Opinion by Joshua Underwood, CEO at Radian Weapons
Oregon – -(AmmoLand.com)- We’re proud to call Oregon our home. We appreciate that Oregonians don’t quite follow the same footsteps as others. That’s why the firearms we make at Radian Weapons aren’t ordinary. They’re the very best we can make from Oregon, by Oregonians.
Imagine our surprise when we learn our lawmakers in Salem are following other states in considering legislation to ban entire classes of rifles and ammunition magazines. We’re told this will reduce the criminal misuse of guns. We have a different view.
We’re a small-business gun-maker, making rifles for law-abiding Americans who value quality, their rights and the ability to choose the firearm that best suits their needs for hunting, recreational shooting, and self-defense. We employ 40 Oregonians who care deeply for their communities and want real solutions. These proposals, though, aren’t it.
The ideas being considered in Salem have been tried and shown to miss the mark. This legislation will not reduce criminal misuse of firearms. It will, however, erode our legal right to buy and own the firearms of our choosing.
Our employees and Oregon’s gun owners, hunters and recreational target shooters are law-abiding, contributing members of our communities. We should all do our part to help reduce crimes committed with firearms. To do that, we must be able to see the problems clearly and identify real solutions that will make our communities safer.
Those who follow the law aren’t the problem. Today’s law-abiding gun owners are our neighbors, friends, and family. We know that women are the fastest growing group of hunters and gun owners. We also know that the modern sporting rifle that is intentionally mislabeled and wrongly vilified as an assault weapon is uniquely adaptable. It’s a rifle that meets the needs of today’s target shooters and hunters. More than 16 million of them are legally owned by Americans, and they are increasingly used to harvest wild game that feeds our families.
The problem lies with criminals who would prey on our communities. They don’t care about the law.
A U.S. Department of Justice surveys tell us they illegally obtain their guns, either through theft or on the black market. Criminals fire less than four rounds on average in the commission of their crimes, far below the arbitrary 10-round limit being discussed in Salem. Law-abiding Oregonians should never be put in a position where criminals have the advantage in an attack.
The ideas being debated in Salem aren’t new. Congress put in place a so-called Assault Weapons Ban from 1994 to 2004. The Centers for Disease Control found it had no demonstrable effect on crime. In fact, the overall crime rate continues to fall, even as firearms ownership grows. Today, the modern sporting rifle that some of Oregon’s lawmakers want to ban is the most popular selling rifle.
Restricting the rights of those who obey the law does not make our communities safer. But there are measures our lawmakers can support that have proven to be effective. First, we must ensure our state is submitting all disqualifying mental health and criminal records to the FBI to make the national background check system work as intended. We can urge our community law enforcement to educate gun owners to properly store their firearms when not in use through free gunlock programs like those funded by the firearms industry. We must insist authorities lock up criminals who would illegally “straw purchase” guns for those who can’t because they’re disqualified.
When our lawmakers attempt to convince us we’re safer by restricting rights instead of putting criminals in prison, they turn a blind eye to addressing the problems. That’s why we at Radian Weapons, along with fellow Oregon-based Noveske Rifleworks, recently organized and supported the “Defend the 2nd Rally” held on March 23, 2019, at the Capitol Building in Salem. We urge all Oregonians to make your voices be heard that our rights, and our safety, isn’t negotiable.
— Joshua Underwood is the CEO at Radian Weapons, a manufacturer of hand-assembled AR-15 rifles based in Redmond. (www.radianweapons.com)
Why did the gun owners vote these mentally unstable demon-craps into office in Oregon? Now the gun banners say any firearm that holds over two rounds in an assault weapon! And now the gun banners latest pish is to require you to put down your doctor and psychologists name address and phone number on the 4473 form to purchase a firearm, oh you don’t have a doctor or psychologist? Sorry you can’t purchase a firearm! Background checks = gun registration = gun confiscation = you locked up forever in a New World Order concentration death camp. Don’t forget that the… Read more »
Are you quoting something you actually heard someone say? “Put down your doctor and psychologists name”?
Hey, Patriot Guy,
Did you forget that this is occurring in Oregon ?
Oregon is one of the three states that comprise the west coast triad of leftist lunatics. They are responsible for electing the mental midgets that run these three states, not the gun owners.
NO amount of laws will ever curb criminals committing crimes with firearm, they do NOT go to a LEGAL store to buy their weapon. Laws are only adhered to by LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. How long will it take for these Dem/lib SHITHEADS that continually show their total stupidity by pulling ridiculous-useless ideas out of their asses, to figure that FACT out ???? Go after the CRIMINAL and eliminate THEM ! These same idiots that conjure up these useless laws are the very same ones that refuse to use the death penalty and implement even MORE revolving door laws HELPING the… Read more »
@Rock
The progressives could care less about the criminal. They only want our guns so they can heard us like a bunch of sheep. Criminals will always have their illegal guns and that is accepted. They depend on their body guards to protect them.
Totally agree with the revovling door for criminals. Ive watched that shit happen. I used to work at Arco in Corvallis do i know all the dope heads in town. One of them got arrested for abusing a 16yo girl and they let him out of jail. 3 months later hes back in jail for drugs and about to be released again.
Underwood has nailed the primary issue in all of the emotionalized furor over gun “control”. The entire purpose behind nearly all of the confiscation and limitations legislation here in Oregon is deeply flawed, but it is NOT a mistake in judgement; it is deeply subversive, evil and very clearly intentional. The deep pockets behind these drives have a dark ulterior motive that has little to do with actual criminal use of firearms. That is the Trojan Horse, inside which is the intention to disarm American citizens, and make us powerless to resist tyranny in the form of an intrusive Socialism.… Read more »
If you don’t want your rights trampled by democrats / socialists / communists, don’t vote them into office. Regardless of the BS laws democrats pass, ignore them. Democrats / socialists / communists are the best liars, cheats and thieves America has to offer. Those that benefit most from democrats are the non-productive whiners; those that benefit least are those that are productive citizens. Democrats really like spending other people’s money.
If you guys are sick of the weird comments section here check out dissenter . com, its s third party comments section run by Gab and you can comment on anything with a url, like here, or youtube videos from a browser, no censorship, no editing, you can say what you want.