Support Republicans if Democrats Don't Support the Right to Bear Arms

by C. Michael Arnold, Eugene, Oregon Attorney

Our elected officials at the Oregon State Legislature determined some time ago that only they could regulate guns in Oregon. ORS 166.170 clearly states that “the authority to regulate [firearms] in any matter whatsoever…is vested solely in the Legislative Assembly.” Even ignoring the constitutional implications, it is quite terrifying that the unelected bureaucrats at the State Board of Higher Education would ignore this Oregon law. The Oregon Court of Appeals recently stated the obvious: This statute leaves the authority to regulate firearms with the Oregon Legislature. (Read the opinion for yourself here).

Now there is talk by many Democrats in the legislature that there is a need to “fix the campus gun loophole,” as if there can be a loophole that allows us to exercise our rights. If any Democratic legislator attempts to overturn this case by amending ORS 166.170, I and others will actively financially support their Republican opponents. That is my promise and the promise of countless others.


Mike Arnold and his wife
and law partner Jacy regularly
financially support Democratic
candidates for office.

Hopefully, Democrats such as my senator Floyd Prozanski will get this message and use their time in the legislature to protect our constitutional rights and not restrict them. This issue is an absolute deal breaker. I support all of our constitutional rights, and I expect our legislators not to pick and choose among them as if there is a salad bar of rights.

It will be a scary time when we have to support Democrats to keep the Republicans from fleecing jobs and support Republicans to keep Democrats from fleecing rights. Let’s keep our party in check now to avoid problems come election time. Ask your legislators now if they support CHL permit holders right to carry on campuses.

* Mike Arnold is a Eugene trial lawyer who gets to talk to juries regularly all over the statute about our constititonal rights. He farms in his spare time and is married to a record-setting Missouri whitetail deer hunter. His views are his own and don't necessarily reflect the views of this "big tent" caucus.  Mike last wrote about this topic in 2007 regarding UW's policy of no guns on campus that didn't prevent a gun death on campus.

Sen. Prozanski and the Gun Owners Caucus

In light of a recent email that was sent out by Sen. Prozanski, we felt compelled to offer a statement:

The Gun Owners Caucus of the Democratic Party of Oregon is a big-tent Caucus and we do not limit our membership save that our members be registered Democrats and 2nd Amendment supporters. Any pro-2nd Amendment Democrat is welcome to join the GOC and add to our diversity. Some of our membership may agree with Sen. Prozanski's positions and behavior in the Senate Judiciary Committee last session and many do not. While Sen Prozansky does not speak for all of us, his is an example of the diversity of opinions which we cherish and encourage, albeit, do not promulgate as official caucus positions.

Good-bye

To my friends from the GOC I'd like to say good-bye and thanks. I am ceasing all political activity.

Chuck

2011 Oregon Gun Legislation Tracking Website

I am doing my best to keep on top of 2011 gun related legislation in Oregon. Visit the legislation tracking website: http://www.bluesteeldemocrats.org/legislation/2011Bills.html. This is no small task.

Notice that HB 2787 (CHL Privacy), 2792 (CHL Reciprocity) & 2797 (guns and atvs) passed the house. On the Legislation Tracking website, you can click to see how your Representative voted and contact them to thank them or educate them. You can listen to the audio archives to see if your legislator said anything good or bad.

Now for the Senate: Nothing is making it thorough the Senate Judiciary Committee and that is where the above bills now sit. The Chair of the Judiciary Committee is Sen Floyd Prozanski (D). If we want to influence whether or not these bills get through committee we need to contact Sen. Prozanski (sen.floydprozanski@state.or.us) and let him know how we feel. This should be a personally written letter that is polite and makes mention on the subject line that it is from a Democrat - in hopes that he will be more likely to read it. O.F.F is saying that Sen. Prozanski's excuse is that the Senate Democratic Caucus is against these bills. If that is true, Democratic constituents are the ones who are in the best position to influence the outcome. There is a link on the above website that makes it easy to contact all of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, too.

If you hadn't heard about his website already, you must not be a member of the Gun Owners Caucus, because we have been sending out email about it. If you would like to join, do so here: http://www.bluesteeldemocrats.org. We'd love to have you.

The Gun Owners Caucus officially takes no position on these bills, we just provide information to help our members make educated decisions on pending legislation. Any bias you see above is my personal opinion slipping through, and I apologize.

Jodi

Pro-Gun Oregon Democratic Candidate Statements

Pro-gun Democrats in Oregon are increasingly vocal about their records in support of the Second Amendment. Many have answered the Gun Owners Caucus request for statements about their pro-gun records and quite a few are actual members of the gun owners caucus (Representative Jeff Barker [D-HD 28] even came to our very first meeting, back in 2006!)

Online statements by pro-gun Oregon Democrats have been posted and are available for your viewing, along with information on finding your representative. The website will be updated as more candidates respond up through election day. If you can spare even a single afternoon canvassing or phone banking for any of these hard-working people, your investment in liberty will definitely pay off.

End Prohibition to Protect Gun Rights

The Washington Post recently ran another story on the Mexican government's losing drug war, focusing on the guns used and their sources, including the United States. Related stories of increasing corruption of U.S. law enforcement, especially border agents, by narcotics gangs are also on the rise. As reported in an earlier post (see: The Myth of 90%), reports of guns flowing into Mexico via the U.S. are wildly exaggerated, but focusing on guns and gun trafficking at all misses the real point:

Prohibition is a failed policy it is time to end.

Understanding supply and demand is the soul of capitalism, yet we, the world's largest and most successful capitalist democracy ignore this rule and instead create laws to control the personal habits of consenting adults and promote a modern-day piracy of transnational and interstate drug gangs whose members and methods would blend in with the worst rum runners or slavers of centuries past, not to mention the Prohibition gangs of the 1920s-30s.

The problem is drug prohibition, not gun shows, not gun dealers and not civil rights to own firearms protected under our Constitution.

End prohibition, and you end the on-going corruption of law enforcement, the profit-motive behind a majority of murders in this country as well as in Mexico, and the general erosion of the rule of law and respect for the same that occurs over the long-term when laws don't correspond to civil or substantive rights, much less to common sense. End prohibition and we gut the finances of the gang culture that has gripped American inner-cities for generations; we free up the courts and prisons for violent offenders. We save money. We save lives squandered in prison or snuffed out in pointless feuds.

It's time to stop the insanity of doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. It's time to demand change from our politicians, and give those with the courage to end this "war" our backing.

Anybody who wants to can go out to their car right now, soak a rag in gasoline & get high for a few minutes. Are we going to ban the car? Prohibition of recreational drugs (and no, I don't use them or hang around with people who do) is an historical accident that needs to be corrected. Consenting adults can huff gasoline or hairspray, they ought to be able to kill brain cells with pot, meth, heroine or prescription drugs if they really feel the need. We need to start learning from the mistakes of history instead of repeating them.

Al Capone must surely be laughing somewhere.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams' Proposed Gun Laws

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has a new pet project. It seems he is going after gun rights in the city of Portland. Of course he is doing so in the name of public safety, but his new proposals would do nothing more than existing laws are already supposed to do, except limit the options of law abiding firearms owners. Plus, it is my understanding that it is illegal for a city to impose its own laws regarding firearms limitations. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Below is a link to Mayor Adams' proposal. He is asking for comments. Please do comment, as it is important for Mayor Adams to hear your/our opinion. Also, I would ask that you keep your comments civil and free from personal attacks. Comments that are awash with personal attacks are hard to take seriously. Thanks.

http://www.portlandonline.com/mayor/index.cfm?c=52750&a=314192