Oregon SB554 - We Are So Screwed!

[Caveman Jim]

The amount of gun owners that dont vote or vote against their self is unbelievable .
Im even related to some of them. .

indeed, there are many members here that vote for gun control.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I've actually used that line, followed by "Wanna see it?"

You may need one when they actually pull out a metal detecting wand and say yes.

 

[Dinglenutz]

So, what do YOU recommend we do?

Do everything possible to remove your revenue stream from the tax base that supports the population centers that promote this sort of garbage, and then watch them burn. I recommend a nice Scotch and a comfy front porch swing as a vantage point.

 

[WillametteWill]

I recommend a nice Scotch and a comfy front porch swing as a vantage point.

Single malt, yes?

 

[Dinglenutz]

Single malt, yes?

That's generally my preference but I admit the Johnny Blue was pretty damn OKish too.

 

[Caveman Jim]

The "way" is to fight them politically, here and now. Don't fall back on devising scenarios of "What will I do to squirm around the next infringement?". Instead put all your energy into getting everyone you know to contact every State Rep and Senator--every day--until these bills are shelved.

This doesn't work, never has, never will!

So, what do YOU recommend we do? Remember, they have done everything they can to block us from action, and they are well known for sneaking things in in the middle of the night, or simply removing the public voice from the whole situation and doing what they damn well please with out We the People!

Your call to fight is nothing but hollow, there IS NO FIGHT unless we take it to them with bullets and body bags, they have made it so we cannot!

Yep, patriots know that but the go along to get along people (i've got too much to lose to fight crowd) are so afraid to hear this, yet they will do nothing to try and fight the tyranny.
These are the ones you will see that will take a knee.

 

[55JD]

This doesn't work, never has, never will!

Yes, it has worked. Many times. It even worked here in Oregon the last time the Republicans walked out and thereby prevented anti-2A legislation from passing.

I already said what I recommend. Get everyone you know to contact every State Rep and Senator--every day, by phone, email, and physical letters--until these bills are shelved. The "fight" means means you, your family, your extended family, your neighbors, every member of your gun club, your shooting buddies, everyone. You might not convince anti-2A politicians why SB-554 is bad, but you can convince the people you know. Start with 10 people. If a state rep gets hundreds of phone calls and emails a day, they notice. Ask a lobbyist, they will confirm. Those actions that we can all take today are not "blocked" and politicians do feel the heat; otherwise, everything would have been passed before now.

 

[55JD]

Do everything possible to remove your revenue stream from the tax base that supports the population centers that promote this sort of garbage, and then watch them burn. I recommend a nice Scotch and a comfy front porch swing as a vantage point.

That may be a good long-term solution, but doesn't really help with SB-554, does it? I fully support the Scotch idea though. Single Malt.

For the immediate threat, Cards & Letters, people. Cards & Letters. And phone calls. And Scotch.

 

[Dinglenutz]

That may be a good long-term solution, but doesn't really help with SB-554, does it?

Probably not unless people have done it already, like I have to some extent. The rioting and looting and other "unrest" seems to have generated millions of new gun owners and that overall is a mostly good thing I believe.

 

[55JD]

Yeah, I'm just saying there are both long-term and short-term solutions. Disengaging from cities, institutions, and companies that hate us is a long-term solution, and this will gather steam as people get fed up with funding the people who despise them. But short-term... we have a bill about to be voted on this week that will turn law-abidng people into felons, and render carry permits nearly worthless as people try to navigate the new maze of legal/illegal places. Insisting the Republicans WALK OUT is the only way to stop this immediate threat. And the ones who refuse to walk out to protect our rights--we need to support their recall.

 

[hellotyler]

How do you even fight this kind of draconian legislature ? I wish there was something more then 'support then NRA' that we could do to get the word out.

 

[E4mafia]

Search for your Oregon legislators :: Your Government - The Oregonian

The Oregonian helps you track the progress of bills and your representatives' activity in the Oregon Legislature

gov.oregonlive.com

Legislator Lookup

Use either of these sites if you are unsure who represents you in your district and please get to contacting and encouraging others to do so.

It would be really nice if we had just a thread dedicated to a friendly users guide on how to for SB554 with resources listed and contacts with no posts allowed beyond the OP's resources so EVERYONE is aware and how to challenge it.

Before we've had reps walk out and even had the good folk at oregon outdoor council stall IP 7 & 8 from the LEVO group. WE CAN DO THIS. Also as a reminder LEVO is back again this year with another AWB and mag ban initiative, so it would be really nice if for a change we get a stickied organized thread for countering grabs/bans. iirc we had a very thread like this for IP 7&8 a few years ago.

Is this possible?

 

[Ura-Ki]

Here's the deal, these politicians have all been in office for quite a while, all are "Professional" politicians, and this is NOT their first brush with We the People demanding they stop with the gun control agenda in this state, AND YET, they continue to push at every single opportunity to launch ever more draconian anti gun upon We the People! SO, you say write them, call them, e-mail them, show up to public comment sessions, protest, rally, and What do we get, Screwed!
What I am pointing out is this; We HAVE done all the above actions, for YEARS and YEARS now with all these same politicians, and yet here we are yet again, with more anti gun legislation! OK, if these arseholes really listened to We the People, wouldn't they have backed off long ago? NOPE, and this PROVES they don't listen! They might shelve something if they feel it's going to hurt their re-election chances, but come on, how often do we need to stand up and be heard, especially when they have the full support of the SUPER MAJORITY of their party, a vociferous anti everything Gov'ness, State Attorney General, and Biased Anti Rights Supreme Court, No, THEY will not listen to the people! So Again, I ask YOU, What can WE the PEOPLE do?

 

[55JD]

...SO, you say write them, call them, e-mail them, show up to public comment sessions, protest, rally, and What do we get, Screwed!
What I am pointing out is this; We HAVE done all the above actions, for YEARS and YEARS now with all these same politicians, and yet here we are yet again.....So Again, I ask YOU, What can WE the PEOPLE do?

I already said what we should do several times on this thread. You're not getting the answer you want---because you're not asking the right question. We are not trying to boil the ocean here, or achieve world peace, or get these anti-2A people to stop attacking us...if that's your only measure of success, then go ahead and give up, because you ain't gettin' that stuff. We are trying to defeat the CURRENT anti-gun bills in the legislature. This we can achieve. They will never stop attacking, so we need to keep defeating them. As already mentioned, this has worked before. Not every time, but many times. It worked here in Oregon the last time the Republicans walked out and thereby prevented anti-2A legislation from passing.

Lobbyists will tell you that it doesn't matter if you marched in a 2A rally a couple years ago. Politicians are short-term poll takers. They only care about today. If their office gets 200 emails and 100 phone calls each day, they weigh that. If your only tactic is to win back the majority in the legislature, that's not setting up for success. Yeah, work for it, of course, but don't wait for that. Actions that defeat live bills are those that are targeted at the right time, with the right message, to the right people. All your weight bearing down on a chosen pressure point. For example, trying to sway that one committee member who might flip---much easier than winning a statewide majority. Another example: intense email and phone pressure on key Republicans who are afraid to WALK OUT, and need to be reassured by their base that we will support them in a walkout.

Short term + long term strategy is what wins. Not either/or, but both. Shouting like Thomas Paine on a gun forum where everyone already agrees with you is not really helping, except maybe to show others that they are not alone. That's fine, but the fight needs to be over there, not here.

You asked, "how often do we need to stand up and be heard?" The answer is always, every time, this time, today. Rinse and repeat. Tell a friend.

 

[Rkangel]

No, that is not the way. Non-compliance might be your coping strategy (or mine, or anyone's) to react to tyranny, but that is not a solution. What happens if you actually have to use your firearm in self-defense? Do you trust a Democrat district attorney not to charge you with a felony for illegal carry even if it was a "good shoot"? Do you trust a Democrat jury, Democrat prosecutor, and Democrat judge to support you when you use your illegally carried pistol in self-defense? I don't trust them for one second. These people hate us. They hate us not because we own guns, but because we dare to resist their tyranny, and because they loathe any whiff of self-reliance and independent thought. So good luck with your "non-compliance," it will not help you.

The "way" is to fight them politically, here and now. Don't fall back on devising scenarios of "What will I do to squirm around the next infringement?". Instead put all your energy into getting everyone you know to contact every State Rep and Senator--every day--until these bills are shelved.

It often seems that the gun community would rather eat its own than organize cohesive action.

But on the flip side... In 12 months of constantly contacting our Oregon "representatives" about these issues, I have received exactly one response from one representative (Rep. Cate). The silence is deafening, yet still speaks volumes = they are either scared to go on record or don't care. On a national level the canned responses clearly indicate that they did not actually read the letter or email, or listen to the phone call. Conversation is a two way street. Yet, I have had better conversations with a brick wall than with our elected representatives.

 

[55JD]

It would be really nice if we had just a thread dedicated to a friendly users guide on how to for SB554 with resources listed and contacts with no posts allowed beyond the OP's resources so EVERYONE is aware and how to challenge it.

For sure. Maybe something that OFF could initiate and maintain with the latest updates and tips for what action is most useful on a given day (e.g., contact this committee member, etc.)?

I'm still amazed to learn that other gun owners (and even CHL holders) don't even know about SB-554. To your point, they are not going learn about it from forum threads that are titled "We are SCREWED!" This legislative threat needs to be on a huge rolling banner across every gun forum. Shouted to neighbors like Paul Revere. nd posted on the front door of every gun club and gun retailer in the state.

 

[nammac]

Do everything possible to remove your revenue stream from the tax base that supports the population centers that promote this sort of garbage, and then watch them burn. I recommend a nice Scotch and a comfy front porch swing as a vantage point.

Perhaps with one of those evil black rifles or pistols, resting in yer lap.

 

[Dinglenutz]

Perhaps with one of those evil black rifles or pistols, resting in yer lap.

My MCX pistol complete with brace and silencer would enhance the experience .....

 

[nammac]

Probably not unless people have done it already, like I have to some extent. The rioting and looting and other "unrest" seems to have generated millions of new gun owners and that overall is a mostly good thing I believe.

But those new gun owners need to get involved because Second Amendment rights see to be the ones that are attacked year in and year out. The SCOTUS needs to take a stance in protecting our rights, making the Second Amendment off limits, period...

 

[55JD]

The silence is deafening, yet still speaks volumes.

I agree that their silence is frustrating, but we are dealing with craven people who know that every word from their office will be shared across social media. We cannot know what their silence is telling us. They might agree, but are afraid to speak, or they are keeping their options open. But you can be sure their advisors are telling them, "Hey, we got 100 calls opposing SB-554 today, and 30% of them were from women." It does not matter what a politician says or doesn't say. It only matters what they DO.

They don't need to be our friend, or our role model, or a spokesperson for individual rights... lip service isn't worth much. It only matters if they vote, or do something backstage to thwart a bill, or offer a backroom compromise by trading this bill for that bill, or they can walk out.

They may not reply--and politically, maybe they cannot-- but their people track every call, every letter they get. And they have metrics that are always updated, telling them, "If this many people write to us, there is likely to be 4x others who feel the same way, etc." They track that stuff. That IS their day job. You think they care about principles, about rights? They care about those numbers, and they are paying attention. They just don't always tell you.