California’s conservative activists are preparing to battle back Sacramento legislators, who are using the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and their new super-majority to impose further restrictions on gun ownership.
A Fox News report describes some of the proposed measures:
Political analysts say the political landscape puts California in the pole position to test gun-control limits.”Almost any idea that anybody in this country has, as to further regulate and limit access to weapons or ammunition, is probably going to get passed in California,” said Democratic strategist and USC law professor Susan Estrich.Some politicians want to regulate all ammunition sales, requiring background checks and permits.One Republican lawmaker wants a lifetime ban on gun ownership for anyone who’s ever been ruled a danger to others because of mental health issues — even if they’ve been successfully treated.
Why should this matter to non-Californians? Dawn Wildman, a state organizer for the California Tea Party groups, indicates that California will be a proving ground to determine what gun control advocacy tactics will be most effective.
“It appears that the fight will be in California, rather than nationally.” Wildman said. “The heart of the debate will be around large capacity magazines and assault rifles. They may change the regulations and also enhance the registration process as a means to a bi-partisan solution on the national level. On the state level, the super-majority will look to be as all-encompassing as possible and focus on banning assault rifles or ammunition as a means to an end.”
One of the legacies of the initial phase of the “tea party movement” that started in 2009 is the communication networks built between independent and conservative groups. Several California activists have cited the “Gun Owners of California” (GOC) as being the go-to team for this engagement.
It sure seems like a good choice:
When the legislation to ban semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns surfaced in 1989, GOC was the first pro-gun group on television, radio and in the newspapers to oppose this gun control attack. GOC was the first gun group in the nation to produce a video for television telling the truth about semi-automatic firearms.
When discussing the Golden State, non-Californians often joke about letting it slide into the sea. All jokes aside, any gun control measures that get entrenched here can potentially impact other states (e.g., signed Executive Orders that remain unchallenged by a weak Congress).
So, if you support the Second Amendment, our battle is yours.
Instapundit Prof. Glenn Reynolds shared a history bit on the National Rifle Association today, which highlights the importance of Second Amendment battles in citizen activism. It underscores a critically essential point:
Gun-control legislation is the NRA’s best friend: The organization claims an influx of 100,000 new members in recent weeks in the wake of the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn. The NRA, already with about 4 million members, hopes that the new push by Democrats in the White House and Congress to curb gun violence will bring the membership to 5 million.The group has learned the virtues of being a single-issue organization with a very simple take on that issue.
In fact, the outrageous outrage in the wake of Sandy Hook has inspired some Californians to renew their NRA membership!
As California’s battle unfolds, partnership between experienced single-issue groups and engaged conservative citizen organizations will be an extremely important alliance. I will provide reports from the front lines as they come in!
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY