“Their desire to create an anti-gun wonderland is short on reality and long on fantasy.”
In response to Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta’s announcement of new efforts to advance critical “gun safety” legislation, Gun Owners of California is boldly challenging the direction their policies will take the state of California.
The press conference at the Capitol today concentrated primarily on the introduction of SB 2 by Senator Anthony Portantino – a virtual copy-cat of last year’s failed SB 918, but also covered a host of priorities which included the imposition of new fees/taxes, microstamping, task forces, ghost guns and gun violence restraining orders.
“They don’t understand guns but what’s worse – they don’t understand evil and human nature. Until the light bulb goes on that criminals – by their very nature – will commit criminal acts, nothing will change” said GOC Executive Director Sam Paredes. “These recent shootings are horrific. The time of putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound must come to an end.”
Recent tragedies, in concert with intense anger over the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision last summer has led state leaders to create what they believe to be a “blueprint” for the rest of the nation. Fully believing each ideal has met Constitutional muster, they have ignored Bruen – giving more credence to the dissenting anti-Second Amendment opinion rather than the ruling of the strong majority.
GOC’s responses are as follows:
- The creation of a tax for a permanent dedicated gun violence prevention and victim recovery fund is premised entirely on placing blame on a legal industry selling a legal product that is in common legal use by responsible citizens. This is a punitive proposal that penalizes a thoroughly lawful activity and will do nothing to stem the tide of criminal use of firearms. Further, using funds to protect communities will be a waste of taxpayer dollars so long as the state continues the early release of violent felons onto our streets.
- The restriction of carrying a firearm in “sensitive places” ship has already sailed; courts across the country have ruled such restrictions are blatantly unconstitutional.
- Classifying “gun violence” as a public health crisis is misleading – it appears that not everyone wants to stop the criminal use of firearms because focusing resources on state bureaucracies to treat gun violence is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. This is taking the long way around the barn and doesn’t get to the heart of the matter.
- Doubling down on microstamping – a failed, unproven technology that has been dumped by it’s inventor will not stop heinous acts by evil people. By mandating that all guns sold in California be microstamped is nothing more than a gun ban, an unveiled attempt to prohibit a responsible individual from being able to buy a gun for any lawful purpose.
- The last thing California needs is another “expert” task force to come up with best “proactive recommendations”. Concentrating completely on guns and the aftermath of criminal acts will do nothing to deter the criminal itself.
- This is more “ghost gun” fear mongering; the machines the state aims to ban such as milling machines and 3D printers are not gun specific and will negatively impact a host of other perfectly legal uses. Plus, courts have held that its unconstitutional to restrict an individual’s First Amendment rights to share digital information.
- Any expansion of Gun Violence Restraining Orders is unnecessary, given the current statutes. There is no evidence this is a problem that needs fixing.
- Seeking federal funds to beef up “robust utilization and understanding of all options available in California” is short on details – no matter how you candy coat this, infringing on someone’s right to possess a firearm because someone “thinks” there might be a danger is a clear violation of civil rights. Current law already protects individuals where there is evidence of potential harm.
- The Armed Prohibited Persons Program has consistently maintained a backlog, in spite of more money and personnel. Members of the legislature have repeatedly asked for audits of the program to no avail. More money will not fix inefficiency.
- California already has the strongest background check system in the nation. “Stronger efforts, additional reforms and stronger safety test standards” is a bunch of double speak mumbo jumbo that has absolutely no basis in fact.
“Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta and elected leaders have proclaimed California’s gun laws are effective, but if our current state is an example of success, I wouldn’t want to see what failure looks like. Their desire to create an anti-gun wonderland is short on reality and long on fantasy.”
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