After a humiliating defeat for an attempt to completely ban honest people from owning firearms, San Francisco, Calif., mayor Gavin Newsom two weeks ago signed local legislation requiring gun owners in the city to keep their firearms locked up in boxes or with trigger locks.
The law also requires the city’s few remaining gun dealers to turn over a complete inventory of their firearms to the police every six months and makes it illegal to possess or sell firearms on city and county property.
The new requirements on honest gun owners will do virtually nothing to stop criminals from obtaining or using guns, of course, and even the measure’s sponsors admitted this.
Officials did not say how they plan to enforce the lock box and trigger lock requirements, but District Attorney Kamala Harris said that once people are aware of the new law, “they’re going to follow it.” — San Francisco Chronicle
I doubt the police are happy about this. They know that guns in the hands of honest citizens is one of the best deterrents to crime. Now they’re going to be put in a position where they may have to go make the city safe for criminals.
There are only two ways to enforce it: The first is house to house searches of gun owners, which sounds mighty unconstitutional to me. The second is to go after gun owners after they’ve used their guns. If the gun owners used their guns illegally in the first place, it will simply layer on another charge to the indictment. However, what you can easily foresee is a situation in which a legal gun owner legally defends himself against a robber, only to be prosecuted afterwards for having his gun readily available. — Bookworm Room
With only 50,000 registered firearms in a city of 750,000 and dropping, the city’s gun ownership rate is well below average for the country. And perhaps this persecution of honest gun owners who just want to keep themselves safe from criminals has something to do with the steady exodus of people from the city.
And to add insult to injury, Newsom is also trying to stop the annual gun show held at the state-owned Cow Palace. In a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris said that the gun show contributes to the flow of illegal guns into the city. Without, of course, anything like evidence.
They admitted to having no direct proof, but said they have heard countless stories from neighbors about guns – including AK47s and sawed-off shotguns – being illegally sold in the adjacent public housing developments and in the arena’s parking lot during the gun shows. . . .
Bob Templeton, president of the Utah-based Crossroads of the West Gun Show, disputed that claim, saying he has asked officials with the Daly City Police Department, Cow Palace management and the California Department of Justice whether they know of any illegal gun sales that have ever taken place at the shows. They all said no, according to Templeton.
Templeton added that the show has come to the arena for 23 years, and there have never been any arrests or charges filed against anybody for selling illegal guns there. — San Francisco Chronicle
The illegal gun sales take place in neighborhoods around the Cow Palace, but not actually at the gun show, a victim disarmament advocate said. California requires background checks and a 10-day waiting period for firearms purchases, including at gun shows.
But that’s not the dumbest thing of all.
Brothers Against Guns, a Bayview-Hunters Point group, and Central American Resource Center in the Mission . . . conducted surveys of youth asking them the best way to end gun violence. The idea of shutting down gun shows was mentioned again and again, Leno said. — Ibid.
Youth who have never studied the issue and know virtually nothing about it except for the lies that these gun grabbers feed them are driving crime policies? California can’t fall into the ocean soon enough.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Tropical WeatherLast week, in the wake of another uptick in the official unemployment rate, the administration continued to claim that their economic policies were working, just not fast enough. Not only does the administration have a funny way of ending a war, but now they claim their economic policies are successful. For whom, I wonder?
Gardner Goldsmith teams up with Brett Veinotte, of the excellent School Sucks Project and the School Sucks podcast. Gard and Brett discuss the impetus of the series and project, and why public education must be stopped.
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Ray
Aug 18, 2007
Given the level of stupid laws in California does this surprise anyone. I suspect that the “you used a gun legally to defend yourself, but we need something to prosecute you for” thing is one of the primary purposes of this law.
I know that I was recently robbed by some youth (probably 14-16) who surrounded a car I was in at a stop sign. They claimed to be armed with guns. They were armed with clubs and bats of various forms. The police were a whole lot more interested in my comment that if I had not been in a rented car and so some damage from clubs would have been a big issue that I would have simply floored it and ran the kid (about 14 in front of me) down. The concept that they were dangerous criminals didn’t even seem to be in their minds. They were concerned that I might have injured a “child” and “destroyed his future”.
It is time we got back to the concept that criminals are dangerous enough to be put in danger regardless of their age of the color of their skin.
forstand
Aug 21, 2007
Recently I moved back to California and now am ready to move myself and my manufacturing business to a more sensible state like Nevada. I have already started the process of moving and have been scouting suitable locations. In the ’60s many of us carried pistols in our trucks as we were loggers and needed an effective means to dispatch rattlesnakes and porcupines (bounty of 50 cents a nose!).
I discovered that the pistol that I purchased in California needs to be re-registered with the state upon my return, never mind that it was registered in California when I purchased it. They also charge a fee and it seems that I must re-register and pay a fee for it each time that I move.
I will testify that on two separate occasions the showing of that handgun deterred criminal activity against me. The first time was when I got lost in Watts, California, and I am WASP. Odds of 12 to 1 suddenly became 6 to 1 and the male individuals decided to return to their sidewalk perches as they did not like change in the odds.
Why can Dianne Feinstein get a concealed carry permit for her 9mm and I cannot get a permit at all? Is she better than me? Is her life worth more than mine? Geeze, is this why I have Ron Paul for President stickers on all my vehicles? Remember she was once Mayor of San Francisco.
Today, if I had to defend myself or family from a thuggish porcupine, do you believe that I would report its demise to the police? I don’t think so. The vultures and buzzards will do that for me. I will even forgo any bounty.
What about us??
Aug 23, 2007
This could be do to the fact of horrible tragedies like the Zodiac killings. It really sucks that just a group of Nut jobs gets a hold of a guns and ruins it for everyone else. We have to have guns for self-defense from gangs, crooked cops that kill, wild animals running loose and for recreation. I am a strong supporter of the NRA. I used to be anti-gun until cops tried to murder me and others in my neighborhood. All they have to do is use forensics and they can still catch criminals (even cops). They can even catch them with a cremated body with forensics. Just watch Forensic files on the law channel. No one should be allowed to kill for money not even corrupt cops. Guns are the ultimate defense. My relative was robbed in San Francisco with a gun but, people should be allowed to have permits because, defense is the key issue at hand. Guns need not fall in crooked hands. There are plastic guns available cheap in Oakland,California on the black market irregardless. Robbery is a very bad crime but, being murdered is much worse. We must be allowed to defend ourself. IF you only could see the pieces of shit walking around California that will run others over, beat you to death and more simply due to insanity or religion. These people need medication nut guns. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. If they don’t have a gun they will use another method. You could view these other methods on these shows. There are badgers that attack running loose too!! Good luck to all.
Gun laws
Aug 23, 2007
All they need is a better crime data base made available to Pawn shops and gun dealers. This could be maintained by clerks in each jurisdiction on a daily basis. The computers should be checked by the sales clerks selling the guns prior to a sale. They could also scan thier ID via computer for finger prints thus, reducing murder and other horrid crimes. It would take more money but, it would be worth it because, the life you save could be your own. Human life is priceless!!! This would also stimulate many economic areas. It could be nation wide!! IT would bring many jobs and be wonderful!! Good luck!!
David
Sep 11, 2007
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I fear overzealous government officials like Gavin Newsom more than I do guns. For a place that claims to be progressive and pro-liberty like San Fransisco, it’s embarrassing that their mayor shit on the 2nd amendment.
If you listen real closely, you can hear Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin rolling in their graves.
Deeo
Dec 22, 2007
Considering guns are a tool of hurting, injuring, or killing things, it’s probably a good idea to ban them entirely.
I mean if The People were going to revolt against a corrupt government they wouldn’t have kept voting it in every term, and otherwise would have done so by now.
The constitution is now a joke for two reasons:
1) The people don’t exercise it
2) The government doesn’t respect it
Evan Bakersfield Ca
Jan 16, 2008
Well, to the liberals out there, my apartment was broke into by a white and black male of about 20 years old, I myself am only 19. My wife and I were in the apartment and if I hadn’t had my 30-06 (loaded), we both would have been killed. One of them was killed and the other backed off and I kept him there until the police arrived. Thank god I live in a city who’s gun laws are respectable and they did not prosecute me for self defense. Maybe we should have government officials that have real life experiences and only have them vote for something they only have experience in.