Firearms Policy Coalition Statement Following Thousand Oaks Shooting

SACRAMENTO, CA —-(Ammoland.com)- Last night, a man carried out a horrific attack on our American brothers and sisters in Thousand Oaks, California. Today, we grieve for those lives lost. Today, we thank Ventura Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus for his ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. And today, we encourage all people to become informed about defensive tactics, weapons, and their use so that – when necessary – you are capable of employing just force – even deadly force – to oppose those evils that would cause innocent people to be hurt or killed.

The State of California has some of the harshest gun control laws in the United States. But, as history teaches, violence does not respect government authority. Those who would perpetrate violence do not respect human life. And the government is not a divine entity capable of shielding you from danger and our flawed human condition. It is not a shield against bad acts. The government has no duty to protect you, and you are your own first responder.

Once more we see the devastating effects of the illusion of safety that gun control laws and policies are founded upon. Once more we see that people intent on causing death, injury, and chaos ignore the thousands of federal, state, and local criminal laws that criminalize conduct including murder, terrorism, and assault. Once more news outlets show us proof that evil and insane people will find a way to hurt or kill the innocent until they voluntarily end their attack, commit suicide, or are stopped by a courageous person willing to sacrifice themselves to save others – most likely one who is armed.

Gun control proponents like Gavin Newsom, California’s incoming governor, are irrationally committed to passing more and more laws that just do not prevent violent people from doing evil things. Indeed, he and other anti-gun advocates are the embodiment of insanity, doing the same things over and over again while expecting different results. They make innocent people more and more defenseless and then feign shock when their policies result in predictable and tragic outcomes.

Under Governor Newsom, we expect that Californians will be put in grave danger through further restrictions on the human right of self-defense. By promoting and adding new restrictions to the states already-Byzantine gun control laws, Newsom and the legislature will ensure that everyone except the rich and politically connected – those who have the means to heavily-armed government or private security personnel – will be vulnerable, defenseless targets.

But, as we have said before, our fundamental rights do not come from the government, the people, or even the Constitution itself. Our right to keep and bear arms exist with or without official legal recognition of it, with or without judicial enforcement of it, and with or without a desire for them to be exercised or respected.

Firearms Policy Coalition will continue working in executive offices, in legislatures, in the courts, and in the public to restore America’s lost Constitution. FPC will continue fighting for fundamental rights so that we, our members and supporters, and everyone may defend themselves against unjust force, wherever it may come from. And we will continue to defend and advance individual liberty – especially the People’s human right to keep and bear arms for all lawful purposes – so that they have the opportunity and means to #ShootBack if and when necessary to end a violent attack.

About Firearms Policy Coalition

Firearms Policy Coalition (www.firearmspolicy.org) is a 501(c)4 grassroots nonprofit organization. FPC’s mission is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, especially the fundamental, individual Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.