Yesterday, 25,000 or so gun rights supporters rallied in Richmond, Virginia to oppose proposed gun control laws that are under consideration. Democrats took control of the Virginia legislature in last year’s elections.

Despite warnings of violence from Virginia’s Democrat governor, the rally went off without a hitch. There was only one arrest for wearing a mask and the person arrested was a known liberal activist in Richmond.

While the protests may have involved gun rights, what the real battle is about is a culture clash. Gun rights have become yet another culture war issue as gun rights opponents often use the issue to message against white conservatives. One astute observer on Twitter noted the culture war signaling over the issue.

A lot of the opposition to the VA 2nd Amendment rally is clearly cultural and is only tangentially about guns.

— Joshua Kennedy (@CheeseForEvery1) January 21, 2020

Another Twitter user pointed out this interesting tidbit about the professional Never Trumpers and their response to the rally.

I see from their reactions to the gun rights rally in Richmond that the professional NeverTrumpers are reminding everyone why they were booted from control of the Republican Party.

— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) January 20, 2020

Donald Trump has become the biggest front in the culture war. Many of those whose entire political identity is motivated by opposition to him has grown to despise those rural, white conservatives and populists who voted for him. It turns out, in the end, many of these people have never had conservative principles they actually believed in. Instead, you can argue that they made their living by minimizing conservative victories and when the base called their bluff by supporting Trump, they never forgave them.

Even David Hogg tipped his hand by his reaction to the rally, where he mocked rallygoers.

David Hogg spent much of Monday mocking the gun-rights activists who marched on the Virginia Capitol in Richmond as insecure fascist wannabes in the thrall of white supremacy who need to read a book.

Over several hours, Mr. Hogg sent out dozens of tweets and retweeted dozens more containing a farrago of insult and condescension, and he repeatedly characterized the march as a Nazi enterprise.

“VA is in a state of emergency because white supremacists and nazi’s are using their 2nd amendment rights to shutdown the 1st amendment rights of students, veterans, and clergy,” he wrote.

Many of those who seek to restrict or ban guns aren’t motivated by increased public safety. They’re motivated by hatred of those who own guns. They believe gun owners are a bunch of white, racist rednecks who must be destroyed.

It’s not just about guns. It never was just about guns. It’s another way elite America can project their snobbery and elitism on the rest of us.