U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “According to their official platform, the California Republican Party believes the United States Constitution guarantees the right of its citizenry to keep and bear arms and that the state’s gun control laws only serve to disarm law-abiding citizens, not criminals,” Gun Owners of California notes in a blog post decrying the state GOP’s deliberate indifference to acting on its pledges. “They are on the record as opposing any further gun control legislation and support the right of all California citizens to own and bear guns and ammunition for any lawful purpose.”
“If this is the case, then why would the California Republican Party continue to snub the hundreds of thousands of gun owners in the state?” GOC asks. “Why does the political party – the one that supposedly is the champion of the Constitution – treat California’s gun owners like annoying flies to be swatted away?”
Probably because equivocal platitudes Golden State Republicans offer to establish their 2A bona fides with those who don’t look deeper than rah-rah sloganeering are just that. The late RNC Chair Lee Atwater is reputed to have asked “Who else are gun owners going to vote for?” when informed performance didn’t live up to the promise. Being allowed to continually get away with that by “lesser of two evils” gun voters means there’s no incentive to change and to walk the talk.
Those in it for personal and political advancement will say whatever it takes to win. When they perceive that no longer works to their advantage, they guiltlessly reverse polarity and do what they think will serve them best, and the hell with those who brought them to the dance in the first place. Besides, who else are gun owners going to vote for, right?
None of this is news to California’s activist gun owners, of which I was one when I lived there. And in many cases, the misinformation being fed to them comes from groups they look to for leadership.
Case in point, the myth of Ronald Reagan being a great friend to gun owners, “substantiated” with anecdotes and citations to make that case, is directly contradicted by his actions.
20 years ago, I created a poll asking gun owners what they thought of a certain politician, listing some of the anti-gun actions he’s taken when in power, but not identifying who he was.
“[N]early 80%…who voted based solely on his actions deemed them ‘traitorous,’ and the vast majority of the balance deemed them ‘misguided.’”
It was, of course, Reagan. And he hosed us on immigration, too, leading to the seismic demographic shift in California that has anti-gun “progressives” gloating (and “gun rights” groups hiding behind a hollow “single issue” excuse), and encourages remaining Republicans to act more and more like Democrats if they want to have any skin in the game at all.
So why should California Republicans (and those from other states where they think they can get away with it) do anything more than give lip service to gun owners, assuming they even need to do that? After all, they’ve been getting away with serial betrayals for years.
Remember Gov. Pete Wilson?
“Pete Wilson has been strong and reliable on gun laws,” said Bob Walker, president of Handgun Control Inc. in Washington. “I think Gov. Wilson has always had a reputation for moderation. We think this is a very moderate and sensible approach to the problem.”
How about Attorney General Dan Lundgren?
“Many owners of the named firearms did not comply with the law, so Attorney General Dan Lundgren allowed persons to register them after the deadline. Fearing criminal penalties for possessing an illegal firearm, many owners reported their firearms under Lundren’s ‘amnesty’ program. In August 1998, however, a California appellate court held the Attorney General could not legally allow the gun owners to register their weapons after the March 1992 deadline. That ruling came after many owners had already identified themselves by registering late. The Attorney General had led the law-fearing lambs into a trap: citizens had voluntarily informed the state that they were felons.”
Then there was Gov. George Deukmejian:
“We’re coming up on the 24th anniversary of Iron Duke’s outdrawing the gun lobby to enact the nation’s first assault weapons ban — an action hardly anyone could have predicted, given his political past. Deukmejian owed his gubernatorial election in 1982, in large part, to gun owners.”
And don’t forget Arnold Schwarzenegger with his predictable results. He was someone a handful of us warned California gun owners against before he was selected to represent the GOP, only to see our warnings ignored or overwhelmed by misdirecting “gun group” voices.
So, with Republicans like these, who needs Democrats? (Sorry, GOC, if you’re going to insist there are “many freedom-loving Democrats,” it’s on you to show us their votes don’t enable the tyranny-loving kind. If owning a gun was all it took, we’d have no better pals than Lon Horiuchi and David Chipman.
And before you say “Libertarians,” consider their amnesty/invite-all platform and then show your research on why you’re right on demographics and every top Democrat since 1965 has been wrong.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left with the existential question “What do we do?”
The same thing every human being faced with a demand to surrender or resist has always had to do: Make an existential choice.
Anyone who tells you we need to empower a known betrayer or “we’ll lose our guns” is really only saying that when push comes to shove, they’ll lose theirs.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
When push came to shove, Ronald Reagan was a country club Republican.
What did you expect, he was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. However, in his day his policies weren’t 100% the same as the true CC Republicans. Before him the Republican Party was dominated by North East blue bloods (wealthy by inheritance). I.E. Romneys, Bushes, etc. Reagan gained his bona fides as a fiscal conservative & no nonsense reaction to illegal actions be anti war activist on the UC Berkeley campus & perimeter. Before you say he wasn’t fically conservative a CA governor mush of the increase in spending mandated by Moonbeam’s father.& legislature. While I befitted from zero… Read more »
Anybody that says they believe in the 2nd amendment and adds BUT to the reply does not believe in the 2nd amendment
Butters and Fudds are cancer.
They need to have their BUTS kicked!
any statement with a but negates everything before that.
It is always a big ole hairy, smelly, but.
Damn! I dearly loved RR as President (no homo). Felt like we had our guy in office. Now I see how my admiration for him was as misplaced as many today have for another former lifelong Democrat turned RINO, er “Republican”.
Don’t know what materials were used to construct your home. I do realize that 7.62×39 has more penetration that 5.56×45 so you may be correct. However I also know that overpenetration risk with 9mm, 40cal, or 45 acp is considerably higher than that for 5.56. Food for thought if your choice is a handgun. If your choice is shotgun with slugs, your overpenetration risk is far higher than for any of the above.
Excellent choice.
GMTA.
Tried to post a pic of my “Let’s Go Brandon” lower I built my 300 blk on but Ammoland restricts photos to 20 mb.
I love that gun. 7.5 SS barrel, YHM Resonator suppressor, nickel boron bolt carrier group and a LaRue tactical trigger. Great bedside gun.
I don’t know of any situation in which the aforementioned pistol rounds would penetrate more than an AR or AK round. Over penetration is a concern with practically every caliber out there. It’s all about the type of ammo you choose. Any FMJ, whether it be pistol or rifle, will most likely over penetrate. EDC and home defense rounds should be rounds that are engineered for exactly that, hollow points for example. All handgun variations have some form of self defense option. There are self defense options for rifle calibers as well, though not all. Shotguns are a great choice… Read more »
7 months of unrestrained riots in 2020 proved that semi-auto rifles with detachable magazines are needed to defend homes and businesses from the political violence of anarchist mobs.
full auto shotguns
I was telling the wife last night that I think we need a couple of tactical shotguns. 20 gauge I think, since we’re both getting a little older and the recoil hurts my old flesh more than it used too.
No need to go tactical, unless it is light weight. Get a nice 5 shot hunting 20 gauge and you and your wife will be lights out with it, and could handle multiple threats. We have a400s in 20gauge, since I shoot one in 12 gauge for waterfowl. My wife and kids handle a 20gauge well, and it drops 300lbs+ Whitetails at 100 yards easily. Load it with buckshot and in home defense distances the pattern will still be the size of a quarter. Electronic hearing protection is a must for an enclosed space gunfight. Hence, the low weight option… Read more »
A 5 shot hunting 20 gauge will drop a person easily, and it will protect your hearing. It can also be used by women and children, and one handed if needed. We humans can be tough to drop with pistols or small caliber rifles, but not with a 20gauge. If my buddy in a wheelchair, doesn’t quite get his 12 gauge all the way out of the cab of the truck while road hunting, it instantly brings about tinnitus. That is not a good in a gunfight in a bedroom or hallway. When, we stop, he has to make his… Read more »
sorry to bust your bubble but a conservative would have moved to increase militias after iran carter bs and undone 1934 bs
Agreed!
This is one of many reasons why I have said for years that Butters and Fudds are cancer. They are the most dangerous threat to our rights. They eat away at them from the inside. Everyone of us knows the threats we face from leftists. They’re the uniformed enemy. The open and apparent threat. Republicans have consistently been the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The fox in the henhouse. They campaign on protecting rights and supporting the 2A while showing off their $4000 Benelli and wearing their orange vest just like the Fudds they are. Most have no idea what the… Read more »
This is true.
HLB
Spot on.
like mass and newyak there are no conservatives in communist states just moderate communists
We have conservatives in newyork look at the past gov election map. As far as conservatives in politics there are many but the playing field is rigged !
While stationed in California in the military I never complied with the unconstitutional and irrational requirements to register and modify my firearms. At that time I was and remain a professional with a high level security clearance and simply thumbed my nose at the silly in Sacramento. But on to the point. Please remember one truth about the Reagan generation: they were recovering Progressives, some of them and were deprived of a true Constitutional education by the public education lobby of the time. The Horace Mann school of thought in education had taken complete control and gone was the true,… Read more »
Good advice. Hillsdale College has free online classes on the United States Constitution.
Oops! I offered my advice, then saw yours.
Hillsdale College has free online courses on the Constitution and related historical documents. Check it out!
If there is a “moderate Democrat” who votes for gun rights, it’s only because majority Democrat legislative leaders gives one “political cover”.
Doesn’t matter what RR’s “belief” is; the 2A is clear and does not specify or limit the type of arms. It’s We the People, not We the Serfs.
David,
Thanks for reminding some and informing the younger readers about the “once in our country’s history and never to be repeated amnesty of illegally present aliens.” The amnesty and allowing the Hughes Amemdment to remain part of FOPA will forever color my opinion of The Great Communicator.
I didn’t know this about Ronnie, but please help me understand Kevin McCarthy. I looked at his voting record on 2A legislation going back to 2006 and he checks all the right boxes. Do you think he will fail to continue to do that, or do you think he will not promote 2A issues effectively, or just what do you think about him?
Correct. This would serve as yet one more chapter in the book I am writing entitled “Why I am not a Registered Republican.” The argument that the republicrat are not as bad as the demicans fades in the light of fact and reason. They write their own indictments in the form of policy and votes. This is why you never, ever send one dime to the RNC or any national Republican fund raiser. Focus on the candidate.
Well folks, it pains me to say, but here in Texas – Austin is every bit as corrupt as DC. Our governor caved to the wind mill BS because of the cash that ERCOT handed him and hundreds died. It’s WE the PEOPLE against all government!
I still see TEXIT as a way out for Texas but again Austin fights it with all their power
It may be USEXIT, but I think it is better to reclaim our country than exit.
HLB
There are no “buts” in the Second Amendment.
RINO Republicans and Democrats are all nothing but a bunch of bottom feeders that are in it for personal gain and don’t give a shit about America . Term limits , it’s time ! Dump the scum after a short term is the only answere.
While I agree with David’s assessment “What do we do?” Sometimes you have no choice but to vote for “the lesser of two evils.” Here in Florida, we had two choices Marco Rubio, or a far Left ideolog Val Demmings, and anyone who watched the “Bogus” impeachment hearings could see that. To Rubio’s credit he did not vote for any of the legislation that the senate recently passed. Rick Scott who up until the Parkland shooting was not what we now call a “Butter,” and neither was AG Bondi, but yet we still got gun control shoved down our throats,… Read more »
Ok, so vote for the lesser of two evils, but strap on all your weapons and go fishing…
HLB
I wonder at what age Reagan made the pronouncement regarding AK-47s.
We all know that he was already experiencing Alzheimers toward the end of his second term. He also supported NAFTA and we all know how well that turned out for America!
Think Ronnie was a prime example of the late Col Jeff Cooper’s observation….”One of the notable aspects of the democratic process is that one need not know anything about a subject in order to pass laws about it.” Cooper predominantly described most politicians. Never underestimate the power of Useful Idiots En Masse.
Politicians are politicians (a certain personality; some with intellect, most lacking) … Like “government is a necessary evil” …
Until a red state Congress person does the ground work to get the creeds demonstrating they have the respect of almost all their caucus no red state Congress Person will be elected Speaker. While Steve Scalise wa in the minority leadership he wasn’t going to betray McCarthy. He would only accept the speakership if McCarthy withdrew. The same goes for Jim Jordan Jim Jordan. Like El Duche Nacy P before McCarthy they were prolific raisers of campaign cash for Republican candidates for Congress. He was better at recruiting Candidates for open districts than Nancy.
Just another politician trying to make gun ownership about PERSONAL defense or HOME defense. Nope. The PRIMARY purpose of the 2A was for defense of our COUNTRY against corrupt, tyrannical POLITICIANS (and military…if they obeyed the corrupt politicians without question). The right to bear arms does not need a reason, or situation, to be in effect. It is ALWAYS our right.
Reagan was well into Alzheimers when he supposedly made the AK-47 statement. I’ve always had a gut feeling that statement was made under instructions from Nancy after his brain was pretty well fogged. and he got hosed on immigration when congress promised to control the border under separate legislation and then they refused to do it which was the plan all along. trump refused to fall into the same trap when he offered amnesty for the so called dreamers if the border was secured at the same time, and Pelosi said fine but the border has to be separate legislation.… Read more »
He was rolled by murdering Ted Kennedy, (Drown em in your car).