California Dreamin'

Perata’s snottiness explains much. It’s not about public safety — it’s about harassing gun owners and political opponents. That’s why we see endless proposals designed to infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms — something Attorney General Bill Lockyer denies exists.

"California Dreamin'," my September Rights Watch column for GUNS Magazine, is now online.

New Orleans: A Wakeup Call For California

"When politicians tell you that only law enforcement and police should own guns in today's 'modern society', tell them to go to hell... or New Orleans. There's no difference between either at this point in time."--Ralph Weller

What Kind of Example Are These People Setting for Our Children?

"I was standing on the front porch with a shotgun keeping an eye on things. I could hear people breaking into houses right around the corner. We knew. We knew we had to get out. There was no police presence. The people are just going crazy. There doesn't seem to be any authority at all...

"Earlier today, a man came up to me. I think he wanted the canoe. He saw I was armed and gave up.

"We happened to pass this mall and people were looting it.

"People told us the police went in there so they started shooting at the police. So the police left. They (looters) just set the place on fire. We saw it burning and we saw the fire department not even going near the place because the looters were going nuts."

The Brady Center, of course, knows better:

"Recent research has shown that most Americans feel less safe when others in the community acquire firearms: 71% of all Americans and 85% of non-gun owners came to this conclusion. Clearly, as the authors noted, 'the decision to own a firearm is more than solely a personal or a household issue - it affects others in the community as well.' The decision to allow citizens to carry firearms outside of their homes would arguably have an even more detrimental effect on feelings of safety.

"More importantly, one has to wonder what the National Rifle Association's mantra that 'an armed society is a polite society' is teaching our children. The rhetoric of the gun lobby suggests that only by carrying a weapon can one be safe in the United States. They claim that law enforcement cannot be trusted to protect society."

New Orleans Journal

Awesome and compelling commentary.

Thanks to McGath.

More "In Your FACE!" to CA Gun Owners

Mark Ridley-Thomas thinks we're not mature enough to select our own ammunition at gun stores.

Ridley-Thomas also promulgates a communist redistribution of wealth edict "that would impose a fee on ammunition to partially offset the financial costs incurred by firearm victims."

Along with then-mayor Tom Bradley, he told police to keep a low profile during the outbreak of the Los Angeles riots. Per former LAPD Assistant Chief Robert Vernon, "They listened to the politicians and those two quadrants of the city are where we had the trouble."

So he does what he can to disarm you, and then sets up conditions where you'd better be armed if you want to survive.

Let's see what Arnhole does with this one.

"Trade Your Gun for Cameras and Equipment"

Don't worry--this isn't another odious "gun buyback" program where some anti trades you merchandise gift certificates to "get guns off the street." It's an ad in the September 1955 issue of GUNS Magazine placed by the National Camera Exchange of Minneapolis, MN, which would sell you a gun as well (looks like they're out of the gun trading business--oh, that's right, the City of Minneapolis is currently harassing The Last Gunshop out of existence).

That's not all that's changed since this issue was printed.

Take a look back at a different time. Enjoy.

"Shoot to Kill"

That's what I'm hearing a lot of in regards to New Orleans looters.

Without getting into a debate on the many causes of the effects we are now seeing, I just want to point out one thing: A confrontation where looters or rioters are shot and killed by authorities could be the catalyst for riots in many other urban areas.

With each new report of lawlessness and violence, the potential for this seems more likely.

I hope that I'm wrong.