Category: Blog Post
Shemia, Your Slip(up) Is Showing
Wheeler Wants His Own Private Idaho
Dicks. That saids it all.
Yup.. this will work…
Another Truth Teller Silenced
Well… it’s true.
The New Culture Of Sexual Harassment In Our State’s Capitol
10.27.17
As you no doubt know, pro-gun Republican Senator Jeff Kruse was recently stripped of all his committee assignments by anti-gun Democrat Senate President Peter Courtney.
For those who may not be too familiar with how our legislature operates, this punishment essentially makes Kruse incapable of having any influence on legislation, a job voters in his district have reelected him numerous times to do.
The explanation for this unprecedented, and possibly career ending, punishment was an allegation by Democrat Senator Sara Gelser that Kruse had engaged in sexual harassment against her by what has been described as “non-sexual inappropriate touching.” Oh, yeah, and Kruse also smokes in his office.
After this story started making the rounds, we posted a Facebook post that acknowledged that yes indeed, Kruse has smoked in his office. We have actually seen this transgression.
We also commented that if (as of now totally unproven) allegations that he was groping Sara Gelser were true, he might need an eye test. On Tuesday October 24th, we deleted that post after considering how it easily it could be construed to be an attack on Gelser’s appearance and how that was hardly the point. Soon after, there were several media stories commenting on that post and stating how it simply proved that there is an ingrained culture of sexual harassment in Salem, and that we were essentially guilty of it ourselves.
So, now, (since the media considers our commentary newsworthy) we’d like to clarify and expand on those remarks.
First, it’s important to note that Gelser claims that Kruse’s “inappropriate ” touching has been going on, literally, for years. But as far as we can tell, Gelser chose to keep this from the public until she climbed on the Hollywood Hashtag bandwagon following the revelations that a powerful, millionaire, Democrat donor and movie producer was abusing, harassing and allegedly raping young and aspiring starlets.
That, of course, would be Harvey Weinstein, a man who has publicly stated that he HATES guns and promised to singlehandedly “take down” the NRA. Oh, and he also produced such anti-gun classics as “Kill Bill.” As stated, Weinstein is a big donor to Democrats. In the past he sent money to Oregon Democrats.
None of Weinstein’s crimes and disgusting behavior were any secret in Hollywood. They were, of course, kept secret from the public by the mainstream, liberal dominated, media who also knew about his actions but spiked stories, because, well that’s what the left does for each other.
After the revelations were made public, numerous actresses who had been assaulted or otherwise abused by Weinstein started a Twitter campaign to let the world know what they all knew, or had experienced themselves, and kept silent about for years. It was then, and only then, that Gelser decided to join the chorus with her own Tweet. The implication was clear. Although at first she would not name names, she soon made it known that is was Kruse she was accusing.
As far as we can tell, most, or at least many, of the transgressions Gelser has accused Kruse of have taken place on the Senate Floor. It is hard to imagine a more public, populated and videotaped place on Earth. Not only can anyone watch the proceedings on any computer, but the galleries above the chamber provide a bird’s eye view for any member of the public who choses to go there.
In this forum, surrounded by Senators, staff, reporters, police, the public and constant video surveillance, is where Kruse’s alleged outrageous behavior took place….for years. Of course, sitting at the front of this august chamber, high above the floor, with possibly the best view of all, stands the man who stripped Kruse of his committee assignments, Senate President Peter Courtney, who like so many others within spitting distance of the accused…saw nothing, for years. It’s all rather remarkable.
Now in the wake of Gelser’s accusations, the media is publishing quotes from other women (many unnamed) who work in the Capitol in one capacity or another. They include legislators and lobbyists. There is common agreement that there is a pervasive atmosphere of “good old boy” sexual harassment and bad behavior. It’s everywhere, and women there have been too afraid of a negative impact on their careers to talk about it before.
Clearly, politics under the dome in Salem is a damn hostile place for a woman. It’s a wonder they are willing to work there at all given how little opportunity they have.
So it really is hard to understand how we have a female governor, our last two Secretaries of State have been women and the Speaker of the House is a woman.
Almost 30% of all Senators are women. 35% of Democrat Senators are women. 22 of 60 House reps (or over 36 %) are women .
Over 54% of Democrat House members are women. (19 of 35)
As expected, Governor Brown issued a statement about inappropriate touching saying it was “unacceptable.”
Kate apparently does not hold herself to the same standard. We have it on good authority that Kate is not very close to Sheriff Glenn Palmer.
Women hold positions of enormous power in Oregon, and Sara Gelser is one of them.
Gelser is no shrinking violet. She is an affluent, powerful member of the Senate who has no qualms about using slash and burn campaign tactics, including lying about her opponents supporters to get elected. She is a member of the ruling party. And yet..
Gelser alleges that Kruse’s inappropriate behavior began in 2011. That is 5 years before she made any official complaint. 5 lonely years of hell. But Gelser did not even get elected to the Senate until 2015. She and Kruse never served in the House together. When she was elected to the House for the first time, Kruse had already moved onto the Senate. So apparently, Kruse was making his way over to the House to touch her for years. And no one noticed that either.
House Speaker Tina Kotek’s legislative biography says “In 2013, Tina became the first openly lesbian speaker of any state house in the nation.” So Gelser served in the House under a lesbian woman for two years without mentioning to this powerful and very liberal person that a conservative Senator was coming over to their chamber to harass her.
(If you have any doubts about Kotek’s power and her willingness to exercise it, try being a pro-gun House Democrat. Sooner or later you will be neutered and groveling and voting for bills you oppose lest you face her wrath.)
During the years Jeff Kruse forced his unwanted attentions on her, Gelser either suffered in silence or, after 5 years, quietly asked others to intercede on her part. She never loudly and publicly rebuked him. She never slapped him, pushed him away or told him to leave his hands off her.
Former Democrat Senator Jackie Dingfelder also claims that Kruse “placed his hand on her back in an inappropriate way during a committee hearing in 2011 or 2012.” But Dingfelder said “…when Kruse placed his hand on her back she was clear with him that his touching was unwanted. She confronted Kruse then and there. ‘I said, ‘Jeff, don’t do that. That’s inappropriate. Don’t ever do that again.’ And he never did,’ she said.”
Apparently, this is the kind of complex verbal judo Gelser is incapable of.
Why?
Kruse has no power over her. He is not her boss, he is not her superior. He is in the minority party and, in many cases his vote, as a conservative, does not even matter. And where were all the male Democrat Senators while this unacceptable behavior was taking place? Surely such champions of women’s rights as Michel Dembrow and Floyd Prozanski would have leapt to her defense even if she was too intimated to do it herself, there on the Senate floor under the watchful eyes of thousands. Surely Mark Haas or Rod Monroe would have never stood for that. Where was Lew Fredrick and James Manning? Where the hell was “eye in the sky” Peter Courtney? This was going on for years. And if Gelser’s allegations are true, there were no real Democrat men in the House in the time she served there either.
Can anyone imagine what would happen to any man who inappropriately put his hands on Democrat Senator Betsy Johnson? He’d quickly find a walking cane coming down on his head. And Betsy doesn’t get around quite as fast as Sara these days.
So here’s the thing. There are three possibilities.
1) Jeff Kruse did what he is accused and no one except Gelser and Ginny Burdick noticed. If so he should change his name to Houdini.
2) Lots of people knew what he was doing but it was never caught on video and no one, except Burdick, (if you believe her) stepped up and confronted him.
3) Gelser is a disingenuous and opportunistic fabricator with a political agenda.
If it was number 2, then the entire Democrat Caucus is no better than all the Hollywood types who went along to get along with the Weinstein machine. And they are all cowards.
But no matter what, it is still an outrage for Gelser to attempt to associate whatever she alleges Kruse did with the fate of countless dewey eyed ingenues who just got off the bus from Peoria and fell into the clutches of the pig Weinstein in hopes of scoring a walk-on part.
Gelser is not some kid whose dreams of being on the big screen let her discard her ethics and morals or some innocent aspiring starlet who found herself locked in a hotel room with a raping dirtbag.
She is an aggressive, accomplished, powerful woman who claims to have been the “victim” of someone who had NO power over her…for years.
She is part of the cabal of anti-gun feminists who would much rather perpetuate the entrepreneurial victimhood of women than to ever encourage them to stand up for themselves and have the means to do it. She has advanced her own career while voting to make sure that the most vulnerable among us are denied the right to protect themselves and she has timed her accusations to deflect the reality that a massive donor to the causes she supports has finally been exposed to the public in spite of years of efforts by the media to protect him.
It’s understandable that the mainstream media would use our comments to imply that we are part of some mass movement to denigrate and belittle women. A quick review of our campaign contributions will make clear that we have spent thousands to support female candidates. For Gelser to imply that she is in the same boat as some kid with stars in her eyes who is abused by powerful man who controls her future is absurd.
When a Republican House Rep was discovered to have taken advantage of a young female subordinate, he was rightfully driven from office. We strongly supported that action. Women (and men who are harassed by powerful women…see “Amanda Marshall”) should never be subject to any kind of improper behavior by someone with power over them.
Sorry Sara. You don’t qualify.
State Police Confirm Blocking Transfers
07.03.17
The Oregon State Police have confirmed that they are “delaying” all sales of “Shockwave” and “Tac-14” shotguns firearms.
It appears this new policy started on Friday. They said they are awaiting a decision from the Department of Justice on whether these firearms are “legal” under Oregon law.
ATF has already determined that these firearms are NOT regulated under the National Firearms Act.
Oregon law describes “short barrel” shotguns as:
“a shotgun having one or more barrels less than 18 inches in length and any weapon made from a shotgun if the weapon has an overall length of less than 26 inches.”
“a shotgun having one or more barrels less than 18 inches in length and any weapon made from a shotgun if the weapon has an overall length of less than 26 inches.”
However, Oregon law does not define what a “shotgun” is.
Under Federal law, these are not shotguns at all since they are not designed to be fired from the shoulder. These firearms are not considered to have been “made from a shotgun” either since they come from the factory configured with no stock.
While Oregon law prohibit shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches, it provides for an “affirmative defense” if the shotgun
“was registered as required under federal law.”
Of course, these guns cannot be “registered” under Federal law because they are not regulated under the NFA.
As you may know, many of these guns have already been transferred with OSP approval. OSP has no word on what will happen to people who bought them legally prior to this new policy.
OSP has promised to provide a copy of whatever determination the Department of Justice makes on these guns. If we receive it we will provide it.
Call To Action
03.23.17
On March 22nd, we asked you to contact House Rep Brad Witt to express your concerns with his House Joint Resolution 13.
As many of you who contacted him know, Rep Witt has heard your concerns and agrees that in its current form, HJR 13 is overly broad and could well create situations Witt never intended. He has agreed to rework the resolution to address those issues.
But there is lots more to be done.
As you know the passage of SB 941 in 2015 has caused all of the problems we predicted it would. 941 outlawed most private transfers of firearms and was nothing more than a payoff to Mike Bloomberg and an attack on law abiding gun owners.
We repeatedly warned legislators that this bill was dangerous and opposed by most counties and most Sheriffs. The anti-gun liberals in the legislature and big city cops who supported this law showed no interest in actually enforcing it when one of their own anti-gun activists blatantly violated it. But the damage it has done to Oregonians is incalculable.
The liberals who pushed 941 through to pay Bloomberg back for the money he poured into Oregon claimed the bill was about “safety” and “keeping guns out of the wrong hands.” They told us it was for the good of “domestic violence victims.” And of course, it was all lies.
In fact, 941 has made Oregon a far less safe place.
As we have reported many times, when people who are identified as “prohibited persons” attempt to buy guns, they are virtually never arrested, even if they are actively wanted at the time!
Under 941 it is now a crime to safeguard a firearm for a neighbor who is going out of town or a friend who needs to remove a gun from his home for personal reasons. This from the same people who are demanding “safe storage” of firearms.
But it’s even worse than that. As result of the refusal of the anti-gun left to even consider the consequences of SB 941, Oregon has put its most vulnerable directly in the cross hairs of violence.
Oregon has a program for people who have active and credible threats against their lives. It’s called the “Address Confidentiality Program” and participants essentially live in hiding. Thanks to the leftist supporters of SB 941, all of whom generate plenty of theater about protecting the victims of domestic violence, anyone covered under the program is forbidden from buying a gun. You heard that right. The law forbids people who live in daily fear from purchasing a firearm to defend themselves and their children.
This is so obviously wrong it is hard to believe that even the most ardent haters of gun rights could justify it. But of course, they do.
We want to fix this.
Make no mistake, all of SB 941 is flat out bad law and we want to see the whole bill repealed. But as we move towards that goal we want to reverse as many of the worst elements of the bill as we can.
There are other effects of 941. For example, people who live in recreational vehicles can no longer legally buy firearms if they have a “continuous traveler” driver’s license and now even antique firearms require a background check for a “private” transfer, something not required for a purchase from a dealer!
Quite a few good bills have been introduced by our friends in the legislature. You can see all current 2017 gun bills here, but three bills that would address these crucial issues are languishing in the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Floyd Prozanski, one of the legislature’s most militant anti-gunners.
Those bills are:
Please contact Floyd Prozanski and tell him it’s time to fix the mess they made with SB 941. Please consider cc’ing your note to Senate President Peter Courtney who has the power to instruct Prozanski to hear these important bills. We cannot continue to allow the extremists in the legislature to keep putting innocent people at risk.
Prozanski’s contact info can be found here.
His email is Sen.FloydProzanski@OregonLegislature.gov
Peter Courtney’s contact info can be found here.
Courtney’s email is sen.petercourtney@oregonlegislature.gov
A sample message follows.
Dear Senator Prozanski,
The passage of SB 941 has created a whole series of problems for law abiding gun owners, while doing nothing to stop crime and is not even enforced if the lawbreaker is an anti-gun liberal. But what concerns me most is the danger it has created for people who have done nothing wrong.
As you know, 941 outlaws the purchase of firearms by people protected by Oregon’s Address Confidentiality Program. These people are not criminals, they are victims and should not be denied the ability to protect themselves by the legislature . SB 941 also denies Second Amendment rights to people whose only crime is their decision to live in a recreational vehicle. This is pointless and dangerous.
Furthermore people who want to transfer antiques to private parties are now subject to a failing background check system which is not required for purchases from gun dealers.
There are bills in your committee that would address these and other issues. Please schedule hearings and work sessions for Senate Bills 667,854 and 855. It is unacceptable to put people who have done nothing wrong in danger to promote the agenda of a New York billionaire.
Pro-Gun Journalist Faces Felony Counts For Defending Himself
UPDATE. ON FEB. 10 after allowing a last minute “ambush” witness (Gresham cop Ryan Rasmussen) who was not even at the event, to testify against Strickland, “Judge” Thomas Ryan found Mike guilty on all 21 counts. He is awaiting sentencing.
When journalist and Second Amendment activist Mike Strickland was attacked by a large and dangerous mob on the streets of Portland, he did what many of us would have done. He drew his lawfully concealed handgun, warned his attackers to stay back and made every effort to withdraw.
He was quickly arrested by Portland Police who were sufficiently concerned about the mob that they were in riot gear.
The mainstream and far left media were quick to pounce on the story calling Michael everything from a “counter protestor” to a “racist” to a “Trump supporter.”
The cascade of lies has not slowed down.
Strickland was initially charged with menacing and released. The following day Strickland arrived in court for an arraignment with lawyers provided by the Oregon Firearms Federation.
There, the Multnomah County DA charged him with multiple felonies and Michael was hauled off to jail with a quarter of a million dollar bail placed on him.
There is no question that his treatment by the DA and the outrageous bail were a direct result of Multnomah County realizing that they had in their custody, a person who had, for years, exposed leftist politicians for the hypocrites they are.
Michael wrote for several conservative websites and maintained a You Tube Channel which exposed the truth about the far left in Oregon. His success at presenting the reality about Oregon’s militant liberals (and gun grabbers in particular) made him an irresistible target for the statists who control Portland and Multnomah County and they are determined to make an example out of him.
Perhaps the most in-depth and detailed reporting on Mike’s arrest can be found here, at Victoria Taft’s website. We think what you will read there will disturb and frighten you. Please take a few minutes to learn what happened to Mike.
Because of a generous anonymous donor, Michael was released on bond, but his battle is just beginning . He has been indicted on 21 charges including multiple felonies.
His legal bills will be staggering.
Michael Strickland did nothing wrong. His actions were those of a person who legitimately feared for his life and did what any responsible person would do to defend themselves. The fact is, after being victimized by thugs on the streets of Portland, he is now being victimized by the political elite who protect thugs in Portland.
Last year, Strickland was attacked, assaulted, seriously injured and robbed by an anti-gun, left wing activist named Skye Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald made a name for himself by lying to people about an anti-gun film project he was working on claiming it would be an unbiased “documentary.” When Strickland exposed Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald attacked Strickland and assaulted him and stole his cameras.
In spite of the fact that the attack was caught on video, Multnomah County refused to prosecute Fitzgerald. Strickland was unable to work for months due to his injuries. This story describes the event, identifying Strickland by a Facebook name he used “William Saunderson.”
OFF has received donations for Michael from all over the country, but because Multnomah County has chosen to bury him in false and frivolous charges, the legal bills are growing well beyond what was anticipated.
If Mike is convicted of a crime for what is clearly a case of self defense, the very idea of self defense in Oregon will be at risk. If you cannot use a lawfully owned firearm to defend yourself against a large crowd of dangerous thugs, your rights to self defense are over.
We are asking for any financial help you can provide to directly fund Michael’s legal bills. 100% of every dollar raised will go to Mike’s legal team, the Short Law Group. These folks are solid pro-gun lawyers and they have been working with OFF to keep the legal bills as low as possible, because like us, they understand the statewide implications of this important case. But nothing is free.
Donations can be made on our website and please be sure to pick “Oregon Firearms Federation” from the Donation Category drop down menu and note that your contribution is for Mike Strickland in the “This donation is in tribute to” text box.
We, and Michael, would be very grateful for any help you can offer.
The Controlled Demolition of Truth and Common Sense.
6.15.16
In the wake of the Orlando massacre, liberal politicians, sycophant Republican “leaders,” and the mindless parrots in the media churned up their predictable demands that law abiding people be disarmed.
As always, they got almost all the “facts” wrong.
Although this case becomes more bizarre with each passing day, the left and their willing accomplices in the mainstream press, choose not to focus on the obvious but to insist that somehow the gun used by the killer was the true culprit. Not his adherence to radical Islam, not his own apparent self loathing homosexual tendencies, not his past violent and abusive behavior.
None of this is new of course, but it does seem that the engine of mindless drivel has gone into overdrive.
In an editorial that appeared in the “Oregonian,” Samantha Swindler wrote:
“Ah, you might say, someone determined to kill masses of people will find a way. This is probably true. You can make explosives. You can go on a rampage with a pair of scissors. But it is far too easy to go on a rampage with a gun, in particular with an AR-15-style rifle. There’s a reason it’s the weapon of choice among mass murderers.”
Certainly comments like these help explain why the Oregonian is slowly disappearing into a one page, high school newspaper reproduced on a mimeograph machine, but because her blithering is so representative of what we are being bombarded with in the press, it’s worth examining.
Is it really easier to go on a “rampage with a gun” than it is to detonate a suicide vest? Can she really be that stupid? Is it really easier to go on a rampage with an AR-15 than it is with any other gun? Apparently not, because as we know, in spite of wall to wall mis-reporting, no AR-15 was involved. (As they virtually never are in the countless, ignored, shootings in Chicago.)
Is the AR-15 the “weapon of choice for mass murderers” as virtually every media outlet has proclaimed?
No. In fact, Mother Jones Magazine, a far left, anti-gun publication provides us with the research that demonstrates that most mass shootings do not involve firearms that are frequently mischaracterized as “assault weapons.” That’s of no importance to the purveyors of mendacity that dominate the airwaves and internet.
But to make her ignorant yapping even worse, Swindler goes on:
“Can’t we expand background checks and waiting periods for gun buyers? Can’t we place tighter restrictions on certain guns that maximize body counts?”
It is hard to imagine that someone who can find her way to work in the morning unassisted, could write something so astonishingly moronic. Perhaps she works from home.
Exactly what kind of “expanded background checks” would have had any affect on the murderous dog who killed the patrons of the “Pulse?” Really Samantha, you work for a newspaper. Have you ever considered reading one? Not only did the killer pass the firearms purchase background check so beloved by the Brady Bunch and local anti-rights groups and apparently a background check for a Florida concealed handgun license, but he undoubtably passed many other background checks as part of his job with a government contracted security company. This in spite of several investigations done on him by the FBI for his affiliations with known radical Islamic organizations and his well known anti-social temperament. Ironically, countless qualified people are denied firearms purchases every day because of the background check system that approved the Orlando murderer. Waiting periods? All accounts indicate, that like so many mass killings, this was planned long in advance.
Swindler also wants “tighter restrictions on certain guns that maximize body counts.” Once again we’re treated to the “only meant to kill as many people as quickly as possible” cliches, and the platitudes about “weapons of war” which, for some reason, people like Swindler are more than happy to supply to our police forces.
Swindler and her fellow travelers on the left are pathologically incapable of recognizing that people commit crimes. That is a problem that is actually difficult to deal with, so instead they, like the petulant Democrats in Congress who disrupted a moment of silence in honor of those killed in Orlando, demand that actions be taken to eliminate inanimate objects and punish the innocent.
It’s interesting to note that virtually all the anti-gun left insists that they don’t want to take people’s guns away. Well, only some guns. Only dangerous guns. (The fact is, of course, they do want to eliminate all guns, as evidenced by broad support by groups like Ceasefire Oregon for HB 3200 a few years ago which outlawed almost all modern firearms and called for warrantless searches by police.)
They continue to perpetuate the fantasy that some guns are “safer” because they aren’t black and don’t have pistol grips. They complain that guns like the AR-15 can be fired “too quickly” or “too accurately,” as though accuracy in a firearm is a bad thing and ARs fire faster than any other gun. (This of course when they are not complaining that ARs are made to “spray fire from the hip.”) They moan about “high capacity clips” as if there is some acceptable number of casualties in any mass murder. They ignore the reality that the patrons of the “Pulse” were disarmed by law and, that given that the shooter apparently met no resistance once inside the club, in spite of being outnumbered hundreds to one, the kind of gun he used made precious little difference.
They will dishonestly claim they are not after “hunting rifles,” only the “too powerful assault weapons” like ARs which, of course, are far less powerful than most “hunting rifles.” They ignore the fact that almost every firearm ever made was designed originally to be a “weapon of war.” But for now, if they were designed for a war a long time ago, they’re ok. Even if they were used in America’s real largest mass shooting. And of course, any weapon is permissible if it’s being used by the state for mass murder.
The incoherence of the anti-gun zealots appears to be limitless. In response to a comment made by a member of the Pink Pistols (a gay gun rights group) who refused to blame the gun for the Orlando murders, Ceasefire Oregon’s, Penny Okamoto, proved herself, once again, to be a walking blond joke and said “If the gun is just a tool, let’s make that tool safer…Let’s make sure we’ve got chamber loaded indicators on that. Let’s make sure we’ve got magazine disconnect mechanisms and let’s get rid of the assault weapons because those are not safe weapons.”
Really, “chamber loaded indicators” and “magazine disconnects” could have saved countless lives in Orlando. And who knows how many would have been spared if only the shooter had chosen a “safer” gun, like the shotguns used in so many mass murders and recommended by our Vice President.
In spite of our “leaders” refusal to acknowledge it, and whatever the motivation for the rampage in Orlando, the United States and much of the west is under siege by religious Muslim extremists. Much of Europe has voluntarily disarmed and is paying the price in blood, rape and a loss of national identity. Americans would be fools to follow that path.
A Mental Health Professional Looks At Mental Illness And Guns
January 2016
Matt Millican has an MA in Counseling Psychology.
He has been studying and working with offender issues in forensic mental health since 2008 and has been heavily focused on sex offender treatment and issues.
He currently works in private practice rehabilitating domestic violence offenders out of Canyon County Idaho.
Given the recent attempts to use mental health issues as a vehicle to deny people gun rights, this is a timely exploration of the issue.
http://mentalhealthreflections.blogspot.com/2016/01/mental-health-and-gun-violence.html
Republican’s Response Vs Democrat’s Response
January 2016
As the Oregon State Police ID unit continues to stonewall, delay, and harass gun buyers,(no doubt at the direction of Kate Brown) it is interesting to see how this problem is handled by our elected officials.
We recently heard from a gentleman who was delayed on a firearms purchase. This is not unusual. We receive these calls about once a day.
We suggested that he contact Trish Whitfield who runs the ID unit, and his local officials.
He did reach out to his elected officials, but unfortunately for him, his elected officials are Democrats.
In a follow up email to us, the delayed buyer said:
“Unfortunately, in Forest Grove we are represented(?) by Chuck Riley and Susan Mc Lain. I repeatedly contacted both by phone. I was dealt with by flunkies who were politely unresponsive. I admit I engaged them more than once for the pure fun of it. I wasn’t expecting any real answers and they seemed remote and blissfully unencumbered by any sense of constituent service.”
He also attempted to contact Whitfield at OSP. As he said:
“I also called Patricia Whitfield and Lori Barnes at the numbers shown on your website. You know how that goes. But I decided to take a flyer and call the OSP switchboard and vent my concerns, repeatedly. This resulted in a call from a man named Kermit who was polite but not inclined to actually do anything on my behalf.”
This problem is clearly getting worse after a period of improvement.
For a long time, reaching out directly to the people who run the unit usually got results, but lately they seem to have done all they can to throw roadblocks in the way of those who are trying to get answers to why they are being denied or delayed.
As a result of the buyer’s dogged persistence he finally got a response from Lori Barnes, but these kinds of roadblocks are simply unacceptable.
Here is what he said he learned from his experience:
“What I think I learned from all this is:
1.) Be persistent and pester everyone you can. I was unfailingly polite but dogged and that probably helped.
2.) Having the official record immediately available ended the delay.
3.) Lori Barnes (lori.barnes@state.or.us) is a nice, reasonable lady who was still working after hours to clear the backlog. She was obviously fatigued but was determined to do her job before going home for the night.
4.) Apparently passing the Federal Background check has no influence over Oregon.”
But there is another lesson here and that is about the behavior of our “elected officials” who allow their personal agendas to get in the way of any assistance for their constituents.
Compare the complete disregard McLain and Riley have for their constituents, with the response of Republican Bill Post.
Following is a excerpt from an email Representative Post recently received from a constituent after promising to immediately look into a delay the constituent was subjected to:
“Bill and Betsy,
You are amazing-thank you so much for jumping on this! I just received a call from Cabelas letting me know that OSP sent over an authorization code and that I can proceed with the transfer-now I get to go skeet shooting come spring time with my own shotgun! Yeah! I can’t thank you enough for helping me in this matter-I’m not sure what else I would have done. It is a really powerful and moving experience to see government work in such a personal way. I hope you have a great New Year and thanks again.”
We applaud Representative Post’s commitment to the Second Amendment and his constituents. It is simply disgraceful that his actions should even be necessary and even more disgraceful that people like McClain and Riley are so contemptuous of qualified gun buyers in their district.
The take away from this seems to be, if you want to exercise your rights, you’d better not live in a Democrat district.
The Death Of The Gun Lobby
9.16.15
Today, in numerous places, a story by Associated Press reporter, Jonathan Cooper, appeared about the “turning tide” of gun control. Some quotes follow:
“It’s long been conventional wisdom that fighting for gun control is a good way to end a politician’s career.But advocates of tighter gun laws are pointing to a pair of victories in the Pacific Northwest as evidence that the tide may be shifting.”
“We are seeing it again and again, that this is actually a winning issue and you can vote to protect the American public and make the American public safe, and your political career will flourish,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group backed by millions from billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor.
One might conclude that the end is near for supporters of the Second Amendment, especially when coupled with some other quotes from Willamette Week and Rolling Stone Magazine .
From a Willamette Week cover:
“Oregon gun lobbyists know they must change their ways or become a dying breed” and “…state gun lobbyists are finding themselves on the defensive”
In the same story, they quote a local NRA lobbyist:
“After last week, he sees tougher times ahead. ‘This is my most difficult session” he says. “We’ve never had these outside forces before.”
Another gun lobbyist is quoted as saying “It’s become painfully clear we’re not going to win the public relations battle.”
In a separate Willamette Week edition with the headline “Under Fire…The NRA is taking hits from foes and friends alike.” they state:
“Not long ago the National Rifle Association was arguably the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill, but lately it just doesn’t seem to be able to strike fear into the hearts of politicians.”
“For the NRA ,the political terrain is changing all too radically. For decades the organization has successfully blocked even modest gun control laws. But now the climate of fear and intimidation it created is crumbling and gun control groups are talking optimistically about chances for bans on semi-automatic assault weapons and gun possession by minors.” “In fact, legal scholars have repeatedly pointed out that the (2nd) amendment contains no substantial barriers to federal, state or local gun control laws.”
A Rolling Stone article reported:
“But despite the enduring pathology of gun worship, it’s clear to everyone, even the NRA-that the political ground is shifting in the most gun glutted nation on earth. New Jersey, Connecticut, Minnesota and Virginia all enacted gun control legislation this year.” This was followed by :
“Campaigning in New Jersey…in October, Hillary Clinton said “We’ve got the gun lobby and the NRA on the run.”
It would certainly seem that supporters of gun rights are losing their battles and our best days are behind us.
Except consider this, the first set of quotes from Willamette Week are from an article published in April of 1999!
The second set were published in February of 1994!
The Rolling Stone quotes are from December of 1993!
The fact is, that while Oregon suffered a serious setback in 2015 with the passage of a bill paid for by a New York billionaire, the reports of the demise of the pro-gun forces are, to say the least, premature.
The AP article linked above said: “Last year in Washington, voters overwhelmingly supported mandatory background checks on private gun sales. Lawmakers in Oregon approved similar legislation this year, and last week it became clear there wouldn’t be political consequences.”
Of course what the author left out is that, much like in Oregon, Washington’s law is largely ignored and unenforced, and to suggest that Oregon’s law comes with “no political consequence” simply ignores what we pointed out to the writer; the fact that most counties have expressed opposition to the law and several counties, including both in Prozanski’s district, have said they will not enforce it. Sheriff’s all over the state have stated the law is pointless, probably not constitutional and will not be enforced by them. It’s pretty hard to not see that as a “political consequence.”
Most of the rest of the country is moving towards more pro-gun legislation. The Oregon legislature’s hard left rudder to attack the rights of Oregonians is hardly the last word in this matter. Remember, not a single Republican voted for SB 941, and while left wing extremists control the legislature right now, the pendulum always swings. Look at this article from 2006.
The fact is, that while Oregon liberals did succumb to the dollars waved under their noses, it came at enormous expense to them and, while they can claim victory for the bill’s passage, it will have little impact on people’s behavior.
In spite of what the lapdog media says, pro-gun forces are not going away.
