Let’s be honest. Today’s Democrats want to take your guns away. Some of them say they support the Second Amendment, and that they simply want better “regulation.” But don’t we have ENOUGH regulation, especially here in the Golden State? Among the most restrictive in America, California firearms regulations primarily restrict law-abiding citizens.
California’s Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007 was the first piece of legislation in the country to require “microstamping” of bullets by any new semiautomatic handgun introduced into the state. Such guns were expected to stamp each fired casing in two locations with “a microscopic array of characters that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol.”
Too bad such technology doesn’t exist. And even if it did, a criminal could easily file off the microstamping feature. Manufacturers and gun rights organizations continue to challenge this requirement, but in the meantime, other choking regulations and onerous safety requirements make it difficult to introduce new handgun models here. Every new gun has to be certified by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). Subsequent upgrades or even cosmetic modifications require new certification and, of course, exorbitant expense.
Unwilling to go through the state’s elaborate and costly process, many handgun manufacturers have ceased to sell here, thereby limiting choices for Californians. The state’s list of “De-Certified Handgun Models” is 63 pages long (http://bit.ly/De-certifiedGuns). The number of pistols available has declined precipitously in recent years.
Then there’s the issue of concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits. Our state doesn’t recognize permits issued by other states, so if you come in from Utah, let’s say, you can forget about carrying that handgun in your purse or pocket. And just TRY to get a CCW here in L.A. County. You have better odds of encountering a unicorn.
California’s vendetta against legal gun owners recently escalated, with implementation of Proposition 63. Passed in 2016, Prop. 63 was cleverly named the “Safety for All” Act. (Don’t you love the way bureaucrats romanticize restrictions to sell unconstitutional principles and higher taxes to unwary voters?)
A few days ago, on July 1, California became the first state in the nation to require ammunition purchasers to undergo an “eligibility” check. And for that privilege, you’ll have to pay. Need a box of cartridges? Get out your driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card. The California DOJ will look for you in the state’s Automated Firearms System (AFS) and cross-reference that record with its Prohibited Armed Persons File. Gee, what could go wrong?
“Is my name in the AFS?” you ask. It’s there only if you purchased a handgun since 1996 or a long gun since 2014. Others will have to undergo a slower, more elaborate (and more expensive) eligibility process. For further information, visit the California Rifle and Pistol Association’s website, https://crpa.org/ammo-background-checks.
According to State Attorney General Xavier Becerra, this procedure will improve public safety. In a recent news release, he claimed, “Enforcing Prop. 63 will help us keep ammunition away from dangerous, prohibited individuals who have no business owning firearms or ammunition.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“California will continue to lead the way when it comes to sensible policies that protect our families and communities from gun violence,” Newsom crowed. Yeah, right.
Gun store owners disagree.
“The reality is that the law-abiding citizen is going to jump through all of the hoops,” said Hugh Henderson, general manager of a sporting goods store in Northern California. “The person that can’t buy ammunition is going to get it on the black market or steal it.”
Perhaps that individual will simply get an “unrestricted” friend or relative to buy the ammo. Or smuggle it across the border from another state.
Hello, Gov. Newsom and Attorney General Becerra – gun control laws violate the basic American principle of presumption of innocence. They’re developed with the assumption that guns, magazines and ammunition will be used to commit crimes!
Talk all you want about “public safety”as a reason to limit gun ownership. As I’m sure you’re aware, in Detroit, Chicago and Washington, D.C., where gun control laws are the most restrictive, gun-related violent crimes are the highest!
Inch by inch the Leftist Democrats in Sacramento, currently a “supermajority,” are making it more difficult for you to own, load and use a firearm to protect yourself and your family. Please remind your California legislators that laws do not deter criminals. Criminals do not follow laws! That’s why we call them law-breakers.
And in the next election, vote Republican!
Patricia Suzanne is a professional writer, retired small business owner, and conservative Republican activist. She lives in a modest Newhall home, where the money required for annual property taxes could pay a full year’s rent on a two-bedroom house in Arkansas.
