By Andrew Mendez
A nearly 500-person strong contingent of pro-gun individuals gathered in Anaheim Saturday to protest recent anti-gun laws in California. Standing in temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, individuals holding signs and wearing pro gun T-shirts came to the event to make their voices heard.
Recently, California Governor Jerry Brown, signed into law seven anti-gun bills shortly after a special session (nicknamed “Gunmageddon” by pro-gun groups) was utilized to fast track them to his desk.
Despite the Governor receiving thousands of calls, faxes, emails and letters urging him to veto the bills, he quickly signed six of them into law, just a day before he left for vacation.
This sparked anger and outrage among California gun owners, already frustrated with the significant amount of gun laws on the books. These anti-gun laws are some of worst in the nation. That spurred the organization of multiple pro-gun rallies around the state. A similar rally took place in Los Angeles. This weekend, a rally is scheduled to take place in San Diego.
These rallies are intended to wake up and empower California gun owners. The California pro-gun grassroots needs a renaissance. The cause is not lost, but people need to get out from behind their computer screens and in front of their legislators.
Boris Kogan, an individual with no affiliation to any specific gun rights group – not even the NRA – organized the event. It was organized on Facebook, online gun forums and pro-freedom websites. Kogan obtained a permit for the rally and met with the Anaheim Police Department who were more than accommodating.
Representatives of six separate organizations were invited to speak.
Kogan, the first speaker and master of ceremonies, explained how he came to this country as an immigrant, not learning English until he was older. He explained the deep love he had for his country, specifically our freedoms. Speaking to rally participants, he expressed the great frustration of many California gun owners with the number of gun laws imposed on the state’s gun owners. He also spoke about his hopes for the success of six referendums which are being prepared to combat the recently signed anti-¬gun laws.
The last speaker of the event was Nicki Stallard, speaking on behalf of the Pink Pistols, a pro-gun LGBT group. Stallard spoke passionately about their organization and explained the now personal fight between her and lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom, a strongly anti-gun politician, had recently used a quote from Stallard and her photo to suggest that the NRA is exploiting a trans person for political gain (and a goal he abhors – an individual’s rights to keep and bear arms). Stallard, who has no affiliation with the NRA, took great offense at Newsom’s cynical tactics and had taken to Facebook to respond to Newsom. Newsom’s bravado proved to be limited to lobbing rhetorical grenades and running. He did not respond.
I attended the event on behalf of calguns.net, an online California based gun forum and spoke about not only the continuous effort to fight the laws already on the books but also the history of California’s early gun control laws and their origin with early settlers’ attempted to disarm Native Americans as a way to facilitate taking their land.
To me, this fight is personal. Being a California native and a father to four daughters and one son, the fight is not for me, but for my grandchildren who haven’t yet been born. I envision a date in 40 years, when I can sit down and tell my grandchildren that I was part of the great California gun rights battle, ensuring their freedom.
Andrew Mendez is a gun rights activist and organizer in Southern California.
Won’t do any good without some shooting.
If the shooting starts the backlash would be worse than the situation now. I’ve said it elsewhere, I’ll say it here: The Argentine’s method of dealing with leftists worked for them. Someone goes out for a cup of coffee…………
“If the shooting starts the backlash would be worse than the situation now.”
That was the argument against 235-ish years ago too. 100 years after that, it was a couple of brothers sitting on their mother’s couch calling each other mf that got it started again. Remember, if you don’t think were due for another, it’s better for the people that do.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer here but gun owners and activists are severely outnumbered in Cali by people who don’t care about civil rights at all. Even if they weren’t people like Newsome wouldn’t care.
I applaud the effort but this is a heads they win tails you lose situation and the 9th isn’t going to save Cali.
Actually, if EVERY CA gun owner was to vote, the people in Sacramento would be unemployed.
No offense but I don’t buy that. To turn the tide you need to consistently have both legislative houses and the Governor on your side and be prepaielred that the loss of any will prevent you from making headway.
We had this problem in Colorado after our rediculous laws went into effect after shady governmental dealings. We flipped the House and the Senate but not the governor. Now you’d think that would get Hickenlooper’s attention but it doesn’t.
Democrats at the state level have more loyalty to the DNC than they have to the people that elected them. As long as one of them can stand in your way, they will and you won’t repeal shit because someone at the national level will have their ear more than you do. A single phone call from someone like Ol’ Two Blasts Biden and the will of the people in your state goes out the window.
Obviously you haven’t looked at the voter rolls or the public opinion polls. California is lost.
Actually, if you look at turnout rates, he might be right. 7.5 million people voted in the 2014 election in California, and about 40% of them voted Republican in the statewide races. I’ve seen estimates of the number of gun owners in the state at around 8 million. Clearly, they’re not all voting pro-2A, and presumably they could make a pretty big difference if they did.
Of course, then there’s the problem that in many races in California, there isn’t a pro-gun candidate on the ballot from any party.
365,000 signatures in two months is a tall order, but if there really are millions of unrepresented gun owners in the state, it’s doable. I guess it’s time to put up or shut up.
Its less of a quantity issue than it is a distribution issue.
Wrong. People care about their rights. It’s the elected representatives that that shit on our liberties, infringe on our rights and wipe their asses with the Constitution.
You really think people care about their rights? Really?
The fact that politicians openly campaign on destruction of civil liberties and continue to not just be somewhat competitive, continue to win, shows that a healthy chunk of this country, and especially states like Cali and NY don’t give a flying fuck about their own rights. We’re talking states that elected Moonbeam and Cuomo here. That majority give no fucks about civil rights they only care about the letter next to the tyrants name.
If people cared about their rights most politicians, including every progressive alive, would have been tarred and feathered already. The fact that they haven’t speaks volumes about where most of the people in this country place their priorities.
“You really think people care about their rights? Really?”
9 million gun owners in CA care about their rights. 400 state legislators don’t. You have no scope of the problem. Democrats turned this state into a single party by redrawing districts to to keep them in elected every two years. Each and every year a new stack of gun bills are handed to representives in these strong holds and backed by a democrat Governor. There is no peaceful solution other than leave the state.
“9 million gun owners in CA care about their rights.”
Too bad the other 29.8 million people in Cali don’t care. Sorry man, Cali is lost. Put it to a vote and you’ll lose 3-1 every time. The only thing that’s going to save it is for the feds to overrule the state.
The other option is to really embrace federalism and state’s rights leaving those in Cali who care the options to be ruled over or leave for a better state and let Cali sink or swim on her own.
Redistricting is a problem, I’ll grant you that, but if the majority of people in Cali saw it as a problem the folks in Sacramento would be on the unemployment line. They’re not. The majority doesn’t give a shit. Sorry, that’s reality. If you live there I feel bad for you, but you need to move. As I said elsewhere, Cali isn’t even a rear-guard action anymore. It’s lost and retaking it is a suicide mission until the day the majority start to really feel the pain they’ve managed to elect for themselves.
9 million gun owners in CA…and only 500 showed?? They obviously don’t care about their rights. CA gun owners need to rally in the 10s of thousands at the very least. With that kind of movement they would see other states’ gun owners travelling to support the CA cause.
Coloradokid gets it.
About 500 pro gun rights people showed up in a population of about, what, 2 million firearms owners in the greater Los Angeles area?
Yea alot of what you said is unfortunately true. But is that supposed to mean that we should all just give up and go away quietly into the night? FUCK THAT! We have to do something if for nothing else, then just to preserve the few gun rights that we have left.
There comes a time when you realize that a battle can’t be won and you withdraw to fight somewhere else where you can win.
If you want to save California and New York you won’t do it inside California or New York. The populations are too stupid for that. They actively and willfully throw away their own rights in search of “safety” and we’re not just talking about the 2A. You need to get Consitutionalists on the SCOTUS and elect representatives and senators at the national level who will remove federal judges that don’t uphold the Constitution.
Otherwise you’re just wasting resources on campaigns you are doomed to lose. There’s nothing wrong with dying on a hill somewhere for a worthy cause but there’s no point in dying in a battle you shouldn’t be fighting where the chance of success is 0.0000%. Cali isn’t even a rear-guard action at this point, without major changes that overrule the state government Cali is nothing but a lost cause. It’s the Little Big Horn and the Indians are in Sacramento.
And what if you’re not even really fighting, just bitching on the internet, like it appears all but 500 CA gunowners are?
@barnbwt:
Whether they are truly fighting or just “bitching on the internet” is irrelevant IMHO. Neither will succeed because California is too far gone.
This is the point where you either embrace state’s rights and flee or accept an overarching national government and work to get it to undo what the government of California has done. There are no other options that don’t end up with the protester dead and the union in complete upheaval.
strych9 is on the money.
This comment from the article says it all, “Kogan obtained a permit for the rally …”
How does any government claim to require a permit for exercising a fundamental, Constitutionally enumerated right? The First Amendment plainly says that we have a right to free speech, to peacefully assemble, and to petition government for a redress of grievances. If these guys were really serious about their rights, they would have held their rally without acquiring a permit.
Bullshit. Kalis are lazy. CA has more gun owners than any state (they claim) and they rally 500 protestors. MA has fewer gun owners than most and they rally five thousand in a matter of days.
Bullshit. Kalis are lazy, and do not value their rights enough to do anything to keep them. So they might as well leave so we can get their tax dollars & labor & congressional apportionment in the free states, since they clearly are not staying behind to fight the noble fight in vain like so many claim.
This may go without saying, but Constitutional laws are not meant to protect things that are popular. Popular things need no such protections. Basic rights remain valid even if they’re hated and reviled. Pure democracy is no better than mob rule.
Exactly, this country was founded as a republic to protect individual rights. Democracies are mob rule, and the state and/or special interests manufacture consensus in a mob rule environments.
Wish we had something like this in central/Northern California. Would love to attend.
Organize one. Take initiative and change something.
“…Wish we had something like this in central/Northern California. ”
So grab your phone, call two friends, have each call two friends, have them call two friends… get a chain going and start your own demonstration.
What…..is a phone call?
Only until very bad things start to happen to those who voted for it will they be asking themselves whether or not it was worth it to pass that law.
(Bad things, like picking a horrible color for a car, for example…)
Such as black, white, lime-green, or piss-yellow?
Water that tree…and call it liberty.
Good luck. It’s all I got.
The Scotus is divided so they are making their moves. You won’t be able to do a damn thing about it.
Shame they can’t move to the Free State of Jefferson.
Do work Cali.
Wouldn’t a better name be Arms-ageddon?
Gun rights are going gone. When gun bills are summited they come directly from the pro tem leader and distributed to democrat entrenched districts. Then they bypass legislative procedure and ram them up republicans asses.
This state is lost cause and no hope in hell will it change by peaceful means.
I escaped Kaliforniastan a few months ago. I made it out just in time.
Me too
I’m working on it
Let’s take a bill originally written to deal with, I don’t know, Gnats Undergoing Nutritional Stimulation. Take this bill Number CS-65322 and re-write it to be Guns Usurped for Nonsensical Situations. Because we NEED TO DO SOMETHING, even if it only means a bill that will accomplish nothing other than make lawful gun owners jump through hoops to achieve that which was simple before the bill. Another situation which the antis celebrate- For The Children ™. But Go after the actual problem? Bust gang bangers and sentence them accordingly to reduce street violence. Oh HELL NO, political correctness must NOT be urinated on……….Psssst, it’s not a gang problem………….it’s the ooga booga guns……….
The good thing about 2A issues is that the People have the solution to the problem in their holsters.
I thought about this and the only Peaceful solution is to vote with your feet…leave the state.If every gun owner left CA would cease to exist.
CA sucks in every way possible, except for climate.
Never give up what is right no matter what anyone else thinks. History has shown that a single protester can turn around a column of tanks.
Ahhh, I see, like the student in China at Tiananmen Square, oh wait …
If one chooses to live among a majority of liberals, one must live by the liberal’s rules. It really is that simple.
Even in one of the reddest county in the state, they could only muster 9 percent of the vote to open a gun range. California probably has a lot of gun owners (9% is about 3.5 million), but they are clearly in the minority.
Nidorans are awesome. They have great physical attack numbers.
Where can I sign the petition? Checked the article but it was vague on details.
Petitions aren’t ready yet. They will be, hopefully at every gun store and range in california.
“9 million gun owners in CA care about their rights. 400 state legislators don’t. You have no scope of the problem. Democrats turned this state into a single party by redrawing districts to to keep them in elected every two years. Each and every year a new stack of gun bills are handed to representives in these strong holds and backed by a democrat Governor. There is no peaceful solution other than leave the state.”
100% Correct.
Anyone who believes this can be solved by protesting peacefully and through calling your reps.. we are so far past that point.. go ahead waste your time, then hold on to your seats till next year.. then next year then next year as more bills get passed and when its time to wake up you’ll have nothing.
The “cutest” people are those that wear the Molon labe, Gadsden flag shirt’s/hat’s with no real grasp of the true history and violent sacrifice behind those bold meaning’s which today are so pathetically represented in shreds of cotton worn by beer gut, flip flop shuffling, Monday quarter backer’s that couldn’t finish a mile run in 12 mins.
Signed a non-law abiding domestic tourist.
I appreciate these efforts!
Don’t get discouraged and keep protesting. I’m going to try and make one of these myself.
Would it be more effective if instead of pictures of guns, they actually carried guns?
I know people fear losing gun rights by “illegally” carrying them. But you are losing them anyway. Imagine 500 armed citizens peacefully assembling. What are they going to do? Shoot them all? It’s going to take bold action to reverse majority rule and regain Constitutional law. Talk about optics. No guns, no air time. 500 guns, lead story on the 5:00 news. Bad news is good news if all you want is to be heard. Don’t worry about the spin. FOX News will get it right and so will TTAG. The whole world will hear about it. MA will stage an armed rally. NY, NJ, CT will follow suit. Free States will hold solidarity rallies in support. We don’t have to die or kill anyone for this to grow “out of control.” Control is who we are fighting. Have gun will travel! Brass roots movement!
BRASS ROOTS! Feel free to use that one. It is a Michel in GA original.
You know damn well that if 500 armed patriots assembled to protest. The elite in the government would not allow it to be peaceful. The elite would use force to stop the Patriots, this is likely when the civil war starts.
That would be a bad move. Remember the Bundy standoff? Bundy may have been guilty and yet the Feds backed down.
You stand up to the bully and you throw him off his game. If they shoot at the peaceful rally, it would make the Boston Massacre look like a Friday night and make Waco look like a trash fire.
I’ll wear a T-shirt with a literal target on the back.
I’d be down for that. It’s up to however the organizers want to do it. If they’re planning a lawful rally, then I’ll be lawful. If they’re planning a civil disobedience rally, then I’ll open carry a rifle. I’ve said it before, this sort of thing works for the weed legalization crowd. You get hundreds of people in one place all breaking a law and the cops just don’t have the resources to break it up and arrest individuals. Just don’t get separated from the crowd.
We could take some volunteers to get arrested that have nothing to lose. Guys that are self employed or guys that don’t care much about their gun rights but support the cause, or retired gentlemen. Would be nice to have some young veterans among the patriots. Gotta force the pigs…I mean, our wonderful law enforcement officers to do their jobs even if it is against their fundamental beliefs. Maybe we could even get some of our friends in LE to do the take down. It has to be a big show. Would love to see a large representation of minorities joining the side of freedom.
I dub it “The Brass Roots Free Party!”
And one more thing, NO STUPID RHYMING CHANTS!
Sorry… “Brassroots” has been an Arizona gun activist organization since the ‘90s.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/1995/10/06/169221-gun-buyback-protest-filed/
After the anti gun 9th court rulling for may issue ccw”s and nothing about the open carry ban infrigment the state is 101% lost (hawai same shame) !
Hey, California, 1968 called. They said “Too little, too late. You’re a slave state now. Settle in for at least a century of socialism and serfdom, or else move.”
Great article, but that picture is from the rally at the MA state house against our AG’s reinterpretation of the AWB.
Good step in the right direction. Grass roots engagement and politics require both a short game and a long game. I got involved in 2013 in Maryland and ever since have tried to make it to the statehouse for gun bill day ever year. I haven’t always been able to but its not for lack of trying. If you don’t show up you have no chance of winning. Get off the internet and to the statehouse. Get involved.
We rallied here in Boston MA last week. The news report said that there were 500 of us there. They showed film from a helicopter overhead at around 9:20am. The rally started at 10am. The true number was realistically 2500-3000 at 10am sharp. no arrests. No tickets issued. No nothing. Just making our voice heard. The media lies, and the libtards are the violent felons, not legal gun owners. Maybe they should report that.