By DrVino
Going by the figures in a recent L.A. Times article, there are about 9.5 million gun owners in California, or 25% of the state’s population. Yet our legislators (in an obscene gesture of sycophancy toward the Dear Ruler, or a pissing contest with New York State non-reading legislators – or both) see fit to slap more still more gun laws on those 9.5 million law-abiding citizens. Despite the fact that we already have the strictest restrictions, regulations, waiting periods, magazine limits, bullet buttons…and a gun crime rate which has been declining by about 3% to 4% per annum…and the prisoner realignment program is a good idea…and our DOJ has one of the lowest gun crime prosecution rtes in the country . . .
So, it’s easy for the average gun owner on the outside to shrug their shoulders and suggest California gun owners move or simply write this state off as a loss. After all, they live in Arizona, Texas, or Georgia.
Voting with one’s feet is a luxury for those with no significant extended family, career and financial attachments. Or of the financially independent blog publishers. The rest of us must stay and roll over or fight. And we must fight – because while the NRA calls me asking for donations, they (and most on the pro-2A side) seem to forget the adage that “As goes California, so goes the nation.”
So, a fight for gun rights in California is a fight for gun rights in the nation as a whole. The fight in California is going to be huge and it’s going to be brutal and it’s going to be long. We are facing nearly 50 anti-gun bills, three of which have already passed out of committee.
On April 16th, another eight bills – including a bullet button ban and a semi-auto ban will be heard in committee. Said committee is not too keen on hearing discussion, especially from the opposing side. So much so that a few months ago, they held a hearing without the requisite amount of prior notice to the public. Now they’ve restricted witness testimony to two witnesses per side. And a whopping two minutes per witness.
Thus, Gun Rights Across America-California, along with other groups of activist California gun owners will protest these bills on April 16th. We need people to show up at the Capitol at 8:00am to present firm, but peaceful opposition to those infringing on our constitutionally-guaranteed rights.
If you are a California resident, contact Gun Rights Across America-California via email at [email protected] or find us on Facebook.
Good luck, bc you’re going to need this. It will be passed so fast it equal legislative rape for the 2A.
That’s about right.
One only needs to look south to Mexico to see where these draconian measures are leading. We’ll just have a more modern version of the chaos that is occurring in that country.
As Dems become more entrenched in state legislatures due to growth of liberal oriented metropolitan areas, states not now impacted with these gun control laws will start seeing the same trend.
Major push back by NRA, 2A Foundation, etc. should be concentrated on CA to interrupt this ongoing trend, NOW.
If gun owners want to be able to keep and pass down their property, they must be doing their part speaking out against these measures and donating to the cause at every opportunity.
The reality is that if CA gun owners loose 2A freedoms, it will eventually spread to even the safest pro gun states; it’s just a matter of time. These Dems are relentless and will use every opportunity to chip away at our freedoms.
“As goes California, so goes the nation.”
Gosh golly! You mean we get to become an anti-gun, economically stagnant, 3rd world hellhole run by plutocrats who formerly starred in action movies? At least they have the coolest state flag…
I say fine if Cali goes.. as long as, it’s into the ocean with all it’s legislators. Feel sorry for gun owners there that they have to deal with this liberal disease. Don’t stop the fight.
“As goes California, so goes the nation.”
Not anymore. The U.S. is now more geographically polarized than at any time in the past 100 years. People have rationally sorted themselves into like-minded enclaves. Those who refuse to “vote with their feet” will only find themselves becoming more and more estranged from the political, cultural and legal zeitgeist of their “home” communities.
I’ve lived in California for over thirty years. It’s a lost cause. It’s time to move on to more important causes, like making sure that otherwise reliably “Red” states stop electing anti-gun Democrats.
Well, Colorado became a destination for a lot of California emigres and you can see what’s happening here.
sorry but I’d really like to give California back to Mexico.
We are giving Cal. back to Mexico ,,,, ONE ILLEGAL DEMOCRAT at a time.
> Voting with one’s feet is a luxury for those with no
> significant extended family, career and financial attachments.
> Or of the financially independent blog publishers.
That’s a very left-wing point of view.
Back when I was involved in homeowner/HOA issues, I was always told by conservatives and libertarians that if a homeowner didn’t like his HOA, he was free to move.
Are you agreeing with the difficulty of voting with feet, or saying that family/finances is a bad excuse to compromise ideology? It is not clear to me.
Did you disagree with those HOA people? Did you make it clear that they also can move? Also, if you have the deed to your house it is indeed your property, then forcing you and threatening violence upon you (which they are doing) to modify your permanent property is wrong.
When you are in a profession like medicine – particularly in academia – and have a 82 year old parent, and kids from a previous marriage, and investments… it is hard to just pack up and leave.
Any licensed professional with regular clients has that issue. It literally is starting all over from scratch, from licensing, to finding clients, and so forth
This will be a long fight, indeed. The bad states are deepening their violations, while the good states are strengthening the protections of our rights–this from NPR yesterday (well, they didn’t put my moral judgement on the new laws). Gun control freaks can’t understand why the whole of the country won’t go along with their innermost desires, and they’ll stop at nothing to see that our rights are erased from public consciousness. We must fight them in the state legislatures, fight them in the courts, fight them in Congress and in city hall, fight them in newspapers and blogs and television. Above all, we must never compromise.
/Churchill.
“Gun control freaks” are bent on setting a precedent and an “example” for the rest of the county to follow.
Because disarmament is a big agenda item for liberals, they feel they have support and momentum as well as the moral imperative to be the first to act.
Finally, they feel that if they get enough states to change, the rest of the country will follow suit.
I’d like to share a revelation that I’ve had during my time here.
It came to me when… I tried to classify your species. I realized that you’re not actually mammals.
Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you Californians do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Californians are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we… are the cure.
Yes, well, it came to me that you lack a certain… perspective as most humans do. I deem your species, the Ignoramus Liberammalian.
Not everyone in this state is ass-backwards, and most of those people live outside of the valley, or far north. Then, of course, there’s San Diego, and from what I’ve heard they have to deal with drug cartels from across the border. Don’t apply blanket terms like the liberals do.
But if you can’t see that, then I am wasting my time trying to explain this to you, because you can’t see things past your skewed view of the world.
Augur, He is joking. His entire statement is a quote from the movie “Matrix.” He just swapped “humans” with “californians.”
Its actually pretty funny in my opinion.
That said, the 25% should fight. There are many ways to fight – and they should employ all of them.
Agent Smith goes to California?
All I can say is, good luck. You’re going to need it.
California is among the most worrisome, given the outlandishness of some of their bills, although NJ makes you wonder too. Would the governor of CA act as a bit of a sanity check? Any chance that the Democrats in the legislature are so fond of their supermajority that they might try to be partially sane in order not to lose it in 2014?
Looking across the continent, Delaware is providing for some comic relief – http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130403/NEWS02/130403015/Assault-weapons-bill-registration-requirement-withdrawn
Hopefully, this means that what’s politically possible there is not be as bad as NY, CT, or MD, but I don’t know much about Delaware, so time will tell.
Hi Dave, the best comic relief to ever come out of Delaware is Joe Biden – sorry, couldn’t resist.
I would love to see Kali turn a new shade of purple on this. But let me ask ya this – how is it Kalifornians can get their asses to the pols over Gays, but have let their gun rights slip into oblivion? Until this State seriously reconsiders it social priorities it will just get worse.
That’s a good question. Being a CA native, and still living here, you have a population that is probably unique to the nation.
On one hand, we have military loving families who will gladly donate to Wounded Warriors but in the same breath, will say that no one except the police should have guns.
As you all know, we have a large hispanic population. They vote dem but have deep catholic values so while they vote for amnesty, they want christian values.
The sad fact is, San Francisco area politics rule here in CA and they are all liberal dems. The great majority of the state, from the Oregon border, to the agricultural and farming areas, to Orange County, are all very Repub.
Politicians want to keep their military bases, keep the cops highly paid yet want to allow illegals to vote and have drivers license.
Some say that moonshine (jerry brown) will veto most of these bills because he wants his hi-speed train which needs to run through republican (farming and ag) counties.
Spoken like someone truly out-of-touch with reality. Which seems to include almost all long-time white residents (including natives) of non-coastal California.
You still believe that “the great majority of the state” thinks, feels and believes like you do — except for a small minority in San Francisco and LA that has somehow inexplicably gained power. Well, you’re wrong.
Get out of your bubble and go learn about the real California that you live in. Orange County isn’t a “Republican area” anymore. Neither is the Central Valley.
California today is a Third World Country. It’s in a permanent decline. If you’re too intellectually lazy to stop deluding yourself, at least stop misleading others.
Sorry that you resort to insults to try to make a point.
Do you live here Sam? Or perhaps use to?
Anyways, look at the past pres election, you will see that a great many counties, even the “OC” voted for Romney.
http://www.politico.com/2012-election/map/#/President/2012/CA
And sorry that you think CA is a third world. I’d gladly take San Diego, or even San Fran over Dallas, NO, Raleigh or many of your modern metropolis’. While the politics may not float your boat, there is plenty to love in CA.
As a Kalifornian gun owner, I have been keeping close track of what has been happening. Here’s a run down of the current bills:
On the 2nd, AB’s 48, 500, and 169 were heard. These are the three that Mr. DeVino referred to as passed out of committee.
AB 48: Bans the sale of magazine parts kits, bans the sale or transfer of ammunition by anyone other than an FFL, and the FFL must report all ammunition transfers to the state. This would effectively create a state database of who is buying ammo, and what they are buying. It would also make it a crime to loan ammunition.
AB 500: Expands the waiting period to 15 days, and gives the DOJ new powers to be able to deny guns to law-abiding people.
AB 169: Bans the sale of guns no longer on California’s roster of approved handguns. Some guns have been removed from the lists over time, and this bill would make it so if you own one of those, you can never sell it. Legally.
On Monday the 15th, 1 bill is being heard. It is:
AB 760: Imposes a sales tax of 0.5 cents per ammunition COMPONENT (complete cartridge, bullet or case). It would make reloading prohibitively expensive.
On Tuesday the 16th (when the protests are being scheduled), 8 bills are being heard:
SB 47: Bans rifles with bullet buttons, redefines “assault weapon” as ALL semi-auto magazine fed rifles (rimfire or centerfire), and requires registration of said rifles.
SB 53: Requires you to purchase an annual ammunition purchase permit before buying ammunition, requires you to present your permit and give your thumbprint every time you buy ammo, and bans the online and mail order sales of ammunition to CA.
SB 108: Requires mandatory locked storage of firearms at all times, regardless of if you are home or not.
SB 293: Bans the sale of conventional handguns, if the state DOJ approves the sale of “Owner Authorized – Smart” handgun technology (you know, that technology that doesn’t exist).
SB 299: Requires you to report the loss of your firearm within 48 hours.
SB 374: Bans the sale of any rifle that is semi auto, or accepts a detachable magazine, or both, and requires the registration of previously owned rifles as “assault rifles” in order to retain possession.
SB 396: Bans the possession of any magazine that holds over 10 rounds. Confiscates registered, grandfathered magazines.
Finally,
SB 567: CHANGES THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF A SHOTGUN, TURNING ALL HANDGUNS INTO NFA-REGULATED SHORT-BARRELED SHOTGUNS, MAKING ALL HANDGUNS ILLEGAL TO OWN IN CALIFORNIA.
Yes that last one exists. This is something that could (probably will) happen. It’s a clusterfuck over here.
You most certainly will not see my axx in line to register my semi-auto long guns! Come find them!
You most certainly will not see me in line to register my semi-auto long guns! Come find them!
You most certainly will not see me in line to register my semi-auto long guns. Come find them!
Good for the Californians and the best of luck to them. In addition we should plan nationwide demos in the upcoming “demo-season”
Time to show our numbers and our disapproval of the lately passed and proposed gun laws by various lobbying, demonstrating, shows and other actions on some upcoming anniversaries of the Revolutionary War.
Good dates may be the following battles – all involving large contingents of Militia, the original resisters to Civilian Disarmament
Lexington and Concord – 19 April 1775 (probably too late to organize this year)
Battle of Bunker Hill – 17 June 1775 – probably the best!
Battle of Oriskany – 7 August 1777
Battle of Bennington – 16 August 1777
Battle of King’s Mountain – 7 Oct 1780
The 4th of July or Flag Day would be fine also – something that will resonate with the general public and make our point exactly!
Any such effort should be carried out in all the local communities as well as the Cities and DC. The signs and flags should be symbols of resistance and determination to remain free. Maybe some re enactors can do their bit – with muskets where legal and stirring, patriotic music – delegations of Veterans to visit and lobby the various politicians to lobby our cause – great visuals! Maybe a symbol – a lighthearted one like Leghorn’s Logo. Special groups of women – you always get coverage for that. Young shooters starting out featuring the lately famous 15 year old – great stuff. A golden opportunity which should not go to waste. We have got to get out, not only to show our numbers but determination as well.
Nor’Easter I agree 1000%.
There are about 100 million U.S. citizens who own firearms. I would love to see 1 out of 20 firearms owners demonstrate at their capitals (or even city halls) all on the same day. (July 4th would be the perfect day to do that in my opinion.) I would hope that would send a loud and clear message to legislators.
To put this in perspective, consider a state like Colorado … and picture 83,000 Colorado residents in Denver to demonstrate. That would simply be about 1 out of 20 Colorado residents who own firearms. Now imagine that happening at every state in the U.S.
Of course some states are rather large and it could be quite costly (both time and money) for all of their residents to converge on the capital. In that case two, three, or even four cities could be places to converge. For example Florida could have rallies at Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee. Spreading out the rallies could be a logistical necessity as well. In the Colorado example, it could be very difficult for the city to accommodate 83,000 visitors!
Thanks for the kind words and comments. You’re probably right that some key cities are the way to go. Let’s Roll.
Dr. Vino and I are working hard here in California. We will have Sheriffs speaking out, and we are going to do our best to make sure they see and hear us.
I have let Robert know we will be doing a followup on the status of the 8 bill to be heard that day.
Is there any other way to support you other than physical presence? Will there be anything in the SoCal area?
I’m calling and emailing my Senators and representatives regularly, supporting Calguns, FPC, NRA, and obviously buying guns and ammo.
Also sent an email and liked the event on FB.
I’m glad the two of you are fighting for our rights in California. God bless and thank you.
Not everyone will be able to make it up, we know it is a big state. 🙂
Keep writing and calling. figure out who your local legislators are. this is a local thing. Go to their offices, sign in leave reading material. If it is only twenty of you, drop by on their lunch hour. Do this once a week every week. They will get the point.
Vino and myself are also looking for local volunteers. We are moving into political activism. We need research volunteers as well. This mean finding businesses who support politicians we don’t care for. It means doing a little bit of home work so we can focus on political districts where we can make a difference.
Also I want to thank RF for posting this. I know we don’t do advertising and blatant activism, but I think times are changing for us all.
There is the old saying if you are part of the solution you are part of the problem. for gun owners this is certainly the case. If we remain divided, or think it won’t effect us they are wrong.
It is time we all work together to drive pro freedom legislation. The gloves are coming off in CA folks. It is going to get ugly..
Accur81
You’re doing the right things. Contact us via FB or email. There will be more goings on.
The most immediate issue is April 16.
Contact us and we’ll help you help us.
As a Kalifornian gun owner, I have been keeping close track of what has been happening. Here’s a run down of the current bills:
On the 2nd, AB’s 48, 500, and 169 were heard. These are the three that Dr. DeVino referred to as passed out of committee.
AB 48: Bans the sale of magazine parts kits, bans the sale or transfer of ammunition by anyone other than an FFL, and the FFL must report all ammunition transfers to the state. This would effectively create a state database of who is buying ammo, and what they are buying. It would also make it a crime to loan ammunition.
AB 500: Expands the waiting period to 15 days, and gives the DOJ new powers to be able to deny guns to law-abiding people.
AB 169: Bans the sale of guns no longer on California’s roster of approved handguns. Some guns have been removed from the lists over time, and this bill would make it so if you own one of those, you can never sell it. Legally.
On Monday the 15th, 1 bill is being heard. It is:
AB 760: Imposes a sales tax of 0.5 cents per ammunition COMPONENT (complete cartridge, bullet or case). It would make reloading prohibitively expensive.
On Tuesday the 16th (when the protests are being scheduled), 8 bills are being heard:
SB 47: Bans rifles with bullet buttons, redefines “assault weapon” as ALL semi-auto magazine fed rifles (rimfire or centerfire), and requires registration of said rifles.
SB 53: Requires you to purchase an annual ammunition purchase permit before buying ammunition, requires you to present your permit and give your thumbprint every time you buy ammo, and bans the online and mail order sales of ammunition to CA.
SB 108: Requires mandatory locked storage of firearms at all times, regardless of if you are home or not.
SB 293: Bans the sale of conventional handguns, if the state DOJ approves the sale of “Owner Authorized – Smart” handgun technology (you know, that technology that doesn’t exist).
SB 299: Requires you to report the loss of your firearm within 48 hours.
SB 374: Bans the sale of any rifle that is semi auto, or accepts a detachable magazine, or both, and requires the registration of previously owned rifles as “assault rifles” in order to retain possession.
SB 396: Bans the possession of any magazine that holds over 10 rounds. Confiscates registered, grandfathered magazines.
Finally,
SB 567: CHANGES THE TECHNICAL DEFINITION OF A SHOTGUN, TURNING ALL HANDGUNS INTO NFA-REGULATED SHORT-BARRELED SHOTGUNS, MAKING ALL HANDGUNS ILLEGAL TO OWN IN CALIFORNIA.
I just took a look at SB 567, and what I found was a bill concerning plastic bags and the like, not firearms.
GO here:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB567&search_keywords=
This is SB-567 introduced by Jackson.
Thank you for the link.
…reiterating SB47: it will turn a lowly Ruger 10/22 Tactical into an “assault rifle” because of having a removable magazine and that deadly – OMG! – threaded barrel.
Which, of course, facilitates an ever-so-lethal flash suppressor.
Nice huh? CA is going full retard folks!!! Don’t ever go full retard!
…may I make a request of all the TTAG readers?
Whether you love/hate/or couldn’t care less about California and the people that live here, you must realize that the aforementioned adage is very true. Once these manically over reaching restrictions get placed, a precedent is set and the cancer will affect you all.
My request is, please, take a moment and email/call/write California legislators expressing your concern. Yes, many of you are out-of-state and some of them won’t pay attention to non-constituents. However, some will – and in that, your efforts will help us.
We’re fighting, but we need help.
Thanks much.
Good luck to our brothers in Cali. Keep your cool if confronted by anti 2a loons, dress well, speak softly. Keep in mind you will be creating a national visual by which all of us will be evaluated. Any pro gun advancement in the golden state will help everyone. Give it your best people.
Ha in April you will get to see me all dressed up in SAC. The hearings are broadcast live as well so you will see me, Craig DeLuz from Cal-FFL, Sam Paredes from the GOA California.
Sorry, all the protests in the world will change nothing. These restrictions will pass with ease, the freedom loving people still living in California are badly outnumbered. You have my sympathy.
Stop voting effing libtard (democrat) you morons. For those that did not vote libtard, you have my sympathy. Elections have consequences.
The laws of California rise near the level of “Right to Revolution.” When the people’s militia is weakened to the point where its’ state Medical Board SWAT team has more firepower than folks that live on your street do, and the redistricting election committee proves itself corrupt, then the story goes dead and the Dems win a super majority. Well, you’re there. I’m taking my retired teacher’s pension and moving out of state. Going to make my stand in a free state.
Retirement house in AL is under construction.
Keep your heads up and for goodness sake some of you folks need to cut out the defeatist attitude. Most all of this stuff, if passed will have to get sorted out in the courts regardless. I welcome the opportunity and frankly the antis may have bitten off more than they can chew and may wind up not only getting some of this legislation overturned, but may lose previously passed legislation in the process.
We still have not fully had our day in court over the “assault weapon” issue and definitely haven’t had it over “how many bullets” we can have in our guns. 13 years since the 2000 ban and where the heck has the NRA lawyers been? The time is now to not only apply pressure to our elected officials, but also our own gun rights organizations to take action.
California for too long has been neglected by our national organizations using it as a poster child for ‘what might happen” in other states. I expect the full weight of these national organizations to take action legally not only on the new stuff but also the past legislation.
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