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our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor

 

Photo By Trent Yarnell

…our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor

 

Independence Day 2023

On this distinctly American holiday, Oregon Firearms wishes you and yours a safe and blessed day of celebration.

America’s history is littered with malevolent acts by evil doers, but no other country has ever come close to the unimaginable accomplishments that freedom allows.

We have no illusions that our freedoms are safe. In fact, many are already gone, but for some the spirit that filled our founders and guided them to rebel against tyranny is still strong.

It has been said there are no lost causes because there are no “won” causes.  And the battle for our liberty is not a race with a finish line. Long after we are gone our children’s children will be facing the same threats. It’s true what we were told about eternal vigilance.

So, on this greatest holiday of patriots and rebels, an update is in order.

Many have been asking about the outcome of our Federal trial to stop the clearly unconstitutional and patently evil Measure 114.  As of right now, we still have no decision from the Judge and no word on when there might be one.

For us, of course, a decision should be easy.  There is no historical  precedent for limiting the number of bullets a person may carry with them for self defense.  The very notion is absurd. Equally absurd is a law requiring that you ask for permission to exercise a fundamental, individual, right especially when, as we have proven, that law is impossible to comply with.

So this case should be a slam dunk.  But that’s not how things work in modern America.  A simple reading of the Constitution should settle the matter, but the “justice” system is political first and foremost and everybody has an agenda.

For now Mz 114 is still enjoined by the State Court decision in Harney County and will remain that way until the trial in September. No matter how either of these trials ends, you can rest assured there will be appeals. Expect this insanity to drag on.

The founders would be horrified.

The most embarrassing legislative session in Oregon history wound up with the Republicans, who had complete control over the agenda, folding up and giving the Democrats free rein to pass everything they wanted. And they did.

The mudslide of far left fantasy bills that the Republicans allowed to become law will create endless damage and chaos for generations to come.  It sometimes seems that the Republicans cannot wait to commit political suicide and are determined to take you along for the ride to hell.  They caved after  assuring that their best people will be prevented from serving in office in the future.  What they got in return was a laughable and transparent rewording of bills where the Democrats got almost everything they wanted.

One Republican House Rep responded to a question about whether she would walk out with this:

…what do you have to lose? My answer? Relationships. I have spent every day in this building trying to build relationships with those across the aisle. For them to know that we love people too, that we care, that we are not the horrible haters they make us out to be- and by walking- I would absolutely compromise those relationships by walking out.”

It is this kind of preemptive capitulation that is causing our rights to evaporate.

There are however, a few bright spots. House Bill 2005 started life as an omnibus anti-gun bill. It was a Demanding Mom’s wish list come true.

One of the elements of the original bill was a ban on personally made firearms.  The original language was crafted so incompetently that it actually wound up banning parts that have never been regulated and ignored the parts the anti-rights crowd thought they were banning.

Because people like you relentlessly reminded the know-nothings in the legislature that this would actually outlaw countless thousands of legally owned firearms they changed the definition of the banned parts to the meaning given that term in 27 C.F.R. 478.12.

So they changed Oregon’s definitions to align with the Federal definition. But as you know, just a few days ago a Federal Court tossed out the ATF’s rules on what frames and receivers are, ruling that the ATF overstepped its authority and has no legal right to regulate things Congress never said they could.

The Court said that while Congress gave ATF the power to regulate “frames and receivers” it did not give them the power to constantly redefine what those terms mean simply to please Joe Biden and entrap gun owners.

Other Courts have already found that requiring serial numbers on firearms is unconstitutional.

In its final form, HB 2005 only banned privately made firearms. The rest of the offending language was removed. So it would certainly appear that 2005 will be rendered meaningless.  Should the Governor sign it (she has not as of this posting), there may still be some attempts to prosecute gun owners for possession of personally made firearms, but the state is going to have a hell of a mess on their hands trying to make a case. All other anti-gun bills died. *UPDATE FROM EMAIL ALERT. This was inaccurate. HB 2572, the awful “paramilitary” bill did pass. We regret the omission.

On another note, if you were not already aware, there are several injunctions against the enforcement of the Federal pistol brace ban. However, those injunctions are not universal.  But members of the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition are included in the protected classes. For a very small donation you can become members of both and be protected from prosecution for pistol brace possession.

It’s cheap insurance and you would be joining two organizations that are fighting for your rights.  Gun Owners of America members appear to also be included but there is some uncertainty if new members would be protected or only those who were already members when their injunction was granted.  But GOA is a great no compromise organization so you would do well to join them too if you are not already a member.

While we await the outcome of the Federal trial we want to thank you again for your support and activism and wish you a proud Independence Day.

You can help us in these battles here:

https://oregonfirearms.ejoinme.org/MyPages/DonationPage/tabid/70447/Default.aspx