A New Front

This weekend, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed AB144, which bans the open carry of firearms in a public place.  Since California is a "shall may issue" state, where applications for a concealed carry license must be approved by an agent of the government even if the applicant meets all other qualifications, the legal carrying of a firearm for defense is now open only to the connected and the rich.  Basically, as it stands now, if a citizen wants to carry a firearm for self-defense, even if they have a squeaky clean criminal record, they have to convince a local official that they need the permit.  If the official doesn't feel it's necessary, or doesn't like the looks, politics, or ethnicity of the applicant, or just isn't in a good mood that day, the request can be denied, with little or no recourse to appeal.

This is why we need to support organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation, CalGuns, and the NRA.  This is why we need to fight on all fronts, through the ballot and jury box, to protect our rights.  This is why we need to stay engaged with our elected representatives and make sure they know just how important civil rights, not least of them our rights to keep and bear arms, are to us.

The outcome here is going to be one or two things:  either this law will be struck down as being unconstitutional under the 2nd Amendment, or California will change its laws to become a "may issue" state.  If open carry of firearms is illegal, and legal concealed carry is contingent on the whim of a sheriff or police chief, then the right to keep and bear arms is being infringed when someone is denied a CCW permit.

If you've got a few extra drakmas, please consider hitting the SAF link on the side of the blog, or sending them to CalGuns or the NRA.  Court fights aren't cheap, and everything we do to fight for our rights in other states enhances our rights at home.