Jerry Brown Signs California Gun Laws For Public Safety Which In Reality Are Gun Control Measures That Will Bind Legal Carriers
Discussions about responsible gun control have swirled for years, but California Governor Jerry Brown jumped past discussion and signed six gun bills into law under the guise of gun control for public safety, when in actuality they will bind the hands of legal carriers to protect themselves and others, while making it that much easier for terrorists and those determined to kill innocent people to meet their goals.
The Cart and The Horse
California already had some of the most stringent gun control laws around. The complaint now (mostly by Republicans) is that the California Democrats are anti-gun and hacking their way forward one step at a time against the Second Amendment. The gun control debate is nothing new. The need for something to be done to address mass shooting terrorist attacks — which is the tragedy lawmakers jump on when they want to pass gun control laws — is a very real challenge.
But who has been doing the killing? Law abiding, legal carriers of guns who have been afforded the right to protect themselves and their families — and followed the law — since the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights were enacted hundreds of years ago? No.
She was an American citizen. A 13yo child. Killed by terrorists in cold blood. https://t.co/JiOh3oGHWm
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) June 30, 2016
Terrorists. Mentally ill. Radicalized terrorist wannabes. And that’s just in America. Around the world? Terrorists. Mentally ill. Radicalized terrorist wannabes.
What weapons have they used? Knives. Machetes. Bombs. Automobiles. Acid. And, of course, guns. Will there be more stringent controls put in place for these tools? Will automobiles be “controlled” because a few people chose to use them to run over their cheating husbands or crazy ex-girlfriends in a fit of rage, killing them? Will we have to spoon our steaks to death because knives end up outlawed?
Most likely not. Those are extreme examples of “control,” yet in a small way, that is what is already happening with gun laws.
However, these new laws will severely tie the hands of law abiding legal carriers should they ever be in a situation where there is a terrorist attack, law enforcement is several minutes out, and it is a kill or be killed type of situation. Sadly, these types of situations are occurring more and more often because terrorists and radicalized terrorist wannabes alike are here in America, whether we want to believe that fact, or face it, or not.
California will now require an ID and background check for ammunition purchases – https://t.co/6iT3tSY0Wd #NRA #2A (via @latimes)
— NRATV (@NRATV) July 1, 2016
The shooting in San Bernardino, California, is the most recent impetus used for some of these stricter gun control attempts. Those who believe these bills are good moves must also mistakenly believe criminals and terrorists will follow the laws just as law-abiding citizens do. “What we’re doing in California is a better job of keeping guns out of dangerous hands,” said Amanda Wilcox, a spokeswoman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Because look how well that worked at preventing a mass shooting terrorist attack by the couple in San Bernardino who pledged allegiance to the Daesh (also known as ISIS) before they killed 14 people and injured dozens more.
This young girl explains the real problem in a fairly clear manner:
The Real Problem
If there is a hole in a garden hose and water leaks out, slapping a piece of tape over it will only fix the leak (and only temporarily), not the hole. In similar fashion, limiting the rights of lawful firearms carriers due to the actions of unlawful criminals and terrorists, which Governor Jerry Brown just did in California, does not fix the actual hole.
“My goal in signing these bills is to enhance public safety by tightening our existing laws in a responsible and focused manner, while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Brown said. Not so much.
Some of the bills he vetoed would have actually gone a longer way toward public safety than limiting the rounds a magazine can hold to under 10, or registering someone’s ammunition purchases with the state. These are some of the bills he signed into law:
- Require an ID and background check to purchase ammunition and create a new state database of ammunition owners.
- Ban possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets.
- Restrict the loaning of guns without background checks to close family members.
These are what the bills the governor vetoed would have accomplished:
- Put an initiative on the November ballot to clarify that theft of a firearm is grand theft and is punishable as a felony.
- Require those who make guns at home to register them with the state and get a serial number so the weapons can be tracked.
- Required stolen or lost guns to be reported within five days.
- Limit Californians to the purchase of one rifle or shotgun per month.
CA Gov. Jerry Brown signs six gun-control measures, vetoes several others: https://t.co/Hnd5SZsWeh pic.twitter.com/xzzEzJmvs1
— ABC News (@ABC) July 2, 2016
There was also a bill Brown vetoed “that would have allowed co-workers, mental health workers and school officials to petition the court for a ‘gun violence restraining order’ for people judged a danger to themselves and others.” That type of restraining order would clarify guns should be confiscated for a year, which would give authorities plenty of time to help or investigate the person considered to be dangerous.
Agree with it or not, Governor Jerry Brown has taken steps by implementing new gun laws in California that aim for expanding public safety and tightening gun control. To what extent this will limit the ability of law-abiding legal carriers to carry out their Second Amendment “right to bear arms” remains to be seen. With the increase in terror attacks on our homeland, we might hope not very much.
[Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for Fortune]