By Timothy Wheeler, MD
I’ve often joked with friends out here in California about the difference between our capital city of Sacramento and Las Vegas. One is full of hustlers, whores, and lowlifes. The other is located in Nevada. The few gun owners who have been paying attention to the foaming lynch mob that the California legislature has become know these truths well. The rest will find out, to their shock and disgust, in due time.
Only a handful of California gun owners know the ordeal their pro-gun rights representatives just endured on their behalf in Sacramento. These people, motivated largely by dedication to our civil right of gun ownership, have the unenviable job of making the logical case against gun control before an openly hostile legislative body blindly dedicated to snuffing out civil rights in California.
We’ve already given you an inside look at the dirty tactics of the ruling party in California’s legislature. In April, DRGO Social Media Editor Arthur Przebinda, MD and I appeared before the Senate Public Safety Committee to testify against SB 1006, a bill that would grab taxpayers’ money to pay for a state anti-gun advocacy research operation at the University of California.
Committee Chair Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) interrupted and stopped my testimony because I was disclosing embarrassing facts about the bill’s main benefactor, longtime anti-gun rights advocacy researcher Garen Wintemute.
But that was just the beginning of legislators’ harassment of gun owners. As SB 1006 and about ten other anti-gun rights bills moved through the legislative process, legislators pulled every dirty trick in the book—gutting and amending bills at the last minute, switching hearing dates to inconvenience and shut out opposing witnesses, and suspending rules of procedure to rush bills through committee and minimize public exposure and comment.
But the worst lawmaker misconduct went down on June 14 at the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing. If you can stomach it, here is the entire 3 hour and 41-minute video of the hearing. But we have taken two short excerpts showing the sickeningly disrespectful treatment meted out to our pro-civil rights representatives by Senator Isadore Hall (D-Compton) and Assemblymember Evan Low (D-San Jose).
Witness Senator Hall’s incoherent rage after representatives of the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of California, and the California Waterfowl Association had just testified against his bill to ban most modern sporting rifles, SB 880:
“Their dirty, filthy mouths [i.e., the three witnesses against the bill] that need to be washed with soap…these are vicious people that are sitting here protecting these vicious murderers…these crazy, vicious, heartless individuals that come to this dais…need to wash their mouths because they are filthy, and their attitudes demonstrate filth.”
Keep in mind, the Senator’s rant was prompted by the courteous and entirely professional testimony of these three gentlemen. You can see on the video that they were not the crazy or vicious ones in this exchange.
The tirade by Senator Straight Outta Compton, other than revealing his trashy character, was surely intended to obscure the irony that nowhere is violent crime worse than in his own South Central Los Angeles district. And assuming that even stricter gun control would help stop it, if Hall were serious he would focus his faux outrage on handguns, the preferred tool of criminals everywhere, including the gangbangers in his own district.
But instead, he demonizes the modern rifles most favored by millions of law-abiding 21st century American gun owners for hunting, marksmanship competitions, and self-defense. As we pointed out in a previous post, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, rifles of any kind are used in fewer than 3% of murders, and these modern rifles are an even smaller fraction of that number.
Balancing Hall’s bluster in his own passive-aggressive way was committee member Evan Low (D-San Jose). After the above-described testimony from the three pro-gun rights representatives, Assemblymember Low called the National Rifle Association legislative liaison Dan Reid back to the witness table. His pretense for summoning Mr. Reid was to ask a question about his testimony, a normal procedure when a committee member desires clarification on an expert matter of policy.
But Low’s real motive was to publicly excoriate the NRA rep. Low repeatedly addressed Reid by his first name. Later in the hearing Low waxed poetic about the “rainbow flag” flying outside the capitol (at 3:02:00 in the main video), puffing up his own inclusiveness and freedom from bigotry (Low brags on his website about having been “the youngest openly LGBT mayor in the country”). But Low clearly has a limited tolerance for supporters of the civil right of gun ownership, as you see from the undifferentiated hatred he heaps on Mr. Reid:
“It’s very difficult for me to sit here and look at you in the eyes and have respect for you, sir, Dan. Because not only because of [sic] the lives that have been cut because of your organization—mothers and fathers—but many lives have been shattered from it.”
Low goes on to list the names of several victims of the Orlando terrorist murders, then with barely suppressed rage, continues his attack,
“Of course, the reason they were murdered was because specifically of [sic] your organization, Dan [i.e., the NRA], which has vigorously lobbied to allow for these things to occur.”
How many Californians know that their legislature is run by swaggering bullies with anger issues and open contempt for the people who elect them?
Sen. Isadore Hall is Compton’s own Bull Connor in a bow tie, wielding not a fire hose, but an unseemly sharp tongue from the podium of the Senate. Assemblymember Evan Low is a Silicon Valley version of David Duke. Neither is worthy to shine the shoes of the NRA’s Mr. Reid, whose dignified responses proved him in every way the moral superior of these two preening scoundrels.
Gun owners and lovers of freedom in California and everywhere should heed the appalling behavior of California’s legislators this session. It is a harbinger of persecution to come, especially if Hillary Clinton wins the White House. We must not accept it, anywhere or anytime.
(This post originally appeared at drgo.us and is reprinted here with permission.)
And so it begins….
When we see this on CSPAN it’s over.
You may not.
The CA legislature is actually trying to block the use of video of its proceedings for the purposes of political activism.
They tried and they lost. They were sued (by the Firearms Policy Coalition, if I recall correctly) and a federal court judge issued a temporary injunction blocking their attempted criminalization of republication of public speech. Which is why these videos have been published. One small victory.
The number of reasonable, rational people I’ve met from California is one I can count on the fingers of one hand. So, it’s no surprise to me that the elected representatives of the state are douche-nozzles.
If you’re shocked by this behavior you’ve been living under a rock. Why is it the people that want to ban guns always seem to be the type of person who shouldn’t own guns themselves, since they obviously have anger issues and are incapable of rational thought?
Those types of people are usually really good at projecting their motives into the discussion of why someone shouldn’t have or do something. Literally all of the problems begin and end with them. The emotionally based moron is a nuisance in small quantity and a dangerous force for evil in mass.
Californians are to busy playing to know what is being done and responsible gun owner Californians are way out numbered now and the progressive socialist are voting in greater numbers than constitutionalist . You better leave the spectacularly beautiful state of California before you aren’t allowed to . I grew up in the state so I’m not biased , I am just a rationalist and I know when it’s time to bail . These people represented here in this legislator need a place they can call home , a thoroughly beautiful place they can thoroughly destroy , a place the rest of America can use as an example to not be , a place where folks just like them can all call home and a place where we can encourage people like them in our states to go to . A place big enough to hold them all . If we don’t give California to them then I fear the Progressive virus will spread and infect every corner of America , contain it there and send those infected in our mist there . Maybe that’s where we need to build the wall .
How about if we give them all of LA? It should be big enough to hold them all. But they have to promise to leave the rest of us alone–and that ain’t never gonna happen.
Having been born and raised in California I can tell you the voting majority care only about legal gay sex, legal Marijuana intoxication and using crystal meth to improve their sexual experience.
Anyone of these three positions that a candidate supports will get them elected. The “civil right” to great sex has eclipsed the civil right to own guns in the minds of most voting Californians.
You seem to be correct in your observations Chris , I haven’t lived in California ( Torrance ) since 1966 , but I have watched their progress into oblivion and sadly I don’t think LA is nearly big enough to hold all the mentally challenged Americans that mistakenly believe utopia is possible under mans rule and that all things are acceptable in their views of utopia , morality is unacceptable control by God but things like gun control is acceptable control by the state .
We are here gang .
Mark s
Several years ago Justin Raimondio, an open homosexual ran against Nancy Pelosi. He is the only homosexual to run as a gun rights and less government candidate.
He was rejected by the big government homosexual establishment. They preferred to vote for a big government “breeder” instead.
I great memories growing up Sacto. But I’m glad I don’t live there anymore.
it’s proof that living in a city causes mental disease but if you venture out of the cities and talk to REAL people, you find ones with their mental faculties and understand why we have the Second Amendment. (I’d bet that most of the anti-gun folks don’t know about the Bill of Rights)
After the Mexican border is walled-off, perhaps we should do likewise with Caliphornia’s.
Easy solution to this outright blatant vitriol, respond to their questions by stating the names of all the women who have been raped in California because they could not legally carry a self defense firearm on their person, or in their purse since the enacting of the drop safety test laws for handguns, state all the names of the men and women of California who have died in their homes, on the streets, going to and from places of business, because all the present “commonsense gun safety laws” enacted and those proposed do NOTHING to stop criminals from possessing illegal firearms from shooting people who abide by the law. This level of blatant hatred of the left for the right is the reason why I switched party affiliation, it is the reason I refuse to continue living here any longer, it is the reason I will NEVER return to this god forsaken garbage fire of a state.
Respond by stating how a registration number is physically incapable of standing between a bullet fired by a criminal, and their victim, state with all the power that you can voice to their self-righteous indignation, to just admit that you want to disarm the populace because you think the 2nd Amendment can no longer exist in our country and our state, FORCE them to admit the truth we all know. F uck these people, their stupid bow ties and their faux rage, you want my gun? Come and get them, I got 45 friends with 5.56 buddies waiting for you and your bs.
I get supremely pissed at these shows of “emotion” when these same individuals do nothing to stem the tide of plea bargaining that street criminals get away with, allowing them to slip out of gun violations that would send their sorry behinds to jail where they belong. Dangit, now I’m all worked up.
If you asked, they would undoubtedly admit that they “don’t want to take your guns,” but that they want to make it difficult if not outright impossible to buy any more. ARs/AKs are first on the list, and are covered by the Bullet Button ban (featureless semi-auto rifles only after 1/1/17), semi-auto handguns are second.Having been subjected to the microstamping law, there are no new pistols being sold here. Ruger has one, Colt has one. Springfield does a good business in 1911s, but can only sell the old XD models, nothing newer. Same with Glock. If they could find a way to limit the availability of revolvers, they would, but probably don’t need to because they are generally more expensive than pistols. Pretty soon it will be cap and balls and bows and arrows.
A absolutely great article headlines this months American Rifleman magazine , a must read by everyone . ” The AR is the new musket ” .
Check it out .
I’ll pass on the cap and ball. But give me a good crossbow. Silent but deadly.
This reveals the deep-seated hatred that Progressives harbor in their hearts for anyone who is “different”.
It is because of people like these two sorry excuses for human beings that I am armed. History show us with utmost clarity: when a cabal has that much hatred for another group of people, the cabal will come for the lives of the hated people.
Then I challenge you sir to stand up for your family when they are attacked by the criminal(s) in your state and try to defend your loved ones with nothing more than your words and fists (if you even know how to fight), while every criminal in your state is armed. You are an idiot with no grasp of reality or common sense, and you definitely belong is CA.
This guy from Compton certainly should focus on the issues in own district. Compton is “I don’t think we are in Kansas, Totto!” I had the occasion to do some, “of all things, surveillance” in Compton, years ago. Stopped at a KFC to grab a bite. Only place in all my travels where there was 1/2 plexiglass separating me from the casier. Cash and food passed through a sliding tray. What a shit hole. But, so is the rest of Cali. Getting out in a couple years. Not soon enough.
I encountered the same thing in a white Castle (it was 3am and I was thirsty, don’t judge me) on the south side of chicago once. Yay plexiglass.
3am Chicago Steve? I’ve had some adventures in the hood-glad I’m still kicking:)
The self-labeled ‘tolerant left’ the most intolerant concentration of people you could ever group together.
Oh, BTW, shouldn’t it be pointed out to these legislatures that an overwhelming majority of mass shooters are DEMOCRAT?
Only if you want to look really stupid. Those viral lists going around the internet that cherry pick some mass shooters and simply claim they’re registered democrats are laughably made up and have been picked to pieces over and over again. A lot of them list people too young to register to vote and list people in the military that have in writing no registered party affiliation in their military records.
Even if it was true would it be relevant to mention to counter terrorism panels that most terrorists in the US are right wing? Because we know that through actual empirical study by the last right wing administration this is the case. It’s also entirely irrelevant.
These idiots think that passing a bill that will ban 80% lowers will somehow lower “gun violence” in California, failing to understand that in most, maybe all of the rest of the country, an 80% lower is not a firearm and requires no background check to purchase. There is nothing in the law that prevents anyone from just crossing the border to Arizona, Nevada or Oregon and buying an 80% lower. All the rest of the parts are not “firearms” either and can legally be obtained through the mail. The State will know nothing of such rifle unless and until it is recovered at a “crime scene.” (Most EBRs, including those built from 80% lowers, are not used to shoot anyone, but instead are recovered in drug raids. Drug houses and gang houses are “crime scenes” if anyone is arrested there.)
It doesn’t matter how much money someone has, what clothes they wear, what job they have, if they are an idiot, that’s what they are.
Why do gun manufacturers continue to sell to law enforcement in these places? If these tyrants want to make it this difficult for private citizens, it should be just as bad for public employees. Once the cops see the supply drying up, maybe something would change?
Why? The vast majority of us in Law Enforcement are conservatives, and military veterans. We don’t like the way California is going with gun rights (or anything else, for that matter), any more than the rest of you. But what can we do? We don’t make the laws. We have no power over the decisions of California politicians. The Liberals here, and everywhere else, hate LEO’s just as much as they hate Conservatives. I am a LEO, I vote Republican, and I am a member of the NRA. How am I to blame for the laws our corrupt politicians put into place?
I got out of my home state to texas only a few months before this all went down. This just cemented that I’m most certainly never going back.
Mr. Low needs to open a dictionary and look up the definition of the word “reason.”
If a man purposely burns down a house is it because matches weren’t banned or is it because the man decided to burn down a house?
Some of you might find it interesting to know that on June 8 the California Senate passed a bill that exempts ALL California Legislature Members from the gun control laws they are passing to egregiously infringe Californians gun rights.
http://www.usacarry.com/california-senate-votes-28-8-to-exempt-itself-from-california-gun-laws/
Do not know if the Assembly has picked this up yet, but probably only a matter of time.
Holy cow. I feel sick to my stomach… and I live in San Diego. For now.
If you want to keep your guns then don’t vote these crazy people.
Private individuals are going to have to start an education campaign for gun rights in California. The state government won’t do it.
One of the first things you are going to have to do is confront the racist gun control history of California.
You are going to have to explain why Ronald Reagan was wrong and the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was correct.
We will see if the citizens of California have the stomach for what has to be done to restore civil rights to the people.
so i called his office and let know that’s ok to wash my mouth out and ask the aide when they stop dog fighting in the black community ?
Evan Low is the lowest of the low. I hope he ends up like Leland Yee.