Author: OFF

Posted on by

Corvallis City “Civil” Servant

08.07.14

45

As you may know, the City of Corvallis is considering a ban on loaded carry although they have been successfully sued in the past for harassing a person openly carrying a loaded handgun. The person who won that lawsuit donated the money to the Oregon Firearms Federation, so maybe we should be happy that Corvallis has not learned its lesson. But, it’s still amazing to see how arrogant, nasty and flat out stupid elected officials from that city can be.

When a resident wrote to the Mayor and members of the council urging them not to proceed with restrictions on open, loaded carry, he got this response from Joel Hirsch City Council Ward 6:

People should not have to feel fear or experience intimidation because fanatical gun advocates insist on making sure everyone sees the gun they are carrying. 
 I also believe that the 2nd Amendment has been misinterpreted and that as we elect fewer conservatives and appoint more rational judges, gun laws will be changed to protect us from guns, and to more accurately reflect the majority. 

 Enjoy them while you can. I have no sympathy, empathy, or respect for the pro open-carry position and will do everything in my power to limit citizen’s exposure to guns and gun advocates. Sorry. 

Mahalo,

Joel Hirsch

City Council – Ward 6

HIrsch’s email is:

ward6@council.corvallisoregon.gov

if you want to share your thoughts with him.

Posted on by

Rolling Stoned

07.16.14

It would be almost impossible to imagine something more inane than this bit of  4th grade drivel. But I bet the clowns at RS will.

“Popular among handgun-owners, pistols are defined by their built-in barrel and short stock.”
(Pistols are now popular with handgun owners!)

“Revolvers, named for their rotating chambered cylinder, placed second in the ATF’s ranking of guns found at crime scenes more than 46,000 recovered in 2012, the most recent year for which statistics were kept. “

“Rifles were created to improve the accuracy of smoothbore muskets, for which the musket ball was often an (sic) bad fit due to manufacturing complications.”

“Like rifles, shotguns are fired from the shoulder and may release a single projectile. Unlike rifles, however, one pull of a shotgun’s trigger may also spray the target with round pellets, or shot. Additionally, the explosive that creates the energy to fire the gun occurs in the fixed shell of a shotgun rather than the metallic cartridge of a rifle.”  

 

Ginny Burdick
Ginny Burdick approved this message.

 

 

Posted on by

Politicize Disaster

07.15.14

“This isn’t complicated: Making a political issue of the tiny coffins of dead children in the wake of a school shooting isn’t just a thing that helps pass strong gun-control, it’s practically the only thing in the last quarter century that’s moved the needle on anti-gun-violence laws.”

There is nothing that is beneath those whose only goal is to eliminate liberty. Armed, free, people are their biggest fear. Why not wallow in the blood of the innocent if it advances your goals?

But it’s crucial to remember that virtually everything they are demanding was in place in Connecticut when those children were murdered. What was not in place was any ability to respond to a killer. 

So when logic fails, revert to something utterly inane. Remember, the people are sheep.

hate NRA_cartoon

Posted on by

Racist Gun Owners

07.15.14

Gary Smerta, a resident of one of the districts in Colorado that recalled its State Senator over his vote expanding gun control, said “Because almost all murders are young minority males killing young minority males. It’s like 90 percent. Take out domestic violence, after that there’s nothing left.” 

Smerta’s comments were intended to make the “point” that efforts to implement gun control were misguided for most of the country.  Referring to a neighbor, he said “Amanda has no chance of getting killed in any meaningful sense… she can walk in every neighborhood. If she got killed, it’s gotta be somebody she knows, or she was dealing, or buying with a lot of cash, or something like that.”

Smerta called for imposing new restrictions on urban blacks saying “In the last 12 years, 9,000 more murders would have taken place in New York City, and they all would have fit that description of male minorities, 15 to 25.”

Smerta’s insensitive comments were immediately criticized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense whose spokeswoman, Shanonn Watts, said “It’s typical of gun owners to try to place all the blame for gun violence on minority youth. All gun owners are responsible for the carnage.”

Wait, just kidding. All those quotes were made by Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former Mayor of New York who is backing “Moms” and “Mayors Against Guns” an organization that has had quite of few of its members arrested, some for gun crimes.

But wait, there’s more. Bloomberg’s “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” website  says the following “About a third of U.S. children live in homes with guns. That wouldn’t pose a risk if guns were stored responsibly. But because many guns are not, American kids are 16 times more likely to be accidentally shot and killed than kids in other developed countries.”  But look at another quote from the same Rolling Stone interview quoted above:

“Let’s say Amanda’s trying to break in. ‘Excuse me, Amanda, I’ve gotta go get my gun to shoot you. Now, where did I put that combination to that lock? And the bullets were where? I don’t know what the f%#…how do you turn the safety off?’ Are you kidding me? The last thing you want to do when somebody breaks in and puts a gun toward you is try to go for a gun. That’s really stupid. I don’t know if you’re going to get shot one way, but I guarantee you’re going to get killed the other way. “

                                                   The man is dangerous loon. Guns save lives.

bullet car

Posted on by

Maybe Target Really Is A Good Name For That Place

07.08.14

As you know, Target Stores have decided they do not want anyone to come into their stores with a firearm.

Persons who have contacted Target to express their displeasure with this foolish and dangerous policy have received the following email:

 

Hello ,
Thank you for reaching out to us. 

 We’ve listened carefully to the nuances of this debate and respect the protected rights of everyone involved.

 Target’s approach has always been to follow the local laws, and we continue to do so. In return, we respectfully request guests not bring firearms into Target stores – even in communities where it is permitted by law.

 This is a complicated issue, but it boils down to a simple belief:  Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create.

 We’ll share your viewpoint with Target leaders.

Sincerely,

 The Target team

[THREAD ID:3-FNWHSJ]

We want to thank an OFF supporter who forwarded the following links which demonstrate that Target really is a target and their policy of excluding gun owners is a great reason to shop elsewhere.

Richmond, CA

Apex, NC

Miami-Dade, FL

Aurora, CO

Owensboro, KY

Apex, NC

UPDATE.
Some folks who sent emails opposing this ludicrous policy have received the above email but in place of “We’ll share your viewpoint with Target leaders”  were told “Thank you for support on our position.”   So it seems like in addition to being unable to keep their customers’ data safe, and keep their stores from being shooting galleries…they can’t read.

By the way,Fred Meyer Stores actually contribute to the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation.

Posted on by

Target Is OFF Target

07.02.14

Target stores have announced a new policy of “no guns.”

Bowing to the money of Michael Bloomberg and the astro-turf “activism” of “Mom’s Demanding Gun Sense in America”, Target stores now are telling customers that their legal firearms are not welcome.

 “Starting today we will… respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target-even in communities where it is permitted by law.”

Target did not say they were asking people not to open carry. They said they were asking people not to carry any guns, concealed or not, long gun or handgun.

PLEASE take the opportunity to let your voice be heard via one (or more) of the following avenues:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/target

Go to Target’s Facebook page and post a new message telling them you will not shop in Target stores until they welcome lawful carry.

Email: press@target.com 

Email Target Corporate and let them know you won’t shop in their stores until they welcome lawful carry again.  Let them know that it was bad enough that Target’s lack of security lead to the breach of millions of customers’ financial information last fall.  Now they want to deny you the security of being able to protect yourself.

 

 Phone: 1.800.440.0680 or (612) 696-3400

Call Target Corporate.  Let them know you cannot patronize a business that will not allow you the right to lawfully carry and exercise your God-given constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Mail:

Target Corporation

1000 Nicollet Mall

Minneapolis, MN 55403

Send a letter to Target corporate and express your disapproval of their anti-rights stance.  Millions of law abiding citizens carry for self-defense every day and harm no one.

http://pressroom.target.com/leadership 

 

Posted on by

John Kitzhaber’s Jihad

06.27.14

Governor Kitzhaber Gears Up For Universal Background Checks In 2015

OFF recently learned that the Oregon State Police have a new policy dealing with firearms purchase denials. Gun dealers in Oregon were sent a letter from the State Police telling them of a revision in OSP policy and stating: “This revision will include enforcement action involving persons attempting an unlawful firearms transfer through a licensed firearm dealer, during a voluntary private party check or a background check at a gun show.” We were also informed that the State Police had sent a bulletin to troopers informing them of this policy, but were unable to acquire a copy until now.You can see that bulletin here.

Note that the bulletin says the following:
(Emphasis added.)

 

 FICS will report the Denial of a Firearm Transaction to OSP Dispatch.

 The incident will be dispatched as a call for service,including suspect name,dealer location,and reason for denial. Sworn personnel will respond and take appropriate enforcement action.

 After enforcement is completed, OSP personnel will clear the CAD call with a reportable clearance code. 

Investigative consideration-  The statutes above require you to prove the suspect“knowingly”was aware they are not qualified for these transactions. The suspect’s culpable mental state will need to be determined.

OFF has now spoken to two  four persons who attempted firearms purchases, were denied and had State Troopers dispatched to “investigate.”

In the first instance, a buyer was attempting to purchase a pistol and the dealer received a notice of a “delay” on his computer terminal. Oddly, the “delay” provided no estimate of when the OSP expected to have the issue resolved, so the dealer called OSP and was told “We are working on it.”

The dealer asked the customer to wait (hoping for an approval) and then a State Trooper arrived looking for the customer. The trooper took the customer to the parking lot for an “investigation” where the trooper explained he did not know the specific reason for the denial. He was only told the customer had a Federal hold for mental health issues.

The customer told the trooper that he had never been involuntarily committed as the law requires for such a denial.  We were told by both the dealer and the customer that the trooper was professional and apologetic for the intrusion and was clearly not comfortable being pulled off patrol for this “call for service.”

The trooper reported that the new rule came directly from the Governor. The customer was not arrested or further detained. No action was taken against him but he was denied the purchase.

A similar event took place yesterday. A customer attempted a purchase and was denied.

The customer had no idea why, as he had purchased firearms in the past and even had had a concealed handgun license.

After leaving the store, a State Trooper came to the business looking for the customer. The trooper then went to the home of the customer.  The trooper told the customer that he did not know why he had been dispatched and had no record of any criminal history of the “suspect.”

Again, the report from the denied party was that the trooper was professional and apologetic for the intrusion and that the trooper informed him that this new policy was directly from the Governor. Again, there was no arrest, and no action was taken against the customer. But of course, once again a State Trooper was removed from patrol to “investigate” a person who was attempting to purchase a firearm when there was no evidence that the buyer was attempting an illegal purchase.

No arrests were made.

We believe this policy is a prelude to another attempt to require universal background checks in the coming legislative session.  You will recall that when Floyd Prozanski attempted to pass this in 2014, he was ridiculed because it was well known that when a person failed a background check as the result of past felonies there was virtually never any police action or prosecutions.

So to respond to that criticism and lay the ground work for a new bill, the Governor has ordered State Police to leave patrols to respond to every denial, no matter how unjustified. The two buyers we spoke to were lucky. They were not hauled off to jail pending completion of an “investigation.” But both had to deal with the embarrassment of being detained and questioned by the State Police. (One in front of his children.)

This new policy illuminates the failures in the background check system and is nothing more than another politically motivated attack on gun owners.  Furthermore, it’s an outrageous misuse of scarce police resources.  The State Police have long complained about being understaffed. Now they are being dragged off of traffic patrols to enforce what at very least should be handled by local cops.

Please remember if you become the subject of one of these “investigations” that you are not required to answer any questions without the advice of  a lawyer.

Posted on by

Supreme Court Rules You Cannot Buy A Gun For Another Approved Person

06.17.14

judge

Today the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that if you purchase a firearm and transfer it to another “approved” buyer, you are a “straw purchaser” and may go to prison.

The ruling is in the case US vs Abramski, a case to which Oregon Firearms contributed to an Amicus brief.

The buyer of the gun purchased a gun legally and transferred it to his uncle who was also an approved buyer. The uncle took possession of the gun after passing a background check.  Abramski (a former police officer) was charged with a “straw purchase.”

“The Obama administration had argued that accepting Abramski’s defense would impair the ability of law enforcement officials to trace firearms involved in crimes and keep weapons away from people who are not eligible to buy them.” 

Clearly this transfer had nothing to do with crimes or people who are ineligible to receive firearms. This ruling will vastly complicate any future transfers of legitimately owned guns.

Posted on by

Lead Ammo Ban Coming

06.11.14

A Ban On Lead Ammo Is On The Horizon

“There is no proposal to ban or limit use of lead ammunition in Oregon, but developments outside of Oregon could affect the use of lead ammunition within the state,” 

Don’t you believe it.

“The California legislature passed a law banning lead ammunition to protect endangered California condors…”

“Historically, Oregon has had condors, though none are known to live here now, however, there are efforts to re-establish populations in northern California and if they are successful, it is only a matter of time before condors begin frequenting the southern portions of Oregon. “

Rest assured this will be the excuse needed to ban lead ammo.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is working with Oregon State University to “survey a random sample” of Oregon hunters “about their use and knowledge of lead ammunition.”

While you most likely will not be included in the survey, you can still make your voice heard.

“Persons not chosen for the survey are welcome to provide comments on lead ammunition directly to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife at a special email address: ODFW.Wildlife@state.or.us”

For more info please see this link.  
Posted on by

Early Summer Update 06.09.14

With the primary elections behind us, and the summer having arrived, it’s time to catch up.


First of course, are the results of the primary elections. 

Dr Monica Wehby will be facing anti-gun radical Jeff Merkley for US Senate.  While we endorsed Wehby’s opponent, Jason Conger, we wish her the best in this important race.

Oregon Congressional races will be interesting. 

In the First Congressional District, Suzanne Bonamici (who made a career of anti-gun activism when she served in the Oregon Legislature) will be facing  Jason Yates who is a staunch supporter of gun rights.

In the Second District, Greg Walden has once again secured the endorsement of the NRA in spite of his anti-gun votes.  

In the Third District, Earl Blumenauer, one of the most militant anti-gun extremists in the Congress, faces no real opposition.

In the Fourth, long time incumbent Peter DeFazio will once again be running against (and no doubt defaming) Art Robinson. Robinson is a staunch supporter of gun rights and an OFF member. DeFazio is a hard core leftist who is long past his expiration date in Congress.

The Fifth District race may be the oddest.

Incumbent Democrat Kurt Schrader will be facing Tootie Smith who is a Clackamas County Commissioner.  Schrader has been an open supporter of more restrictive gun control yet he, once again, has received the endorsement of the NRA, who in their candidate ratings completely ignored the fact that there were two pro-gun candidatesrunning in the Republican Primary.  Schrader, a Democrat, got the NRA endorsement and Republicans Tootie Smith and Ben Pollock, both pro-gun, were never even mentioned.

Smith won that primary against newcomer Pollock and will have an uphill climb against Schrader, a millionaire with an NRA endorsement despite his anti-gun record.

Now onto the battle for control of the Oregon Legislature.

If there were any races you missed, you can see complete results here.

There are some races we’ll be watching closely in the general election. 

In Oregon Senate District 3, OFF-supported Dave Dotterrer will once again face off with anti-gun Alan Bates.  In their last match up, Dave came very close to defeating Bates and we think he has an even better chance this time. Bates is totally out of touch and needs to be replaced.In Senate Distict 4, anti-gun militant Floyd Prozanski will face newcomer Cheryl Mueller. Mueller is the daughter of former Senator Gary George and the sister of current Senator Larry George. Both Gary and Larry have been consistent supporters of gun rights. Our hope is that it runs in the family.

Senate District 8 will be between current House member Sara Gelser and Betsy Close, who holds the seat now. Close was appointed to this seat and will now be running to keep it. Close was endorsed by OFF and when she served in the Oregon House was a rock solid supporter of gun rights.  Gelser is best known for her attempts to ban firearms ownership by foster parents.

In Senate District 11, current Senate President Peter Courtney is being challenged by Patti Milne. Courtney is fiercely anti-gun and best known for his use of dirty tricks and unethical behavior to promote his radical agenda.  Milne recently resigned her seat as Marion County Commissioner to run against Courtney. Milne is supported by OFF and is 100% pro-gun.   When she served in the Oregon House in the 90’s Milne introduced Oregon’s first Constitutional Carry bill. She is truly a pioneer for gun rights in Oregon.

In Senate District 13, our hero, House Rep Kim Thatcher, is running against Democrat Ryan Howard. Thatcher has been perhaps Oregon’s most prolific creator of pro-gun legislation. It was her dogged efforts that brought us privacy for CHL holders. She is running to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Larry George.

In House District 9 pro-gun activist Casey Runyan will be taking on Caddy McKeown. Casey got lots of media attention when he openly challenged the presence of anti-gun celebrity Mark Kelly at a hearing for an anti-gun bill in Salem.

In House District 25, our pick, radio talk show host Bill Post, beat Barbara Jensen who had been recruited by Julie Parrish who thought Post was too conservative. Post won handily and has no Democratic opponent. While a third party candidate could still file to run, at this time it looks like Bill will win this seat which is being vacated by Kim Thatcher who is running for Senate.

House District 28 will almost certainly be won by Democrat Jeff Barker whose Republican opponent dropped out of the race.  Barker has been one of the strongest supporters of gun rights the Oregon House has seen in a long time. Barker has repeatedly taken on his own party to protect Second Amendment in Oregon. 

House District 41, previously held by anti-gun extremist Carolyn Tomei will see a race between Kathleen Taylor (D) and Tim Mc Menamin.(R)  Tim is an OFF member and solid pro-gun supporter.

Many seats will have only one candidate running. There are 24 races with no Republican candidate and 10 with no Democratic candidate.

On another note, OFF will be raffling another rifle. It’s an AR donated by our friends at RRC Firearms and you can get all the details here.

If you are in the Cottage Grove area on June 14th, please consider coming to “Incite Liberty!” at the Western Oregon Exposition Fairgrounds. OFF will be there along with some great speakers and supporters of freedom. All the details are here. 

Finally, we’d like to remind you that there is now a great way to support our efforts at the Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation that won’t cost you a penny.

If you shop at Fred Meyers, they will contribute to our Foundation if you use a Rewards Card. You don’t lose any of your points! You keep them all and they donate to OFEF. Hard to beat that deal.  It’s easy to sign up and all the details are here. 

Now get out there and enjoy the weather! 

Posted on by

OFEF SUBMITS AMICUS BRIEF AGAINST CT. GUN BAN

05.24.14

Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation and Gun Owners of American Fighting Connecticut Gun Ban

OFEF has contributed to an amicus brief in a lawsuit against Connecticut’s unconstitutional firearms and magazine ban. You can read it here.

As attempts are made across the country to eliminate your Second Amendment rights, it is more and more critical that we engage the gun grabbers in court.

“That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.”
– George Orwell