Gun Control: O.C. Sheriff alienates voters before election run.

Today’s edition of the Los Angeles Times [O.C. Sheriff sticks to her guns by Dana Parsons] remarks that Sheriff Sandra Hutchens still refuses to honor or issue concealed carry permits at a time when she contemplates an election run for Sheriff. The Times alleges her predecessor Sheriff Corona’s practice of handing out favors such as badges and guns to supporters and handing out CCW permits. The Times also describes critics as wolves at the door, and Hutchens’ stubbornness as rankling the GOP. This may not be the indictment it sounds.

When it comes to concealed carry permits, which is what much of the discussion is all about, California is what we call a may issue state, as opposed to a shall issue state where it is mandated that qualified applicants be granted their permit. Here, a Sheriff or Chief of Police has discretion in issuing a CCW permit, and may elect to issue it or decline to issue it even upon completed qualifications. It’s worth noting that, throughout California, many Sheriffs disagree with Hutchens’ position and issue their applicants permits when they are qualified. It’s also worth noting that it’s hard to find officials who have regrets for their cooperative policy.

But stubbornness is counter to the entire principle of public service. Barring so-called favors and talking just about qualified applicants, sticking to your guns in refusing permits is a slap in the face of thousands who support police, and it begins to erode the trust the public has in the judgment of police when it seems one official cannot tell the good guys from the bad guys. Holding out admits to having no discernment; saying No to law enforcement’s closest allies is ignorant. Support for law and order and for law enforcement doesn’t come from other politicians, it never did; it comes entirely from the very people you serve or it doesn’t come at all. Don’t think for a second that Washington money didn’t start here before it went there, and without money from here, there wouldn’t be as many speeches and endorsements from other officials. It could be that there won’t be much money and support from the GOP, either. Hutchens is a registered Republican.

It won’t make much sense to continue to vex the people you ask for donations and support for an election run. Not every supporter is going to apply for a concealed carry permit, but the subject has gotten legs as some can relate to it, and where Orange County has been a conservative stronghold of law and order constituents, it’s not a matter of the appearance of favoritism, it’s a matter of genuine cooperation. Constituents will still be an ally of law enforcement, but they’ll choose another Sheriff. See what happens if another candidate promises to support the armed citizen.

Law enforcement isn’t all about crime and it’s not about fighting crime alone without help from the electorate; it’s also about protecting rights, genuine community-building, and commanding respect for the office. This means professional integrity. This means, in part, not overlooking the fact that gun owners and police are allies. Even OC’s non-gun owners probably appreciate that alliance very much, since they, too, are direct beneficiaries of all good law enforcement alliances.

Any citizen may stop a crime in progress, and do more than be a good witness and do nothing. Any victim can refuse to be a victim in the absence of police, and a blanket refusal to issue legitimate permits to legitimate applicants opposes this to the detriment of the entire community. As a registered Republican, Sheriff Hutchens is going against one of the most powerful issues to be on the conservative platform, and that is smaller government and restoring independence to constituents. Utter dependency on police to the exclusion of the citizen who may be a target of crime and a trustworthy ally of police is counter to the entire mission.

Many conservative constituents are looking to the GOP to see how specific it will be on liberty and smaller government, not to mention tough on crime. The sum total is that voters are tired of being frozen out, and refusal to recognize citizen authority is to be frozen out yet again.

Dana Parsons reports further in his article that party leaders of the GOP were unhappy with Hutchens’ CCW refusals as much as her heavy-handed style, though they did not elect to hand her a vote of no-confidence. Parsons reports that they was talked out of it.

Republican?

A professional photographer had an appointment in the state building to be accompanied by an Aide to go to the Zoo and photograph a Rhinoceros. The Aide observed that it looked like rain, so he suggested an alternative indoors. He said "Why not take a picture of my boss? He’s a Rino, he’s got a big head, he’s just as stubborn, he likes having his picture taken, and he could soon be behind bars."

The GOP needs to come down on the side of the armed citizen and make it a clear plank in the total conservative platform. The GOP needs to seek the repeal of all gun laws as the key to unlocking the grip bigger government has on the people. Refusing permits is gun control, and as gun control goes, so goes the nation, which explains so many puzzling programs. Without this beginning of repealing gun laws, every Republican running is conservative in name only.

My e-mail is John at GoodForTheCountry.com and I welcome comments.

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John Longenecker is author of Safe Streets In The Nationwide Concealed Carry Of Handguns. Please visit other Gun Rights Examiners listed to the right.> See also the Second Amendment March scheduled for April, 2010.