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Jerry Brown flunks the gun rights test

cato

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If you vote gun politics, and that is the only way to vote in CA IMO, then one should be voting JB over MW for all the reasons here:



http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=281095
Don (Kates) writes:

...I do know Jerry Brown. We went to law school together
though we were not big buddies. And when I contacted him about
supporting the pro-Second Amendment position in the McDonald case, he
filed an influential pro-Second Amendment brief with the US Supreme
Court. I know that he personally made the decision to do this,
overruling his staff; and he wrote the brief himself. (He is an able
lawyer.) When he was assailed by anti-gun forces, his response was that
the 2d Amendment is a "civil rights issue.""

http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2010/03/don_kates_on_th_1.php


For those of us “On the Ground” in California with a more fact-based perspective:

- Since JB's taking office as AG, the DOJ Firearms Division was radically downscaled to a Bureau. Funds appear to be moved to real crime fighting in the actual DOJ LE division.

- Several key personages, including DOJ agent Iggy Chinn and former Firearms Division, Director Randy Rossi, who drove a culture of abusive behaviors, etc. either were shown the door or left faster than the proverbial door could slam on their rear ends. Aggressive raids against FFLs for nonviolations and “aggressive compliance” dropped off the map. Certain local DA prosecutions of gun dealers for such noncrimes regarding “off-list” non-assault weapons somehow never seemed to be able to coordinate with somehow-always-busy DOJ Firearms staffers.

- Proposed regulatory changes relating to redefining term 'detachable magazine' as a goal to eliminating black rifle use, were killed. Since 2006, at least ~250K black rifles with only trivial modifications have entered California commerce (that’s somewhere around a QUARTER of a BILLION dollars in new CA gun commerce!) This number is higher by at least 100K than the number of existing registered pre-2000 California assault Weapons. I'm proud of being part of this effort, and believe this will profoundly help black guns be NOT "dangerous and unusual" when that time comes. :)

- Other DOJ Firearms folks still present are effectively 'bound & gagged' in the basement.

- From what I've heard, aside from the Chicago brief, a DOJ anti-Heller brief was also suppressed - and that may even have been more important than Brown’s amicus support for McDonald.

- For a combination of reasons, microstamping is going nowhere ;)



...Furthermore, Brown avoids the political taint of being "an NRA shill" if he maintains a distance, and he can couch his higher-level gunrights support as "fundamental civil rights" and not worry about being bogged down in the details.

Brown has had a 20+ year history of making strongly pro-RKBA statements in a variety of public forums - in the early 90s he was railing against BATF abuses. On his weekly KGO radio news interviews during his stint as Oakland mayor, he's repeatedly insisted that gun ownership is a fundamental right, and in addressing Oakland crime (approximate quote), "it's not NRA members holding up liquor stores at night." Various E. Bay operators of NRA recruiting booths (fairs, etc.) have reported favorable interactions with Brown, and several Calgunners who attended a Brown fundraiser had extended favorable interactions with him ("Hey, we're suing you over the handgun Roster, nothing personal..." ended up with a lot of laughter) - while the glum LCAV/Brady folks huddled in a corner.

The worrisome thing will be when Brown is no longer AG. Given frequent CA Republican party tilt toward biblethumper types – generally rendering themselves unelectable to statewide office (except for the occasional insurance commissioner, wow), the next AG is going to be a Dem unless the moon falls into the ocean.

If SF DA Kamala Harris becomes AG, I’d expect attacks on gunnies to rocket upwards. The bad news is it'll be a fight; the good news is, we'll win for a variety of intermingled reasons (incorporation, technical knowledge, legal knowledge). (We've already recently danced with her on some gun issues and she ran from the dance floor.)

Politically, Brown gets tainted from 70s - but where he inherited a Jimmy Carter "malaise" economy. He grew up a little in the interim since being Governor, and during his term as mayor of Oakland, his administration and mindset were largely indistinguishable from a pro-biz, anti-crime Republican. He had to fight a far, far left Oakland City Council and had good relations with line cops (quite a few NRA and Calgunners in OPD, including several of the four cops that were slaughtered by parolee Lovelle Mixon last year.)

Effective RKBA fights in areas like CA require "reading between the lines" skills and a bit of nuance. Anyone thinking that someone's gonna wave guns and shout "RKBA" at the top of his lungs has no idea about either CA politics or a grasp on practical political survival.

I am writing the above solely as an individual, based on several years' experience in this milieu (and not as founding board member of The Calguns Foundation, which cannot take stands on actual candidates, just issues.)

Bill Wiese
San Jose CA

Posted by: Bill Wiese at March 18, 2010 10:15 PM
art work by Oleg Volk:
 

jsebclark

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I agree!

Please don't vote for a candidate solely on one issue. California is a big state with a lot of problems and choosing who is going to run it just because they say one thing doesn't mean that is what they are going to do. We have all just experienced this with Arnold.

I don't care how pro 2A people post about Jerry Brown. The fact is that he aligns himself with the political party in this state that is currently eating away at our God given natural rights. He will not do anything significant to ensure or bring about more individual freedom in the State of California
 

cato

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Meg's a RINO and Poiz isn't going to be around after Tue.

Wouldn't it be nice if JB knewin a close race with Meg that he had the support of gunnies? He's pro 2a generally and was a fiscal conservative as mayor of Oakland. I don't see him giving the leg. a pass on their BS gun laws.

I have more hope of him doing the right thing then Meg. His AG record of giving the antis the figurative 'bird' stands as a good 2A compass.

Our major battle in CA is with the public attitude and their choices for the legislature. The Gov. race won't really effect that considering the R candidatesare such poor choices. And with the tide of 2A jurisprudence juststarting to develop having someone who is friendly to 2a in the Gov. seat is what we need most at this critical time keeping the chaff down.

Meg is not going to do squat about illegal immigration (she can't)or taxes or spending. Those issues in CA are what they are and the faultis squarely on the Leg. and voters shoulders. The dems are sooo close to 2/3s the Rs are irrelevant (and sell out all the same).

She will sign every anti gun bill they pass to lean toward the center/left.

And I don't see any choice but JB even from a fiscal point of view. Meg is an Arnord kind of RINO.
 

resonance

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After the last 60 odd years of watching jerry brown and father in politics, I have learned to distrust them....
meg whitman wants the slot to futher her massive wealth and is not politically educated..she has not voted in years....
Maybe Steve Poizner can get the job done...he has the money and the clout...
We desperately need to get rid of stan sniff in riverside as sheriff....Maybe elect Frank Robles.....
The carnage that barbara boxer and diane feinstein have done to us and Calif, may be beyond repair...
Imho...Arizona is doing it right...by their citizens...the 2nd Amendment, IS their ccw...
I do not think that I have another move left in me...or I would leave my once loved Calif and go to a state that still respects the Constitution and the Law of the Land...
 

Ca Patriot

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Jerry Brown has been in themiddle ofCA politics during this states trampling of gun rights. How anyone can excuse him for that is mind boggling.

Whitman and Poizner are probably no better, thats why I am voting libertarian.
 

CA_Libertarian

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IMO, we need to stop voting for the "lesser of evils."

I know many people will argue (as I've been told many times when I say who I voted for), "a vote for anybody but [Republican candidate], is like a vote for [Democrat candidate]."

Simply put, I'm fed up with both parties. I don't feel like I agree with any candidate either party has had in my voting history. They all want the same thing: power. They all facilitate (or actively seek out) the same things: destruction of our financial well-being, erosion of our liberties, increase of the size of government.

My message to the two major parties is simple: change, or never get my vote again.
 

NightOwl

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I will be voting for Dale Ogden, the libertarian candidate. Jerry Brown doesn't deserve another shot at being governor, he's done enough already.

The lesser of two evils isn't good.
 
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