NRA endorses Donald Trump. And now the battle lines are drawn.

Courtesy of CNN:  

Donald Trump on Friday told the National Rifle Association that Hillary Clinton would take away the right to bear arms, moments after the gun group endorsed the presumptive GOP nominee at its annual meeting here. 

Calling the endorsement a "fantastic honor," Trump dove right into attacking Clinton, saying the Democratic presidential front-runner "wants to abolish the Second Amendment." 

"We're not going to let that happen," Trump said. "We're going to preserve it, we're going to cherish it."

Of course much like President Obama Hillary has no intention of abolishing the 2nd Amendment or taking away anyone's guns.

However that is not to say that she is not prepared to go toe to toe with Trump over the issue of better gun control legislation.

FACT: Donald Trump would force schools to allow guns in classrooms on his first day in office. https://t.co/Y1YSjDDUXC

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 14, 2016

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Whereas President Obama soft-pedaled gun control in both his national runs, Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, is signaling a greater appetite to clash with Mr. Trump on the issue. 

In a Twitter message last week, Mrs. Clinton said that Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, would force schools “to allow guns in classrooms on his first day in office.” 

“This issue is at a tipping point,” said Dan Gross, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, citing Mrs. Clinton’s politically effective framing of gun issues that put Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the defensive in the Democratic primary campaign. “You’re going to hear about it as differentiator for the first time in decades” in the general election, Mr. Gross said.

Of  course Donald Trump's response to Clinton's stance on gun control is very....you know Donald Trump.

Crooked Hillary wants to get rid of all guns and yet she is surrounded by bodyguards who are fully armed. No more guns to protect Hillary!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2016

So there you have it kids, gun control is going to be a central issue of this campaign.

Of course I think we all knew that the NRA was going to gin up the same conspiracy theories against Hillary that they used against President Obama that so dramatically drove up gun sales during his two terms.

The difference this time is that Hillary knew what was coming and decided to draw first blood.

That takes political courage, and indicates that she is well aware that America is sick and tired of all of these unnecessary gun deaths, and is counting on the fact that they will have her back in the election.