02.10.15

Today Polk County agreed to pass a pro-gun resolution. The actually signing is expected tomorrow. Our sincere thanks to everyone who came to support this declaration of freedom and very special thanks to Micky Garus of American Outdoors who worked so hard to make this happen. You are all a testimony to the power of grassroots activism.

Also today was a discussion of a pro-gun resolution by the Clackamas County Commissioners.

No action was taken today, they will be hearing public testimony on Feb. 19 at 6PM. Based on what we heard at today’s discussion, we’d better be prepared to have lots of public testimony.

The resolution in question is a good start but needs to go a lot further. Let’s try to get the rational members of the commission to consider that.

“Rational” is a key word here.

The discussion started with the Chair, John Ludlow, and Commissioner Tootie Smith, explaining the intent of the resolution. From there, things got weird.

Commissioner Martha Schrader, ex-wife of anti-gun Congressman Kurt Schrader, launched into a bizarre ramble that was clearly taken from a badly written Wikipedia page, explaining (horribly) the history of the musket.

What first seemed simply inappropriate, soon became incoherent until someone finally interrupted her to ask if she was “filibustering.”

It became clear eventually that Schrader was trying to make the point that modern firearms were far more dangerous than the firearms used in the War of Independence and therefor, of course, had to be treated differently. There was some oblique reference to bayonets.

Schrader repeatedly mentioned that her family members owned guns (though she was “not allowed” to have them.)

Schrader has made a habit of parroting anti-gun extremist, Floyd Prozanski, by claiming she is not “anti-gun” and then going on to insist on all kinds to rights restrictions.

Schrader made several demands that a list of “gun owner responsibilities” be included in any Second Amendment Resolution. This was motivated by her desire to require that firearms be locked up, a position she takes because her 12 year old nephew accidentally shot and killed himself when his parents irresponsibly left a loaded firearm where an untrained child had access to it.

While certainly tragic, this event has led Schrader to conclude that all junior high school age kids are “nuts” and can’t be trusted. An assertion she might reconsider if she ever visited the gun club in her own town, where every year dozens of young people responsibly handle firearms at hunter safety training.

Schrader also repeatedly referred to the US Constitution as a “living document.” (Meaning, anything she decides it means at any given moment.)

Schrader’s breath-taking ignorance of reality was demonstrated over and over as she suggested that gun owners are “paranoid” if they think anyone wants to take their guns. Apparently she was on leave when HB 3200 was introduced a few years ago banning all modern firearms and authorizing warrantless searches of gun owners’ homes.

She also must not be reading the news from places where gun confiscations are becoming an everyday occurrence. In a response to a comment by Chairman John Ludlow, Schrader demonstrated a total and complete lack of knowledge of American history when she declared that the “militia” was the National Guard!

Schrader also commented that if the Clackamas County Commissioners were to pass a pro-rights resolution they should expect retribution from her Democratic colleagues in the Oregon Legislature.

Commissioner Jim Bernard agreed with most of what Schrader said and threw in a few comments of his own indicating his complete lack of knowledge about firearms while claiming he had a “hunting rifle.” (Bernard has stated he will not be at the Feb 19th meeting.)

The Clackamas County Sheriff sent an undersheriff to answer questions. The one point he made was that if a “universal background check” were to pass, the Clackamas County Sheriff would not have the manpower to enforce it.

The display of misinformation on the part of several people at this meeting was disturbing. We believe there will be a well organized effort to derail this resolution. So we need to get to work.

If you can be at the Commissioner’s meeting on Feb. 19th at 6PM please come and testify in favor. Please ask them to include a specific notice of opposition to any expansion of the failed background check system.

Please contact the commissioners with a message of support.

Email address and a suggested message you can cut and paste or alter follow.

bcc@clackamas.us

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Dear Commissioners,

Thank you for joining many other Oregon Counties and considering a resolution defending my Second Amendment Rights.



Please make this resolution as direct and strong as possible. I strongly urge you to include a specific objection to any expansion of Oregon’s failed “background check” system.



I also urge you to not allow this resolution to become a vehicle for a list of demands on gun owners to lock up their defensive firearms. While the loss of Commissioner Schrader’s nephew to a firearms accident was certainly tragic, it is not proof that all firearm’s owners are irresponsible.

The Democrats in the Oregon Legislature have promised to introduce and pass bills attacking my rights. Please stand proudly against them.

Yours,

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