First, I don't enjoy this type of post. I'd much rather be talking about the recreation and challenge in shooting my RAW. But this is important so please read on.
This is directed to anyone who posts about topics that can provide fodder to our lawmakers. My thoughts here come from a simple comment in a hunting regulation thread, about "staying under the radar." Want to know how to stay under the radar? The answer is obvious. DON'T POST ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T WANT NOTICED! We post because we want people to know about something. That's the whole reason to post and we don't need to stop. But it's important to think carefully about HOW to word your post. Be thoughtful, be deliberate in how you write. Right now airguns enjoy a unique classification compared to powder-burners but how long will that designation last if we get careless and "poke the bear"? [Read that italicized sentence again to see how it could have been worded differently to be more "in your face" to gun control advocates. Note the words I didn't use that are "flags" for those on the "ban wagon."]
As a lifelong Californian, I've seen Californians' rights devolve from awesome to asinine because of seriously bad legislation, regulation and the relentless attack on individual rights through vilification and "political correctness" (which is anything but that). As a longtime member of a CA gun forum, it's common knowledge that legislative hacks harvest ideas for stupid laws from those threads. These aides read carelessly explicit posts about how to get around this law, or a loophole in that law, and by the next legislative session, it's more cr*p down the pipeline! We also see it at the local levels with blanket use prohibition in city limits despite having plenty of space to safely pursue our hobbies.
Make no mistake, even if you don't like what you see in California (or UK or Australia), it could very well be coming to a state near you. If not by simply copying CA's legislative folly, the huge numbers of voters abandoning CA for states less ridiculous often sadly bring some progressive political contamination with them. This ideological migration politically dilutes the very qualities that attracted them to the destination state, continuing the downward political cycle. No matter where you are, do not take today for granted. You must work to protect tomorrow.
GET POLITICALLY ACTIVE TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS. Think beyond the short game. Consider the incremental loss of your freedoms through legislative creep. Join organizations aligned with your ideals, consistent with your philosophy. Don't stay politely quiet when you disagree with someone promoting an agenda harmful to you. Even more importantly, don't give anyone any ideas how to defeat YOUR agenda!
Stay vigilant. Be active. Be focused.
This is directed to anyone who posts about topics that can provide fodder to our lawmakers. My thoughts here come from a simple comment in a hunting regulation thread, about "staying under the radar." Want to know how to stay under the radar? The answer is obvious. DON'T POST ABOUT THINGS YOU DON'T WANT NOTICED! We post because we want people to know about something. That's the whole reason to post and we don't need to stop. But it's important to think carefully about HOW to word your post. Be thoughtful, be deliberate in how you write. Right now airguns enjoy a unique classification compared to powder-burners but how long will that designation last if we get careless and "poke the bear"? [Read that italicized sentence again to see how it could have been worded differently to be more "in your face" to gun control advocates. Note the words I didn't use that are "flags" for those on the "ban wagon."]
As a lifelong Californian, I've seen Californians' rights devolve from awesome to asinine because of seriously bad legislation, regulation and the relentless attack on individual rights through vilification and "political correctness" (which is anything but that). As a longtime member of a CA gun forum, it's common knowledge that legislative hacks harvest ideas for stupid laws from those threads. These aides read carelessly explicit posts about how to get around this law, or a loophole in that law, and by the next legislative session, it's more cr*p down the pipeline! We also see it at the local levels with blanket use prohibition in city limits despite having plenty of space to safely pursue our hobbies.
Make no mistake, even if you don't like what you see in California (or UK or Australia), it could very well be coming to a state near you. If not by simply copying CA's legislative folly, the huge numbers of voters abandoning CA for states less ridiculous often sadly bring some progressive political contamination with them. This ideological migration politically dilutes the very qualities that attracted them to the destination state, continuing the downward political cycle. No matter where you are, do not take today for granted. You must work to protect tomorrow.
GET POLITICALLY ACTIVE TO FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS. Think beyond the short game. Consider the incremental loss of your freedoms through legislative creep. Join organizations aligned with your ideals, consistent with your philosophy. Don't stay politely quiet when you disagree with someone promoting an agenda harmful to you. Even more importantly, don't give anyone any ideas how to defeat YOUR agenda!
Stay vigilant. Be active. Be focused.
