07 Dec Looking Back: Ronnie’s CA Assembly Letter
By popular demand, here’s Ronnie’s letter to the California Assembly advocating the rejection of AB50 (written back in 2003).
April 23, 2003
To the Committee on Public Safety
California Assembly
It is with great regret that we hear of yet another attempt to create the deception of a “too powerful for you” class of rifles in California. It is further unsettling that the exact same “big lie” tactics continue to be used. It has only been one year since the committee wisely rejected AB 2222 and already this same committee with a few new members is being lobbied, in an effort by the Violence Policy Center, to overturn that decision. Since the rejection of AB 2222, not one crime has been committed with a .50, and not one of the ridiculous scenariosdramatically presented to you by the originator of all these lies, the Violence Policy Center, has occurred.
In fact during the past year, the VPC released more rhetoric misrepresenting my statements and twisting facts. They have also refused to retract statements made to your committee, even though some of your fellow assemblymen exposed the deceptive, fabricated research upon which those VPC statements were based.
Point for point the misinformation the VPC dissimilates is more unbelievable than the Iraqi Information Minister. We found the Information Minister fantastically disingenuous, because his lies were exposed by accurate and timely reporting of reality by news agencies and cameras. Likewise, the VPC’s information is and always has been easily discredited. The truthful information on this .50 caliber cartridge is as old as the cartridge itself. That is why last year, I brought to you U.S. Government Manuals showing the .50 calibers performance specifications, thus laying to rest the lies about “several inches of penetration in steel” and “engaging targets at 7000 yards”.
The VPC’s agenda is not furthered by the truth. Consequently they continue to resurrect misleading and unsubstantiated statements in an effort to sway the Committee. Their agenda is about a disappointed few. They can’t accept 30 years of historical data that proves that violence, and now terrorism, are not related to the gun, or to the get-a- way car, or to the box cutter. And so at last, to stay in business it is the VPC’s only shameful hope to whip up emotions with tales of fear, and imminent doom, and try to get any law passed against any smaller category of firearms.
This is plainly and simply creeping gun bans. It causes a real distrust between elected officials, and the very rapidly growing numbers of ever loyal, gun owning, law abiding citizens.
I write to encourage you to hold fast to the spirit of liberties upon which our country was successfully founded. Samuel Adams, during the Massachusetts convention to ratify the constitution in 1788 said, “The said constitution shall be never construed to authorize congress… to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms…” The meaning of arms was rifles and pistols of the most current and technologically advanced design of the day. How many of us would have voted to ratify the constitution if this were not so clear? What if we had been told, “You may remain armed only with old technology, with limited range and feeble power, or even totally disarmed”. Where do you stand; with the statements of Samuel Adams, or with the position of those who seek to take away our constitutional freedom? With which of those positions does our empowered elected official gain honor and inspire trust, and with which does he build distrust and chip away at our republic? Before you now is the opportunity to defend freedom and our Constitution.
I ask that you reject and rebuke peddlers of this untruthful evidence brought before this good committee, reject AB50, and continue to move meaningful legislation to the Assembly.
At your service,
Ronnie G. Barrett
President