The Silicon Valley suburb of Sunnyvale is not exactly South Central:
Sunnyvale indeed has among the lowest violent crime rates in the state. The city of 140,000 had 150 assaults and other violent crimes, including three homicides, in 2011, according to the FBI. By comparison, Hayward, which is about the same size, had 579 violent crimes, seven of which were homicides.
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Sunnyvale-voters-to-decide-on-tough-gun-law-4929112.php
Yet on Nov. 5, voters:
will decide on Measure C, a wide-ranging gun control ordinance that cracks down on gun possession and ammunition sales. If it passes, Sunnyvale gun owners would be required to report firearm theft to the police within 48 hours, lock up their guns at home and get rid of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In addition, gun dealers would have to keep logs of ammunition sales.
The NRA has threatened to sue if the measure passes, which is why I’m proud to be a member. Anyone who claims the NRA doesn’t do their job is full of crap.
So why did Mayor Spitaleri decided to push for his measure? Well, besides being an a-hole, he’s also a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns aka (Mayors Against Law-Abiding Gun Owners). And unlike normal people, he’s ruled by his emotions.
Spitaleri didn’t think much about it until he returned home and was bombarded by the NRA. Staff sent postcards to NRA members in Sunnyvale, who in turn called, e-mailed and visited him, urging him to remove his name from the petition. So he did.
But then, in December, Newtown happened. A 20-year-old Connecticut man, using a Bushmaster rifle, killed 20 children and six adults in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Shortly thereafter, the Senate defeated a gun control bill that would have required background checks for those purchasing firearms.
“Like everyone, I got angry. Really angry,” Spitaleri said. “Are we getting numb to these shootings? Are we accepting this as normal? When are we going to start taking a stance?”
All kinds of bad things happen, mayor. You liberals make me angry all the time, yet I don’t see to ban you or limit your speech.
Lou Soliz vehemently supports it. A former Palo Alto police officer who now runs a barber shop, Soliz became a gun control advocate when the daughter of a longtime customer was shot to death at San Jose State in 2011.
“That hit us hard,” he said Thursday. “Guns should be out of our society completely. In Sunnyvale, we don’t want to be like everyone else. We don’t want shootings. We don’t want this violence.”
Well Lou Soliz, I wonder if you own a gun yourself? Stupid cop, too bad the criminals never gave you what you deserved. Hey criminals, need a haircut? I think you’ll be safe patronizing Soliz barber shop. He hates guns, you’re packing, what could go wrong?
A few doors down, tattoo artist Michael Wilson had the opposite view.
“If you don’t like weapons, that’s fine, don’t have them,” he said. “There’s always been crazy people killing other people. Ban machine guns? That’s not going to stop it. … I think there’s already enough gun laws.”
You know? Maybe my bias against tattoos was wrong. If inked people can respect my freedom, maybe I should respect theirs. Hey criminals, don’t f-ck with Mr. Wilson, he’s a real gun-tootin’ American unlike that jackbooted former cop.
The NRA “is just trying to scare people. They’re being bullies,” he [Spilateri] said. “Measure C doesn’t stop anyone from owning a gun. It just makes the city safer.”
Ha! That’s like the KKK accusing blacks of being bullies. Really? You’re “making us safe” by passing laws only good guys obey?
You should have listened to the NRA-members in your town, Mayor. We have long memories, Spilateri, we remember those that do us wrong, and we recall or vote them out of office when given a chance.
And by the way, that’s not bullying. That’s political activism! That’s being an involved citizen! The only beating you’ll be getting is at the ballot box Criminals on the other hand, aren’t registered to vote, they don’t pay taxes, they don’t join lobby groups, they have only one purpose, to look for easy targets, weak victims that are easy to destroy. And you, sir, are nothing more than an enabler. You are the criminal’s best friend. I don’t know how many patriots live in Sunnyvale, I just hope they show up to vote.