Saturday, December 5, 2015

In California, No Amount of Gun-Control Will Ever be Enough



In California, No Amount of Gun-Control Will Ever be Enough
Friday, October 16, 2015
In an apparent effort to regain California's place as the most restrictive gun control state in the Union, California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that he would pursue several anti-gun initiatives for the 2016 ballot.  These initiatives would ban and force surrender of common, standard-capacity magazines; require background checks for every ammunition sale; require prohibited persons to surrender their firearms; encourage greater sharing of information with federal law enforcement; and punish gun owners who fail to report lost or stolen firearms.

While the exact text of these proposals is not yet available, for those who closely follow California firearm legislation, many of these measures will look very familiar.  Newsom’s proposed initiatives read like a laundry list of recent, failed California legislation.   

Unsurprisingly, these proposals would only burden law-abiding Californians' right to defend themselves while doing little, if anything, to punish the criminal misuse of firearms or promote public safety.  Similar proposals in other states have proven ineffective and even impossible to implement.

Newsom also seems unaware that point-of-sale ammunition restrictions were once required under federal law, but Congress eliminated the provisions under the advice of the then head of ATF, Stephen E. Higgins, who noted that the government had “recognized that the current recordkeeping requirements for ammunition have no substantial law enforcement value.”  But, perhaps Newsom believes he is more informed on firearm policy than the former director of the federal agency charged with regulating firearms. 

If Newsom were actually interested in addressing the criminal misuse of firearms rather than engaging in political grandstanding for the 2018 governor's race, he might be interested in looking at the negative effects of Prop. 47, which, among other things, reduced the penalties for firearm theft and possession of a stolen firearm.  For someone claiming to seek solutions for "gun violence," addressing a main source for black market firearms would seemingly be a good place to start.

Newsom and his supporters will need nearly 366,000 signatures to get these measures on the 2016 ballot.  If and when these proposals move forward, NRA will oppose them just as it opposed the misguided, failed legislation on which the proposals are based. 

Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom is the lieutenant governor for the California state government, a director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (think tank), and was an invited to George Soros 2013 wedding reception.

Note: George Wallerstein is an advisory board member for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation (think tank), and a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.
Marian Wright Edelman is a director emeritus at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and made the National Rifle Association enemies list listed in 2013.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, the Robin Hood Foundation, and the Harlem Children's Zone.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, married in 2013 & Gavin Newsom was an invited guest to his wedding reception, and a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone.
Michael R. Bloomberg was donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions, is a co-chair for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Americans for Responsible Solutions is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.
Everytown for Gun Safety is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

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