Education

In this blog I would like to talk about hunter education. For someone that has no knowledge about guns and hunting is highly recommend to take a hunter education course. Many people have not had experience with guns or hunting, yet they say they are a horrible thing. Many of you would be in for an eye opener at one of these courses. I’m not saying one of these courses is going to change your mind, but you would certainly be more educated about the subject.

In a continued effort to reduce firearm accidents, the State of California requires all first time resident hunters, regardless of age, to complete hunter education training or pass a comprehensive equivalency test before purchasing a hunting license.

The California Department of Fish and Game conducts training throughout the state. Each year approximately 30,000 students complete the state’s ten-hour minimum hunter education course. Statistics show hunter education training is a success.

Hunting accidents of all types have declined substantially since the start of the program. The California Hunter Safety Program began on January 1, 1954 with the passage of the Davis-Abshire Hunter Safety Training Law. The initial law required all junior hunters to take a Hunter Safety Class prior to obtaining their first hunting license.

The course involves many different aspects of hunting and firearms including: learning about hunter responsibility and ethics, discover how firearms work and learn about firearm safety, improve your wildlife identification, game care, survival and first aid skills, develop firearm handling skills and hunting techniques, and increase awareness about wildlife conservation and management.

If these courses were mandatory for all our children to take we would certainly have fewer deaths by firearms. Statists show that these courses greatly reduce accidental death by firearms, but I feel it would also greatly reduce overall deaths caused by firearms.

California vs Nevada

The difference between California and Nevada gun laws will be discussed in this blog. The differences between these two states are overwhelming in terms of gun laws. As I mentioned in pervious blogs California has some of the strictest gun laws, and with this comparison you would agree that Nevada is much more lenient on gun purchases.



In Nevada, you may carry a loaded or unloaded firearm on your person without a permit so long as the firearm is fully exposed (known as "open carry"). An example of open carry is when a handgun is carried in an "outside the pants" hip holster. Full or partial concealment (such as a purse, jacket, etc.) is considered "concealed carry.” Clark County Nevada requires registration of handguns only. All other counties do not require registration of any guns. Clark County is the Las Vegas area, but all other counties in Nevada do not require registration of a handgun or a long gun. This means you cannot tie any gun to a single person in Nevada besides Clark County. With that said, Clark County only wants the handguns to be registered not long guns. Essentially, every long gun in Nevada does not have to be registered. Nevada also does not require a state waiting period. You are able to walk into a store and purchase a weapon, and walk out with that weapon that same day. There is no FBI “NICS” check for firearm transactions. The only check a firearm purchaser has to go through is the Nevada state system.



On the other hand, you are not able to carry a visible firearm on your persons in California. In order to carry a gun on your persons in California you must have a concealed weapon permit. This permit allows you to carry a firearm, but the firearm must be concealed at all times. Another difference between the two states is that you must register your gun at the time of purchase here in California. Also, you must wait ten days after you purchased your firearm in order for the department of justice to run a complete background check. After the ten days has expired and the background check has been completed you are able to pick your weapon up from the dealer. You have to go through the same process whether you are purchasing a long gun or handgun here in California.

As you can see from the above information two different states have completely different laws in regards to guns. It almost seems like we are talking about two different countries in terms of the differences on gun control. California is still in the process of making guns harder and harder to get, but the mere fact is these laws are just hurting the law abiding citizens.

References: http://www.leg.state.nv.us/

Assault Weapons

According to the California Attorney General, “effective January 1, 2000, Senate Bill 23, Statutes of 1999, establishes new criteria for defining assault weapons based on generic characteristics.” In simple terms, generic characteristics are based on what the gun looks like. Do generic characteristics on a gun cause more damage than the same gun without generic characteristics? No, they still operate the same, and have the exact same muzzle velocity as one another.

Assault Weapon shall mean any of the following:

A semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any one of the following:

1. A pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon.
2. A thumbhole stock.
3. A folding or telescoping stock.
4. A grenade launcher or flare launcher.
5. A flash suppressor.
6. A forward pistol grip.

Here is a picture of a perfectly legal mini 14 that you could purchase in California.


Here is a picture of a mini 14 that you would not be able to purchase in California because of the thumbhole in the stock.


Here is a picture of a flash suppressor on a mini 14, which would not be eligible for purchase in California.


This is a picture of a mini 14 that has a folding stock, front and rear pistol grips, flash suppressor, and a 30 round detachable magazine. This gun could not be legally purchased in California, and it represents five generic characteristics of a mini 14.


The only difference between these pictures is obviously the looks, but they are the same exact gun. Having a mini 14 that has all these generic characteristics is no different than one that does not. The looks of these tricked out mini 14’s may scare some people who are not familiar with weapons, but the mere fact is they all operate the same.

Gun Control Reduces Crime?

This is perhaps, the greatest myth that is perpetrated today by national gun ban groups. No empirical study of the effectiveness of gun laws has shown any positive effect on crime. In areas having greatest restrictions on private firearms ownership, crime rates are typically higher, because criminals are aware that their intended victims are less likely to have the means with which to defend themselves. If gun laws worked, the proponents of such laws would gleefully cite examples of reduced crime. Instead, they uniformly blame the absence of tougher or wider spread measures for the failures of the laws they advocated. Or they cite denials of applications for permission to buy a firearm as evidence the law is doing something beyond preventing honest citizens from being able legally to acquire firearms.

Let’s use Washington D.C. for example, crime in Washington has risen dramatically since 1976, the year before its handgun ban took effect. According to research done by Duke, “Washington, D.C., now has outrageously higher crime rates than any of the states (D.C. 1992 violent crime rate: 2832.8 per 100,000 residents; U.S. rate: 757.5), with a homicide rate 8 times the national rate (1992 rate 75.4 per 100,000 for D.C., 9.3 nationally.)” Duke goes on to say, “No wonder former D.C. Police Chief Maurice Turner said, "What has the gun control law done to keep criminals from getting guns? Absolutely nothing... [City residents] ought to have the opportunity to have a handgun."” Criminals in Washington have no trouble getting either prohibited drugs or prohibited handguns, resulting in a skyrocketing of the city's murder rate. Duke mentions “D.C.'s 1991 homicide rate of 80.6 per 100,000 population was the highest ever recorded by an American big city, and marked a 200% rise in homicide since banning handguns, while the nation's homicide rate rose just 11%. Since 1991, the homicide rate has remained near 75 per 100,000, while the national rate hovers around 9-10.” Again, these statistics are taken from a state that does not allow their citizens to legally own a firearm. Do you still think we should ban guns altogether? Clearly, criminals do not bother with the niceties of obeying laws, for a criminal is, by definition, someone who disobeys laws. Those who enforce the law agree.

Below, is a great video that will put things into perspective:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_YTM_eAWnQ

Source: http://www.duke.edu/

Concealed Weapon Permit

What is a California concealed weapon permit (CCW)? A license to carry a concealed firearm on your person in public subject to restrictions placed upon it by statute and the issuing department. Many Americans don’t even know they have the right to carry a weapon on them in public, but you can if you qualify. California residents who have clean records can apply for a permit which allows them to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense and personal protection. You cannot legally carry a concealed gun in California without a valid California issued CCW permit. A CCW does not give you authority to make arrests, stop crime, or misuse a firearm. Only police officers should attempt to make arrests or catch criminals. Carrying a firearm is a serious responsibility which requires training and good judgment. Misuse of a firearm is a crime. Statute requires applicants to complete a course in firearm safety and the law regarding the permissible use of a firearm. Departments may also require the applicant to demonstrate proficiency at their range and submit all weapons to be carried for a safety inspection. Applicants are required to submit to Live Scan for a DOJ records check. Departments may require a Psychological test of applicants. The CCW is issued by the county sheriff or (in some cases) by the city police chief. To get your permit, request an application from your county sheriff. Your county sheriff must give you an application. Your county sheriff must accept your filled-in application. Your county sheriff must inform you, in writing, of his decision within 90 days. If your county sheriff does not issue you a permit, he must give you, in writing, the reason for the denial. The sheriff must provide a process for appeals of denials. Many people do not believe we should have the right to a CCW permit, but I believe it gives the CCW holder a piece of mind knowing that he/she can defend themselves.

The permit only allows the person to carry his/her weapon in the state where the permit was issued. On July 23, 2009 the Senate narrowly rejected a concealed weapons measure that critics have blasted as “radical” Wednesday afternoon. According to Alex Jones of infowars.com, “In a rare win for gun control advocates, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a measure allowing a person with a concealed weapon permit in one state to also hide his firearm when visiting another state.” Mr. Jones goes on to say “the vote was 58-39 in favor of the provision establishing concealed carry permit reciprocity in the 48 states that have concealed weapons laws.” “That fell two votes short of the 60 needed to approve the measure, offered as an amendment to a defense spending bill.” I believe if we are issuing CCWs we should allow the permit holders to carry over different state boarders.

In this video you are able to view both sides of this measure.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCySl-KCtk

Source: http://www.infowars.com/senate-narrowly-rejects-radical-concealed-weapon-measure/

Gun Purchases

Going back to my first blog, “California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the U.S.” Below is what a law abiding citizen would have to go through in order to purchase and long gun or a handgun.

All firearms purchases and transfers, including private party transactions and sales at gun shows, must be made through a licensed dealer under the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) process. California imposes a 10-day waiting period before a firearm can be released to a buyer or transferee. A person must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shotgun. To buy a handgun, a person must be at least 21 years of age, and either 1) possess an Hunter Safety Certificate (HSC) plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with the handgun being purchased or 2) qualify for an HSC exemption. People who qualify for the exemption are law enforcement officers. The safety demonstration would include the purchaser to show the licensed dealer he/she knows how to operate the gun. Essentially, does the purchaser know how to put the safety on etc? A transferee is considered a person who owns a gun and would like to transfer the weapon to someone else.

As part of the DROS process, the buyer must present "clear evidence of identity and age" which is defined as a valid, non-expired California Driver's License or Identification Card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. A military identification accompanied by permanent duty station orders indicating a posting in California is also acceptable.

If the buyer is not a U.S. Citizen, then he or she is required to demonstrate that he or she is legally within the United States by providing to the firearms dealer with documentation that contains his/her Alien Registration Number or I-94 Number.

Purchasers of handguns are also required to provide proof of California residency, such as a utility bill, residential lease, property deed, or government-issued identification (other than a drivers license or other DMV-issued identification).

Now you have an understanding of what a California citizen would have to go through in order to purchase a gun. Do you still feel we need more gun laws here in California? No matter how many gun laws we enact criminals are still going to get their hands on them, which is why they are referred to as “criminals.” The only people who are impaired or obstructed from owning or possessing firearms because of gun laws are the law-abiding folks. The bad news is the unarmed and law-abiding folks are usually the victims of criminals.

Second Amendment

In the Bill of Rights, the second amendment to the Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

Gun control proponents argue the word “people” in this Amendment, refers not to the civilian population of the United States, but to the State National Guard Units. Gun rights proponents argue that the use of the word "Militia" in this Amendment, refers not to the State National Guard Units, but to the citizens of the United States. Some argue that since the militias are "owned," or under the command of the states, that the states are free to disarm their militia if they so choose, and therefore of course no individual right to keep arms exists. The Militia is not "owned," rather it is controlled, organized, by governments. The federal government as well as the states have no legitimate power to disarm the people from which militias are organized.

This amendment is argued about quite often, and is mentioned in the news almost daily. Some people believe that the government is the enemy, and citizens must continue to protect themselves. Some believe that the level of violence is so high in the United States because the number of guns available is too high, and too many people have guns. There is a popular saying that, "If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns." Another popular saying is, "Guns don't kill people, people do." If guns were outlawed criminals would still get their hands on guns from an array of illegal sources. The criminal would then have full advantage of his victim because he/she would know the victim is not in possession of a weapon.