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Russ

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From Gun News Daily www.gunnewsdaily.com:

..
California Gun Owners Blamed
For The Loss of Gun Rights

Gun Owners Are All Bark and no Bite!

By Ralph Weller
Editor, GunNewsDaily.com
.

March 3, 2003 - It has been suspected for quite some time that gun owners were generally all mouth and no action. But, we really didn't understand the gravity of the situation until we received an email from John Brantuk, 2002 candidate for the 56th Assembly District in Southern California. John is upset, and he has every right to be.
John had a shot of winning his district had he received the pro-gun vote. Southern Californians don't need to be told how pro-Second Amendment John is. Suffice it to say, he's one of those rare types who makes protecting our Second Amendment rights a top priority in his personal and public life. But, the information he sent in his email is the type of information that makes the hearts soar of gun grabber Don Perata and other liberals of his ilk in Sacramento. It is the kind of information liberals know about, but very few pro-gun types are willing to acknowledge. So who got the pro-gun vote instead of John Brantuk? The answer is most disappointing.

John took a look at a list of people that regularly attended gun shows in his district. He compared the attendee list to voter registration lists to determine how many of the 12,000 gun show attendees were registered to vote.

Do you want to guess the results? Would you say only half are registered? You would be considered an eternal optimist if that was your guess. How about 30%? Well, you're getting closer, but you still have a long, long way to go. How about 10%. No, you're still too high. No... I'm not kidding. Try about 670 people. That's a whopping 5.6% of gun show attendees are registered to vote. Now, of those 670, an optimistic number of those who voted would probably range at about 50%. That means of the 12,000 gun show attendees only about 335 probably voted. Ok, that's being a little harsh. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that all 670 voted. Somehow inflating the number won't make most feel all that much better about the whole thing.

The problem is, there is no pro-gun vote in California. John didn't get the pro-gun vote, but neither did anyone else! It doesn't exist because the overwhelming majority of gun owners don't vote. And the liberals know it and act upon it with impunity. They don't fear California gun owners! Why would they? Gun owners certainly won't vote them out of office!

Are John Brantuk's results indicative of the rest of California? Sure they are. In fact, most professional pollsters use around 1000 people to achieve very accurate results. John had 12,000 gun owners on a list and registered voting lists that simply don't lie. This is pure data. Not thoughts, not polls, not desires. It's the real thing, and unfortunately it is fact!

The bottom line is gun owners could own California if they vote. John Brantuk would be in the state assembly this very day protecting gun owner's rights along with dozens of other newly elected pro-gun legislators. Instead, gun owners lament the demise of Second Amendment rights and take NO ACTION to resolve it. Gun owners are the problem in California. They're all bark and no bite.

Gun owners avail themselves of the right to participate in freedom of speech on the net, but do nothing to preserve it. They complain endlessly about erosion of Second Amendment rights, but do nothing to change it. Gun owners claim they'll have to pry their guns from their 'cold dead hands' before allowing them to be confiscated. But, gun owners don't vote because they're afraid to be on a government list? California gun owners aren't scaring anyone with their bravado, least of all liberal politicians. If gun owners can't demand their rights in the voting booth, it is easily assumed they'll fold like the paper tiger they're perceived to be when they come knocking for their guns.

On the other hand, those who do vote deserve a medal because they're a rare breed of people. Very rare as the numbers go. They are so out of the mainstream they could almost be classified as a radical fringe group. Those who don't vote deserve a bigger medal hung around they're neck and a short plank into the Pacific because that's all they're worth... fish food.

A lot of people think erroneously that California is hopeless because liberals outnumber conservatives. It's clear gun owners outnumber themselves. Gun owners are engaged in an act of self-flagellation. They love victims and they are it. They wallow in their own self-pity claiming this or that pro-gun group, Northern California liberals, or the Brady Bunch are their downfall.

Here it is point blank. There is no one else to blame. 'We have met the enemy and it is us.' Only when gun owners finally take charge of their destiny will all this anti-gun nonsense come to an end. Until then, hope and pray gun owners take action at the polls before they knock on your door demanding your firearms. If California reaches that point, it's too late because most of you cannot be depended on to do anything. You've already proven that.

John Brantuk is going to run again in 2004. For the life of me, I can't imagine why he would waste his time if he can't count on gun owners to get him into office. But John is a driven man with a vision of saving gun rights in California. If you are inclined, there are few people in this state that deserve gun owner's support more than John. Visit his site and donate. Then register to vote online using the link below and start participating in the only process that will make a difference. VOTE!

One final comment. Can you imagine John's shock as he matched up gun show attendees to voter lists and recognized fellow gun owners in the community who "support" him, only to find the people who talk a good game aren't even registered to vote? A lesser person would have thrown in the towel and called it quits. Don't be a big mouth spouting about how no one in California is protecting your rights. It starts with you. If you can't do anything about it, don't expect your neighbors to do something. They probably aren't voting either so it's up to you, the individual gun owner to make a difference.

Make your check or money order payable to "Brantuk For Assembly" and mail it to:
Brantuk For Assembly
P.O. Box 171
Whittier, CA 90608
Or donate online at:
www.BrantukForAssembly.org
(562) 698-2870 Phone
(562) 698-2810 Fax

Do something useful with your life and register, then vote!

Register to vote on-line

Your comments are welcome: [email protected]

Unrestricted distribution and republishing of this article authorized
providing credit is given to GunNewsDaily.com as the originating source.
 
How did he know who went to the gun shows? Do they ask for ID in Ca (wouldn't surprise me given the other goofiness there)?

However he got the information it still is a pitiful showing from the gun owners. They really don't have anyone to blame but themselves if it is true.

Greg
 
Not checking I.D's at gunshow doors---YET.

I also wonder where he got names. Raided the registration list at DOJ? (All handguns are registered here. But only about 10% of the "assault weapons". :evil: Lousy compliance rate.) Considering the political leanings of this place, you can expect to see mass firearms siezure/forfeiture enacted in this state before anyplace else. The registration lists are already in place.

I expect if that actually happens, it's going to get really ugly around here. Open season on politicians. Major civil unrest. Voting from the rooftops.

I'm not sure if I like that idea or not. I like the concept of the Fed telling Kaliforny to abide by the terms of the 2A because of the 14A a whole lot better. Less blood involved. (Although some blood might be usefull. Need to get the current generation of legiscritters on the run, permanent style.)

Hmmm. I postulate a reason for avoiding the rolls because of registration: Our legiscritters are busy manufacturing criminals as fast as they can. Identifying yourself as a gunowner in this state opens the possibility of being criminalized. As I understand it, the black market on standard mags and AR's (And related rifles.) is doing brisk business, so it makes sense to want to maintain a low profile.

Granted, that's a long reach. A complete lack of viable candidates for years and years running could also be a contributing factor. You get disenchanted with voting when there are A) no good choices, and B) when you get a choice that's palatable, said candidate is defeated by a landslide. Very discouraging. Nothing I ever vote for goes my way, it seems. (Not strictly true, but it sure feels like it. And now my choices of WHO always miss.)

And I do vote. I voted for Clinton the first time. ( :eek: Forgive me. It was my first election, and I hadn't become a gunowner yet.) Voted for Davis the first time too, basically out of ignorance.

Watching Davis get elected again stank. I now qualify as a poster child for voter apathy, by virtue of a better grasp of my political priorities. All of my votes have totally backfired. But I did try, for a while.

Prolly gonna move before I vote again. That stinks, because I really like living here. Being run out of the place you grew up in because of political ideology is exceptionally galling, but what can I say? The political climate here was established long before I got old enough to vote, and it's so well-entrenched that I can't conceive of breaking it.

Heck, Butterball Kennedy still has a job. He must be pleasing SOMEone, just like Feinswine and Boxer do here. Otherwise he'd have been voted out, yes?

If we get Condi Rice as a candidate, I can drum up enthusiasm. Ahnold doesn't do it for me, really. And the rest of the Republicans in this state are pretty weak, we've got to get some actual consevatives out here. Convincing 'em to throw good money after bad is going to be a tough one, though. Their prospects are uninviting.

Stupid state. :(
 
H.R.G.,

If you are concerned about how this guy knew who was attending gun shows, E mail the author of this article. R. Weller. His E mail is hyperlinked at the bottom of the article.

I lived in the PRK until a year and a half ago. I voted and knew what and who I was voting for. There are plenty of conservatives and pro-2A candidates in CA. Maybe not in Palo Alto, I don't know. I do know that Davis and Clintoon were, and in Davis' case, continue to be disasters for gun rights. Frankly, the first time Davis ran he ran against Dan Lundgren who is a RINO of the 32nd degree. He probably would have signed most of the same anti-gun bills Davis has. However, Simon was pro gun and lost by a fairly small margin. Had more gun owners turned out, that may have been different.

I've said this before, most people in the PRK don't bother to vote. If they do, they have no idea who their State Reps are. They see incumbent on the ballot and vote for them.

There are alot of gun owners out there trying to make a difference. I was one when I was there. There are many here on the High Road who are out there fighting now. It is disheartening to see so many gun owners who don't care or who vote for people they are un-informed about.

I know the gist of this article is true. I ran into alot of people at the range who didn't care or said they were pro-gun Democrats. You vote for a Dem in CA and you have voted against your gun rights. Take a look at the votes on the gun control bills. The only Republican you see voting with the Dems is McPhearson and I don't know if he is still there.

Davis needs to be recalled and the State Constitution there needs to be changed. Both of these efforts are under way and need to be supported.
 
Considering the political leanings of this place, you can expect to see mass firearms siezure/forfeiture enacted in this state before anyplace else.

I dissagree ... I believe that Illinois will be the site of the first mass firearms siezure/forfeiture (some would argue that its going on right now as we speek! :eek: )

I do see a flaw in Mr. Brantuk's reasoning. I've been a strong second amendment supporter since before I could vote and I've only been to one gun show... ever. I realised that unless I just wanted to buy Deer Jerkey and Nazi flags there was really no point in going (maybe the gun shows in the PRK are better then the ones in Kansas).

I would venture to guess that most gun owners and gun rights suporters don't frequent gun shows.
 
I knew about McPherson's anti-gun stance. I wrote about McPherson's stance when he was running for Lt. Governor this past election.

He was actually being supported by the Lincoln Club of California, which is a group of Republican moderates (RINOs). I was being invited by a local Republican group to show up to their mixers and they would regularly have a McPherson representative there.

I think that now, after the election, I will start going to the local Republican group's meetings (California Young Republicans) and see if I can get it changing towards more pro-2A support of candidates.

Wish me luck. Too bad really, because the CYR holds their meetings on the last Thursdays of every month, same as the NRA Members Council (which incidentally has good members committed to pro-2A issues, but is continually being hampered by NRA appointed officials because the group happens to have 'NRA' in its title) :uhoh:
 
There may be a major "methodology problem" in this "study".

See, gun shows in Calif don't happen all that often. So when they DO, they attract an audience from a fairly broad geographical area, esp. if it's a good one. In the SF Bay Area where I live, a Santa Clara or San Francisco gun show will pull in people from four or five counties each, or more.

So unless somebody checked the voter reg rolls for ALL those counties, you wouldn't have an accurate count of "registered voters at a gun show".

I doubt SoCal is much different.
 
Russ: I agree with a lot of what you said. I spent quite of bit of time talking to a man who was trying to register voters outside of a large sporting goods store, one that sold guns. He was telling me that a lot of the gun buyers won't registers to vote - they don't want to be on a "government list". Oh, please. Have a driver's license? You're on a list. Have a social security card? The government has you on a list. Buy a gun in California? Hey, guess what? You're not only on a list, you are in a database in Sacramento as a gun owner, and the DOJ knows what you own and how many (except for stuff you bought prior to this database being developed). So registering to vote will get you on one more list. Big stinkin' deal. I am really really really tired of people who complain and whine about the politicians and laws being passed, but can't even be bothered to vote.
 
Redhead,

I know a guy out in the PRK who is a Sherriff's Deputy and he wouldn't join the NRA becuase he didn't want to be on a list. Give me a break. I call them spineless weenies. I'm a Life Member of NRA. The anti's and their government cronies can bite me! This "I don't want to be on a list" argument makes smoke come from my ears.

I didn't move from California because of the gun laws, it was more of a family thing. I miss it quite alot as I was born there and lived there for most of my life. You can take the man out of the West but you can't take the West out of the man. I miss the mountains and the beaches. Oh well, I must say it's very nice here as well and as long as I can make it I will stay here.

I worked hard to stop Dirtbag Davis and the ultra lib Democrat Legislature when I was there. It is sad to see so many "gun owners" drop the ball on us. Fate may bring me back some day so I still care what happens there. Unfortunately, not much I can do to influence things there now.

I always have been conservative. I can honestly say I have never voted for a Democrat in my life. My father is to blame if you want to call it that. He took me shooting from an early age and taught me self reliance. Some of the best memories I have. I have wasted my vote on Libertarians from time to time because there was a RINO in the race but generally, the pro-gun party is the GOP. I find that if they are pro-gun, then the rest of their values generally are in line with mine. It's a whole philosophy in and of itself.

I wish I knew how to reach the millions of gun owners in California who don't care and tell them to wake up and start caring. I hate to see things get worse there, but maybe that's what it will take. I guess Hitler was able to take over for many of the same reasons.

I have an idiot ex step-brother, who I love dearly, who will not consider voting for anything but a Democrat. Brainwashed that way by his mother and nothing I say can deter him. He has guns but is not a nut like me. Too bad he won't wake up and get a clue. Soon, he won't have any guns given what the Legislature has in mind out there.

Russ
 
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