Holier than thou, in Sacramento
The lives of California’s lawmakers are much more important than those of other Californians.
At least to them…. 
It is a characteristic of most of California’s Democratic politicians that they seek to deprive Californians of basic liberties, particularly Second Amendment rights, usually under the guise of “public safety.” (Note added March 17, 2011: For those who “keep score,” I hope that you notice that I am bashing Democrats in this entry. I try to give both of the major parties “equal time.” They BOTH have SO much going for them! 😉 )
The underlying hypocrisy sometimes shows its head, for example, in the case of a former Senate leader, an outspoken “anti-gun” politician, who had “concealed carry” permits to carry TWO concealed handguns.
Perhaps he still does….
While some Democratic lawmakers have “made a career” out of introducing goofy, anti-Second Amendment Legislation (one of the latest ones is a reincarnation of an earlier bill to ban the carrying of UNLOADED handguns), OTHER California legislators are saying that their jobs have become so dangerous (actually, the jobs MAY have become more dangerous as the direct result of legislative incompetence in the state – “Karma” in action…. ) that the lawmakers want to be able to carry concealed weapons!
(At this point, you are supposed to say “What?!!!” and grab your head in an agony of “cognitive dissonance.” )
Yes, it must be quite shocking to people who deal in symbols and metaphors all day to be accosted by a constituent who is a “bit more direct.”
In theory, under current law, Californians who want to carry concealed firearms must apply to their sheriff or police chief and show “good cause” for permission.
In practice, such permission is ALMOST NEVER granted, probably in violation of the Second Amendment rights of the applicants.
Under the new bill, being elected as a state official or a member of Congress would constitute good cause. The officials would still be subject to a background check and could still be turned down by law enforcement.
However, “politics makes strange bedfellows” and BOTH gun rights and gun control advocates AGREE that elected officials should NOT have special status. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca says that elected officials should have to go through the same process as others, that requires them to show good cause for the permit.
Equality is a basic concept of the U.S. and many other Western democracies.
Do you think it strange that governmental officials would seek to deprive their constituents of their rights, while granting special privileges to themselves?
It DOES sound a bit more like something that would happen in OTHER countries and NOT in the United States…. Perhaps we could send such lawmakers somewhere that they would feel more comfortable. Perhaps we could elect others that know how to compromise and how to govern, in their places.
-Bill at
Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”
You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. Framed prints and prints on canvas can be ordered from our galleries on redbubble®. All locations are accessible from here. Be a “Facebook Fan” of Cheshire Cat Photo here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.
