As we wrap up June and head toward Independence Day, it seems many of the industry members I've spoken with over the past week aren't getting the warm feeling that normally accompanies our nation's birthday. As one weary looking retailer told me, "I'm getting tired of having to fight the federal government's constantly looking for ways to make it harder for me to make a living." Unfortunately, his feeling isn't the minority position the way it once was. More and more, retailers are telling me they're making less money with more effort. Some, as you'll read in today's news section, are combining forces in hopes that the strength of unity will aid them in battling what the independent retailers say are increasingly shrinking margins on virtually every product they sell. Not all the problems are government related. Shrinking margins are the product of a near perfect-storm of price pressures, from big-box competitors to the even more disliked "virtual" retailers who don't face the inventory and personnel pressures of storefront dealers. Both big boxes and local retailers dislike the virtual retailers, despite the fact that in an overwhelmingly large number, both have their own virtual stores. Factor in last week's Supreme Court decisions, and you have a largely conservative industry and its customers feeling the squeeze of decisions which run contrary to their personal and professional values. In fact, one retailer this weekend asked if I'd consider resurrecting "MyTime2Stand" and going around the country - again- to encourage average people to stand up for their values. That's a challenge that often involves their being prepared to stand up to their state and local governments. That's where I'm seeing a significant difference between the "average citizens" I speak with today as opposed to those of 2013. In 2013 as I crossed the country, I found many people were dissatisfied with the way they felt the country was headed. Today, the dissatisfaction is even more widespread- but with an increasingly lengthy list of reasons. From ridiculous attempts to regulate everything from pocket knives to personal expression, our elected officials seem to feel they have little-if anything- to fear from the electorate. Having spoken with several state officials across the south, I'm finding they're feeling the same pressures - but their pressure's coming from a federal government that's putting increasing pressure on them to stop fighting new federal regulations. "I'm sick and tired of their carrot-and-stick routine," one Alabama legislator told me, "if you don't fight us on 'x' -we won't find ways to cut your funding for 'y' program." That's not cooperation, that's coercion- or blackmail- or something. And I'm pretty sick of it." So where are we headed? Ask most of the industry, and you'll find they quietly fear we're headed for something more than a war of words. In New York, for instance, tens of thousands of modern sporting rifle owners have already refused to comply with the state's mandated registration of their guns. In Colorado and other states where magazine capacities have been limited, there's no doubt on anyone's part that the vast majority of gun owners have also chosen to ignore the restriction. If a push continues for more and more rules attempting to regulate size, caliber, capacity and ammunition makeup, it's likely that at least some of the measures will pass. If that happens, passive resistance will likely continue as well. Should, however, elected officials decide to order law enforcement officers to start looking for- and collecting- those now-banned items and/or their owners, we'll get the answer to a question we kick around, but really prefer to keep rhetorical: what will you do if they come for your gun? --Jim Shepherd