The Responsible Citizens of California are disappointed with Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to sign AB 144, a bill to ban the Unloaded Open Carry of handguns, into law. Furthermore, we express very strong opposition to the passage of AB 809 (long gun registration) and SB 819 (misappropriation of DROS fees) into law.
The right to Open Carry has been legal in the State of California since its inception, and there has never been a single case of an Open Carry advocate ever committing a violent crime in the Golden State's entire 160-year history. Since no problem has ever existed that needs to be addressed or fixed, there was no reason for AB 144 in the first place.
The right to carry a firearm for personal protection is a basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right that is guaranteed by the United States Constitution, confirmed by the US Supreme Court's twin landmark rulings in both Heller and McDonald, and Unloaded Open Carry was cited as an important right in California by two federal judges in recent court decisions. This decision on the part of Governor means that, as of January 1, 2012, the fundamental right to carry a handgun will be denied to the vast majority of law-abiding California residents. It is essential that law enforcement officers understand that Unloaded Open Carry will remain legal until January 1, 2012. Open Carry advocates should be treated with respect and in a manner that does not violate any of their basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil rights.
The Responsible Citizens of California will continue to work with other 2nd Amendment organizations to plot the best possible course of action moving forward. Also, it is worth noting that while AB 144 bans the practice of Unloaded Open Carry of handguns in California, this bill does absolutely nothing to limit the civil right to Open Carry long guns (rifles and shotguns). Since the State Legislature and the Governor have chosen to attack the right to carry handguns, law-abiding citizens who wish to be able to protect themselves from violent criminals have no choice but to Open Carry long guns instead.
Compared with the rest of the country, California is behind the times with regards to 2nd Amendment Rights. Most other States have been expanding the basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right to self defense for their electorate. It is time for our elected officials in California to stop eroding every law-abiding citizen's 2nd Amendment Rights. Instead, our public servants should be working to firmly protect the basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right to self defense and take deliberate action toward expanding these critical civil rights for all law-abiding Californians.
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