imported post
Think of it like this: If a high school bus passed you on the road, and a couple of jokesters mooned you, you'd probably have a low opinion of the rest of the folks on the bus, the school itself, and maybe even the school district, because two a-holes left a bad impression on you.
A lot of folks in the liberal bastions of LA and the SF bay area are like the two mooners.
They're giving the rest of us on the bus a bad name.
All joking aside, there is a lot of "different" thinking going on in some circles of LA, SF and at the state Capitol, as compared to a lot of the rest of the country. (I don't want to paint with too broad a brush, fellow CA residents, so keep your flame throwers in neutral for a little bit and hear me out... I know I am speaking in generalities)
I live near Sacramento, have since '79, and having been a military brat and having lived in SoCal, NorCal, Maryland, and Alabama, Sacramento is one of my favorites (San Clemente being a close second). The Sacramento valley is one of those really unique places that is centrally located to a great deal of different places to go. Two hours east and you're in the High Sierras where you can fish, camp, ski, hike, 4-wheel across the Rubicon Trail among other wonderful outdoor activities.
Less than 90 minutes west and you are in the San Francisco Bay area. All of the charm of the "City by the Bay", the coast as well as the Napa wine region inland a ways.
South of Sacramento is some of the most fertile farmland in the world, head north and you have the stunning areas along the northern coast, Mt. Shasta and lots of hunting and fishing areas.
All of this is within a few hours drive from Sacramento. I haven't mentioned all of the other great things throughout the state that is beyond a day-trip from Sac. I am sure the office of tourism has all the scoop; I wanted to mention some of the reasons why many of us stay in California, in spite of all the liberal wackiness, especially when it comes to firearms.
It is sad to hear that back east all that is heard is negativity about the Golden State. Many of us are trying to make the change from within, rather than bail. Don't think I haven't thought about pulling up stakes and heading to Nevada, but my son is still in school and I've decided to stay until I see him off to college.
So is it bad here in California? Yes and no. Yes, the anti-gun climate is horrendous, as is the knuckleheadedness of our state legislature and government, but when you love the state for state's-sake, you'd just hate to leave and have the knuckleheads ruin such a gem. That is why many of us here are working hard to correct the mistakes and get the state back on track. For open carry and other 2nd amendment issues, Heller and Nordyke are steps in the right direction.
Besides, if we told everybody how wonderful it is they'd all want to come out and never leave!