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 caligraa@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.