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As providencejournal.com is reporting, all four Exeter, Rhode Island city councilmen survived an attempt to recall them after they voted to push concealed carry permit responsibility to the state’s attorney general. “According to unofficial Journal figures, each of the four council members survived the recall attempt by wide margins.” While gun rights supporters lost this round, it likely wasn’t a pleasant experience for the four council members. And after votes in Colorado and now the Ocean State, it’s possible that elected officials are getting the message that, wherever possible, they’ll be held accountable for their votes to abrogate their constituents’ Second Amendment rights.

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63 COMMENTS

    • Not even the fear of a peon never mind God. RI voters are pathetic. One of the biggest reason that I left a few weeks ago.

  6. While in the grand scheme of things this isn’t really that big of a deal, it’s disappointing because it will embolden the enemies of freedom.

      • No it wasn’t. It showed that there are consequences for ignoring your constituents wishes. They survive the vote but if they are smart, they’ll be more cautious about what they do on gun control. They may project hubris at winning but deep inside, they were attacked, their way of life threatened. Now they know they are on notice.

  8. Its a great opportunity to learn and not repeat the same mistakes. What could have helped the outcome: better communication to the people about why this was a poor decision, second order of affects resulting from this poor decision, etc? Sometimes you have to lose a little ground to realize what’s needed to make the big gain.

    • There were some mistakes made but the biggest lesson learned is that the statewide gun control democrats and progressive liberals will defend their own. Unfortunately the NRA was no where to be found with any help whatsoever.

  10. Everyone wants to bitch and moan and type molon labe in caps but when it comes time to actual vote peoole just stay home then scream in outrage when our side loses.
    If everyone spent as much time actually acting and voting as they did bitching online we would be a force to be reckoned with

    • I’m just guessing here, but maybe, just maybe lost faith in the electoral process MAY play a role in people deciding to do something else on election day.

      After all… if voting could actually change anything, they’d make it illegal.

        • A state issued ID is not like a poll tax. If someone can’t get their sh!t together enough to get a state ID card, they probably shouldn’t be voting anyway. Regardless, NOT requiring ID to vote is simply insane. Just like semi-open boarders. The first job of any government is protecting the sovereignty of the nation.

      • I do the same thing. I vote EVERY election, even if it is a non congressional year and is the primary for dog catcher. I vote every time in every election.

        I just wish I was a Democrat. I could vote 5 or 6 times each election instead of the 1 time I do as a Republican.

        • As ACORN always said: “Remember young Dems, vote early, vote often, and honor Grandma’s memory by making sure her vote counts too.”

    • Um… everybody? This site does not constitute everybody. The vast majority of the electorate go about their lives without really caring about gun rights, much less typing anything in caps about it.

      • I actually wasnt really referring to this site. Just in general. I know theres many here who do what they can…on forums though and many places online its a common sight. Lots of people decrying end of times but they dont even try to change it

  11. “…it’s possible that elected officials are getting the message that, wherever possible, they’ll be held accountable for their votes to abrogate their constituents’ Second Amendment rights.”

    We can but hope.

  12. Bummer.
    While I don’t know the foggiest thing about their politics, I’m hoping this did put a bit of fear and ‘common sense’
    in their little brains.

    • I think it’s more likely that it either emboldened them, or simply taught them to be more discreet about their intentions.

      • That’s what I thought. Okay, they shot their load, and now we know they’re a paper tiger.

        Makes me think this might have been a bit of a overstretch. Almost recalling someone is a good shot across the bow; but trying and not coming close probably just makes them more easily consider you as politically impotent.

  14. It is disappointing, but not surprising. Rhode Island is a pretty leftwing state (I think some have coined it even the most liberal state in the country). The major important win was with Colorado, which is a purple state, where the gun control forces way outspent the gun rights side, and where one of the state legislators recalled was in a heavily Democratic district where Republicans were outnumbered. That sent a message, as everyone was watching Colorado to see how the vote went. Had it gone the other way, it would have seriously emboldened the gun control proponents in other states. That is why Bloomberg & Co. poured so much money into trying to win it.

    While Rhode Island being a loss sucks, I highly doubt it will seriously encourage the pro-gun control forces. I mean a tiny state (population 1.05 million) that is extremely liberal having recall votes fail against gun control politicians? Not enormously surprising. I doubt the Democratic party strategists are going to look at this and see it as having any national implications.

    A major question right after Newtown was how for years, the Democrats had conceded on the issue of gun control, that it was a losing issue, and now maybe things had changed, where Democrats would be able to run on gun control and win. Colorado helped show that that is not nearly the case.

    • Steven, the town council intentionally set that date, and also on the anniversary of Sandy Hook. The recall proponents were stuck with that date and had no say.

  16. It’s unfortunate that the residents of Exeter do not feel strongly enough about their rights to make a stand for them.

  17. That’s too bad. But not unexpected — it is Rhode Island, after all.

    Still, the fact that there was a recall vote at all is a positive sign. The road to Progressive Utopia may not be as smooth as the bastards thought. With a little luck, they might never get there.

  19. Knowing what liars and cheats the liberal are,it was probably a crooked voting process.” Oh we don’t need to look at your ID,just fill out this ballot in Spanish over here”.

    • Or most just weren’t concerned enough about their rights to get up off the couch and go vote on a Saturday which interrupted their weekend time off from work that conflicted with their routine activities.
      It’s a small liberal city in a blue state. It’s not a huge loss or a big win for either side.
      All it amounts to is a bunch of numb nuts that don’t care enough about their rights to defend them.

      • Wrong you right wing wackjob. This is a defeat for the radical right wing gun nuts. We will turn Tx BLUE IN the near future you radical right wing nutjob. Conservatism is a mental illness.

  20. This is going to make this an entire May Issue State instead of a Shall Issue (even though that is not the way it works in good old RI). Now all the police chiefs will kick it up to the AG.

    I can’t wait to get out of this State.

  21. “And after votes in Colorado and now the Ocean State, it’s possible that elected officials are getting the message that, wherever possible, they’ll be held accountable for their votes to abrogate their constituents’ Second Amendment rights.”

    I disagree that anyone really held the Rhode Island councilmen accountable. It’s equivalent to a neighbor who burns your house down out of malice and all you do is make them sweat about their job — which they end up keeping — for a couple weeks.

    • They listened to their constituents and that is why the beat the recalls. The gun nuts are angry because they are a small fringe minority. Glad the right wing gun nuts were defeated. Scum they are.

  22. All of you commenters who lamented that gun rights supporters failed to get out and vote … I don’t think that is the explanation. Just like California, well more than 50% of the population in that area of Rhode Island LOVES civilian disarmament. That is why the recall election failed for us and succeeded for them.

    Newsflash: citizens cannot, through actions at the ballot box, compel government to respect gun rights when those citizens live in an area where well more than 50% of the population loves civilian disarmament. Their only recourse is in the courts or through force.

  24. This shouldn’t even be an issue of democracy. Betraying your oath to the Constitution should result in judicial action, not electoral.

    Not that it would’ve changed the result, I know. But I think the message would be so much better: uphold the Bill of Rights or face a jury.

    • The people have spoken and you right wing wackjobs LOST. Get over it. You right wing gun nuts are an extreme minority.

  25. We the people have defeated these radical right wing gun nuts. Gun nuts, can you hear us now you wackjobs?

      • Conservatism is a mental illness. You radical right wing extremists were defeated by the people. You right wing LOSERS.

    • Congratulations. Four liberal politicians managed to keep their seats in a blue city in a blue state in the bluest region of the country. Truly an accomplishment to be proud of.

        • ricky, you’re new here, so let me offer you some advice. This isn’t Facebook, and it’s not necessary to go through and individually reply to each and every person you disagree with so it will show up on their “wall” or their “feed” or whatever the term is now.

  26. If we disagree with ANY of what the liberals say or do, i.e. which side of the bed to piss on, were murders, bigots, tyrants, and racists.

  28. LOL! Gun nuts didn’t actually lose anything because the hoopla was much ado about absolutely nothing!

    These poor council members simply wanted to change gun permit granting responsibility to their attorney general since they didn’t have the capacity for performing the law required background checks. And this caused the nutters to go nuts!

    Lesson – when you act a fool, you lose like a fool!

    • Hey piled high and deep…yea, that’s you PhD, get your facts straight before you comment. The ELECTED town clerk was the issuing authority as mandated by state statute. The applicant had the burden of getting the background check which encompassed a FBI criminal check, BCI check and fingerprints from the state AG and a qualifying test. All these idiots who keep saying they couldn’t do background checks are ill informed.

      • Hey Thomas instead of calling names in immature nutter fashion why don’t you understand the whole story about Exeter!?!

        The attorney General had been handling permits until 2011. The clerk was given the responsibility for 2 years and wanted to hand it back to the attorney general. Simple small change and the nutty nutters went nuts and embarrassed themselves again!

        It’s so pathetic that the nutter politicos will try to descend on a town of 5,000 people to try and score any victory they can. You’d think one of the highest gun homicide rates in the developed world would keep them happy enough!

  29. A local political leader in Exeter, Rhode Island is leading a recall effort against four of the city’s councilmen. The first recall attempt failed in June by one vote.

  30. They have had several meetings with protesters at their headquarters over the years, including one last summer when dozens showed up outside demanding an end to fossil fuel use in Exeter

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