Opinion
Oregon – -(AmmoLand.com)- Thousands of Second Amendment activists gathered over the weekend at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, according to KGW, essentially telling Beaver State anti-gunners that enough is enough.
Whether their effort will be adequate to derail anti-gun legislation remains to be seen, but this was a significant turnout in a state where typical turnout for such events is in the hundreds, not thousands.
Oregon lawmakers have been considering some alarming legislation, including Senate Bill 501, which would limit gun owners to purchasing 20 rounds of ammunition per month and getting a permit just to purchase or receive a firearm. It would also, according to KGW, limit magazine capacities to five rounds. This is just one example of legislation that has turned the entire Pacific Northwest into a hotbed of gun control activism this year.
In neighboring Washington, several unpopular bills recently died without action including one that would have created strict training requirements for receiving and renewing concealed pistol licenses in what many critics believe was an attempt to discourage people from exercising their right to keep and bear arms. But with more than 612,000 active CPLs in the Evergreen State, that bill became quickly unpopular with everyone but gun control fanatics.
And then there’s the bump stock “buyback” now underway in Washington. The devices become illegal this week and gun owners turning them in get a voucher for $150, so long as the money lasts. The state just budgeted $150,000 for the program, so the first thousand people to surrender their property will get money.
According to the Salem Statesman-Journal, the gun rights rally was organized by Noveske Rifleworks and Radian Weapons, which are both based in the state. Depending upon who estimated the crowd size, there were upwards of 2,000 people in attendance, and many if not most were armed. It was called the “Defend the Second” rally, according to KGW, and it was clear from the outset that those attending meant business.
Saturday may seem an odd day for such a rally, but considering that gun owners have jobs, a weekend event demonstrated that gun owners are alarmed at what the Democrat-controlled Legislature is up to.
The same philosophy is very much alive north of the Columbia River. The group “March for Our Rights 2.0” is planning a big rally on the Capitol steps in Olympia on Saturday, April 27. Last year an event there drew some 2,500 people, and that was months before Initiative 1639, the gun control measure many believe is extremist, unenforceable and unconstitutional, was passed. That initiative is now the subject of a federal lawsuit by the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association. Sheriffs in 20 counties have announced they will not enforce provisions of the measure and a half-dozen county commissions are also on record in opposition.
There seems little doubt that the Northwest is “Ground Zero” for gun control activity.
Many Oregonians are frustrated that the liberal lower Willamette Valley, which includes Salem and Portland, dominate the state’s politics. Get east of the mountains, to places such as Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Pendleton, Burns and Baker City, and one finds more conservative voices.
The Northwest anti-gun effort is concentrated in Seattle and Portland, and along the I-5 corridor in both states. The farther away one travels from that coastal interstate; the redder becomes the political hue.
Further energizing gun owners in both states is the fallout from what happened in Christchurch, New Zealand. With leading Democrats clearly “out of the closet” as gun prohibitionists—none of the party’s presidential hopefuls denounced the quick move to ban so-called “semiautomatic military-style assault rifles” by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Sen. Bernie Sanders even thinks it should happen here—the lines have been clearly drawn, say many in the Second Amendment movement.
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
Doesn’t anyone actually understand our government? The people who SERVE WITHIN our governments are not “the” government, they are placed into position – elected, hired, contracted, etc – to carry out the duties that are in writing. The Preamble to the BIll of Rights makes clear that those who serve within our government has no authority beyond that put into writing, and then only when the circumstances described occur, and again, only can react to those circumstances in the way described in writing. Preamble to the Bill of Rights: Congress OF THE United States begun and held at the City… Read more »
I do applaud the thousands of Oregon gun owners who rallied for their gun rights; however it was generally a waste of time and effort (imo). Who was at the state capitol that day? Probably it was mostly janitors, overtime workers and security guards. People… If you want to make a difference, then do the rally when the Elected Officials are Actually There! Yes, I know many, if not all of the people who attended the OR rally actually have jobs, and raise families, thus making it Very Difficult to be there on a workday, however doing this on the… Read more »
Portland, OR here. I am fully aware that the local news is biased, but I never would have believed the TV news report on the rally that I watched would show just how biased! Said with much sarcasm, “What an insightful and in-depth report that was.” It lasted only 60 seconds on a dull news day when the same station dedicated 1/3 of a show to this year’s proposed anti-gun legislation. The reporter’s opening line was true, it was a pro-gun rally at the Capital. Then, of all things, he spoke for the next 50 seconds in anti-gun cliches. He… Read more »
The Antis have exceeded their limits and are crossing the line. They are not getting our goat, they are calling our Gaul.
The problem with Oregon and Washington is that mass of conservative voters on the inland side of the mountains has enough power to defeat the bills, but those voters simply don’t vote.
My 95 year old Dad served in the South pacific during World War II. He spent his life working hard. ” Was” a Democrat, I said “was”, and a union man. Within the first year of Obama’s Presidential term we both agreed that Obama and Hillary were out to ruin the USA. My Dad has seen a lot of presidents and politicians come and go. When he turned 90 years old – he said, Ya know, I’ve come to believe the Democrats have been brain washing us Americans telling us they are for the working man. Their actions have shown… Read more »
I’m a middle age white man, and I’ve never seen such in my life against our God given right’s to keep and bear arms. Growing up in the Southeast United States our guns, hunting is/was a way of life as the history for my family to survive during the great depression. I can’t believe Our own government is going after our 2nd amendment rights. If we don’t continue to fight, what does our children & grandchildren have instore for them once we’re gone. I’ll fight, sign, petition and whatever else it takes to protect our 2nd amendment rights not only… Read more »
people can call me a conspiracy believer cause of all these mass shootings, specially NZ and Las Vegas and most others, seem more likely somehow the worldwide one world government who ever…Zionists, EU/UN ARE CAUSING THESE horrible events TO DISARM ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD, Heck THEY ALREADY HAVE MOST NATIONS. It is strange that these same folks support sending a barbaric race and or religion to invade all nations while the shout save the children, then they OK laws to kill babies with abortions, vaccines learning disorder drugs and mess up the minds of grade school kids gender… Read more »
I was there. It was a great day! Oregon State Police estimates were 4,200. For the most part, the organizers asked to keep the event apolitical, and focus on the 2nd amendment and not give the media any ammo to use against us.
I think it sent a big message, and got people motivated and take notice.
The GOP should be pushing expansion of the electoral college to the state level. Large cities within each state would no longer dictate elections and ballot measures as they do now. The libtards would never again win an election ANYWHERE in the US. EVER. Even in California and New York. Imagine how great our Country would be again. BS like gun control bills would never see the light of day.