Rights. If people expect the First Amendment to cover podcasts and social platforms, he argues, they can’t freeze firearm technology in 1791.
Gatto raised two common misconceptions he hears from Democrats:
First, the “muskets only” myth. He answered with the First Amendment analogy: constitutional rights adapt to modern tools.
Second, the “militia clause” escape hatch. Even if you tried to limit the right to militia members, he told Schwartz, citizenship – and the militia – are now broadly defined. At the founding, militia service was close to a civic duty. Today, limiting the right to “the militia” would simply invite states to enroll citizens.
Then he added a historical reality check. For frontier Americans, a gun was like a phone or computer today – an everyday tool you couldn’t imagine life without.
You don’t have to own guns to accept the constitutional logic. Gatto’s point is that you shouldn’t twist the text to fit modern politics.
Guns, Crime, and the Real Problem Set
Gatto wasn’t naïve about crime. “For law-abiding citizens, that’s an easy answer,” he said about the right to keep and bear arms. The challenge is criminals, and most crime is committed with handguns, not the rifles that dominate headlines.
He told Schwartz that banning modern rifles wouldn’t meaningfully disarm bad actors. Handguns are small, concealable, and will persist in the underground market.
So what does he recommend? A broader social lens: community, opportunity, and mental health. He argued that cultural isolation and untreated crises contribute far more to violence than the existence of lawful gun owners.
That’s where gun debates usually break down – trying to fix human problems with hardware bans. Gatto’s framework – punish criminals, support communities, leave law-abiding owners alone – is pragmatic, not partisan.
Where “Red Flag” Policy Goes Off the Rails
Schwartz pressed on Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs). He said they were sold as a last resort, but in practice have become a first step – even against victims or in petty disputes.
Gatto didn’t claim deep GVRO experience from his tenure. But he laid out two reforms he would support.
First, real penalties for lying. If someone weaponizes a restraining order out of spite, Gatto says perjury should be prosecuted. No exceptions.
Second, a higher standard of proof. He argued it’s rare in American law to impose a major penalty on roughly “I feel” evidence. GVROs should require law-enforcement involvement and actual evidence, not just claims.
Those two changes would fix much of what worries civil-liberties advocates without tossing the tool entirely. Safeguards make due process real.
How to Talk to Blue-Tribe Skeptics
Schwartz asked for advice: how can gun owners reach Democrats who distrust the Second Amendment?
Gatto’s first rule is simple: read the room. This is a polarized country. People stereotype quickly.
So start personal and calm. A gun owner should lead with family, business, and the natural right of self-defense – a right that predates the Constitution and is grounded in basic human dignity.
Then, if the conversation goes constitutional, keep two short replies ready. One for the “muskets” myth, one for the “militia” myth. Give the history without snark.
Finally, show that Democrats exist who support the Second Amendment. If the only faces of gun ownership someone sees are political enemies on TV, they’ll never budge.
Culture beats policy papers. You won’t persuade anyone by shouting statistics at them. You will by being the normal, decent neighbor who happens to own a gun.
Why Democrats Should Evolve on 2A – Morally and Politically
Schwartz’s last question cut to strategy: why should Democrats move on guns?
Gatto gave a two-part answer.
First, the moral case. He says the Second Amendment carries a historical, constitutional, and moral truth. Doing the right thing should be reason enough.
Second, the pragmatic case. In a state with rising property crime and stretched police response, ordinary people feel the need to protect themselves. If Democrats belittle that instinct, they will lose voters – not just Republicans, but moderates, independents, and disaffected blue-collar Democrats.
Gatto even teased a broader jurisprudence debate.
He told Schwartz he disagrees with parts of Justice Clarence Thomas’s reasoning, and promised to return for a deeper dive.
That’s a conversation worth having. Because it’s not about loyalty tests – it’s about how to secure rights with sensible, constitutional guardrails.
Schwartz wanted “arrows for the quiver,” and Gatto delivered a bundle. Be normal. Be patient. Know your history. Demand due process. Punish lies. Focus on criminals, not compliant neighbors.
And maybe most important, stop pretending this is a team sport. If a Democrat can say all that on Gun Owners Radio, then there’s space – real space – for gun-owning moderates to reclaim their voice inside the party.
Politics needs more Mike Gattos. You don’t have to surrender your label to stand up for a right. You just have to show up – and be willing to say no when your side gets it wrong.
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Image Credit: Survival World
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Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.