In its infinite statism wisdom, the California legislature ended the week having approved AB-785. Firearms: possession of firearms by convicted persons is aimed at denying citizens convicted of a felony or misdemeanor hate crime their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. Governor Brown is sure to sign it into law. Here’s how the Golden State’s gonna roll:
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to, by force or threat of force, interfere with another person’s free exercise of any constitutional right or privilege because of the other person’s actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. Existing law also makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the property of another person, for the purpose of intimidating or interfering with the exercise of any of those constitutional rights because of those specified characteristics.
This bill would also add to the list of misdemeanors, the conviction for which is subject to the prohibition on possessing a firearm within 10 years of the conviction, the above-referenced interference with the exercise of civil rights, as specified. Because a violation of this provision would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
So, a Californian convicted of a misdemeanor “hate crime” stands to lose their guns and gun rights for 10 years. What could possibly go wrong?
Hey! Does threatening to deport an illegal immigrant by force (via armed government agents) count as interfering with another person’s free exercise of their Constitutional right? And what, pray tell, is a Constitutional privilege?
One more thing . . .
The gun grabbers on the left want to ban Americans on the FBI’s super-secret Terrorist Watch List from keeping and bearing arms (an honest-to-God Constitutional right). What’s the bet those lists are mostly based on the subjects’ race, religion and national origin?