About two dozen demonstrators from as far away as Sacramento met at Bay Fair Mall at noon Saturday, carrying unloaded rifles, shotguns and sidearms to protest a new California law that will make it illegal to carry unloaded handguns.
That law, AB 144, will take effect Jan. 1.
But it will not make it illegal for citizens to carry unloaded rifles and shotguns said Adnan Shahab, a Fremont resident with Responsible Citizens of California.
"Just because one right is taken away unfairly doesn't mean all rights are taken away," said Shahab, who wore a shotgun and bandolier over one shoulder.
After assembling in the parking lot outside , the group made its way to the sidewalk at Hesperian Boulevard and Bayfair Drive.
As they stood at the corner with their weapons in plain view the driver of one car told the protestors that they ought to keep their guns at home.
But other than that brief exchange, the rally proceeded without incident.
Afterward some members of the group crossed Hesperian Boulevard, firearms and all, and had lunch at the Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The event began like a tailgate party. The protestors assembled in a section of the parking lot along Hesperian. Media swarmed around them with cameras, microphones and notepads.
"I'm surprised there's not a hell of a lot more folks here," said Pete Martucci, who came from Union City wearing his sidearm.
Other demonstrators came from Danville, Sacramento and Dublin.
Bernard Wade, a San Leandro man with a long gray pony tail, came to the rally unarmed but in step with the protest.
"I came out here today for the Constitution and for the Second Amendment," Wade said.
Spectators watching from outside the 24 Hour Fitness expressed differing views of AB 144 and the rally.
Lynne O'Connell of San Leandro supported the rally. She called California a "nanny state" for enacting the ban.
"They try to protect everybody from the 1 percent of the nut cases," said O'Connell, who said she doesn't own a gun but is "not anti-gun."
Craig Clark of Oakland called the protest and the issue behind it a gray area.
He said he could understand the protestors defending their notion of Second Amendment rights. "But I'm nervous around weapons," he said.
The gun owners on hand Saturday were adamant about their right to bear arms in public.
Shahab, who is running for the Republican nomination in the state's 20th Assembly District, said some Californians are determined to protect their right to self-defense even "if it means carrying swords."
In a Yih-Chau Chang, a spokesman for the group behind the rally, said gun-rights advocates don't expect to sway public opinion in California.
Instead they hope to overturn the ban in the federal courts.
Chang wrote a which referred to court decisions favorable to what supporters call the open carry movement.
What do u mean there were no "untargeted killings in San Leandro"? Do u live in Disneyland? There are victims of drive-bys everywhere where they were not a member of any gang but got caught in the crossfire. You say there is a surge in police shootings state-wide. That just proves that there are MORE criminals state-wide then ever before since the courts don't want them spending years in jail. You will never be shot by the police if you are a law-abiding citizen so your fear needs some therapy; if truly you feel this way.
We first have to adopt a consistent political philosophy ( we being people concerned about liberty) and form a voting block to stop anti-liberty legislation including taxes and bonds. The philosophy is classical liberalism or libertarianism. I hope to see Ron Paul as President.
Seems something along the lines of a program as such would serve multiple purposes. First and foremost the state isn't walking and spitting on the right to bear arms, keeps guns out of hands of nuts and crooks, and puts numberous people to work on various jobs including maintaining state databases of current license, 'background investigators', and gun safety/range personnel. Couple the above with a licensing fee, and it's a win win. State makes money, constitutional laws aren't walked on, and some sort of proof that nuts aren't buying and carrying guns is possible.... Seems to be a nice middle ground between the extremities of "guns for all" and "guns for none."
Sanity has prevailed!
Of course it is desirable to keep guns away from 'nuts' but so is keeping the vote away from them too. There is no safe way to do either and maintain a liberal democracy. This is what is at issue. Liberty involves going against your own personal preferences in order to promote what is in the properly understood interests of everyone in society. Self interest is the bane of all society and is what is at the foundation of the anti-liberal parties in power today.
So last night, around 4 AM, we heard what sounded like gunshots here in San Leandro. There were several and they were associated with flashes of light, which seemed to immediately follow the gun shot noise). The strange thing is that they sounded very close to a lot of people in a large area of town, at least a couple of square miles and probably more. As someone without much knowledge of guns it seems to me highly unlikely that these could be gun shots, given how far they were heard and seen, but I wanted to confirm this with our gun experts :-)
I ask because recently I had a conversation with my father (Republican, btw), who lives near Albuequerque, NM. Sadly, I learned that he and his wife have not gone out dancing since moving to the city about 5 years ago. The reason? Too many carrying numb-nuts hanging out at the dance places. I always suspected that guns were bad for our health and happiness, but this truly saddened me. My dad is a wonderful dancer and it is something that he and his wife loved doing together often, when they didn't fear the other night club goers. :(
I'll let my dad know that a fellow human being sends his best wishes, and leave out the part about his alleged irrationality. He's worked with law enforcement in NM and elsewhere, so I bet you two would have plenty to chat about offline. Take care!
A simple google led to this report. New Mexico is apparently considered a "Gold Star" open carry state by opencary.org. "You may carry in your vehicle open or concealed just like your home." Woot-woot, New Mexico! http://opencarry.org/nm.html
I've had a few close friends who were "law abiding citizens" but who also had significant anger management issues. In my dad's line of work, he has no doubt encountered far more explosive individuals than the 2 or three that I know personally. Tragically, he has also had to deal with the aftermath of gun violence on more than one occasion, so his concern is understandable and evidence-based. It only takes one mistake, one wrong move, impaired judgement, etc. to kill another human being with a gun, and guns are inarguably efficient lethal weapons. Ask someone who has had to help surviving family members.
My point about hard liners and the laws they put forward and vote for, in this case liberal gun control laws, stands. My dad is as Republican and conservative as they come, and he lives in a relatively rural area of the country. I was surprised to learn the unhappy story that he no longer participates in something he takes much pleasure in, dancing in night clubs with his wife, due to his rational concern about the number of folks carrying guns who frequent those establishments, which in turn is apparently due to the "Gold Star" open carry.org status of New Mexico. Just my thoughts, feel free to disregard.
It just make no scene, it's a sure a ticket to a no good ending. That's to bad and sad about your Mom and Dad, Leah. I wouldn't feel at all comfortable going anywhere with a bunch of people wearing guns . I was in Wisconsin last fall a state that is warring over open or concealed. Many business in the downtown have already posted signs disallowing anyone packing.
I am no expert on New Mexico and its snakes, but I have heard a few stories. According to my dad, the real problem is the human beings who in their ignorance kill the bull snakes, which significantly help keep down the rattle snake population. He has some pretty compelling anecdotal evidence pointing to that conclusion. As it turns out, when I was 4 years old my family lived in New Mexico over the summer in order for my dad to finish up a business administration and labor relations degree at Eastern University. While I was walking around the student housing with a playmate, we encountered a rattle snake in a door threshold with no adults present. I ran home to my parents and cried "alligator, alligator!" which not too suprisingly was quickly dismissed as child play by my parents. An uncle from my playmate's family got out a rifle a few minutes later and shot it quite dead. That is probably my earliest memory besides getting my tonsils removed. :)
In light of the capsized Costa Concordia disaster last week, I have a homework assignment for you both. Read up on "Black Swan Theory." Here's a wikipedia link to get you both started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan_theory
"You and your second in command get on board now! Is that clear?" http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/17/transcript-coast-guard-angrily-orders-captain-to-return-to-costa-concordia/