Posted on 12/6/2004, 5:14:17 PM by TERMINATTOR
Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier is urging his colleagues to take a stand against gun shows at the Contra Costa County fairgrounds.
The supervisors have no direct authority over Contra Costa's fairgrounds, which are owned by the state. However, DeSaulnier hopes to send a message to the 23rd District Agricultural Association, which oversees the events on that property.
"I have always felt that doing gun shows on public property is very much the wrong message to send," DeSaulnier said. "The fairgrounds should be representative of family-type events."
At next Tuesday's meeting, he will ask the board to reiterate a position it adopted in 1996 opposing weapons sales and promotional events at the fairgrounds in Antioch.
DeSaulnier said it's not clear at this point whether the local fair board would have final say over prohibiting gun shows or whether the California Exposition and State Fair Board ultimately would make that call.
The time is ripe for bringing the issue forward because the local fair board will be considering its contracts with the gun
exhibitors in January, DeSaulnier said.
Attorney Chuck Michel, who represents a number of gun groups including the California Rifle and Pistol Association, called efforts to ban gun shows unjustified.
State legislation enacted during the last several years has ensured that gun shows are heavily regulated, he said.
"Gun shows are now some of the safest places on the planet because of the police presence and regulation," Michel said. "This is another part of the cultural war that Contra Costa is engaged in against people who own guns."
The counties of Alameda, Marin, Sonoma and San Mateo have banned the possession of guns and ammunition on county property. Los Angeles County has banned gun sales at its fairgrounds.
Those jurisdictions differ from Contra Costa in that the other jurisdictions do have authority over their county fairgrounds.
Alameda's ban -- which outlaws weapons on county property and forbids weapon displays at the Alameda County Fairgrounds -- also was challenged in court.
Alameda County prevailed in court -- a decision that was appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In October, the high court declined to hear the case, allowing the lower court's ruling to stand.
However, Michel argued that the lawsuit still has life. The door is still open for the gun rights advocates to challenge the law based on arguments that it violates the First Amendment, Michel said.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, the board also is scheduled to rescind the ordinance banning the sale of .50-caliber rifles it approved last April -- a law that prompted a lawsuit from a coalition of gun-rights advocates.
However, both sides have agreed that a recently approved state law -- banning the sale manufacture, distribution or possession of a high powered .50-caliber rifle without a permit in California -- pre-empts the county law.
The county supervisors, who cited public safety concerns when they approved the ordinance, say the state law achieves their objectives.
The gun-rights advocates will drop their suit once the ban has been repealed.
They'll be able to say - I voted against the .50 cal, before I voted for it. Meanwhile the statewide "ban" on the 50 BMG continues.
I take my daughters(3 years and 1 year) to gun shows. They charm the vendors out of lots of candy and love to go. The wife gets a few hours off from child rearing, which makes her much more understanding of my purchases. The only downside is the sticky fingerprints on everything.
I live in the deep south. A town about 50 miles from my home tried to ban the sale of Lottery Tickets in the two convenience stores. Their rationale, gambling's immoral. Never mind that millions of dollars go to education from it. The State said they had no authority to do it since the town had no jurisdiction over state matters. Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper and paper covers rock. Lottery tickets are still for sale.
And the message Herr DeSaulnier wants to send is that our Constitutional rights are irrelevant when it runs counter to the Leftist agenda for Amerika.
"The fairgrounds should be representative of family-type events."
In California, this will mean anti-Christian, pro gay, promiscuous sex and abortion indoctrination. The law interpreting the First Amendment freedom of speech and political association law has traditionally held that if a public entity opens a facility to use, it could not discriminate on the basis of the political message espoused by the group. Liberal activist judges have, however, given the green light to selective repression of politically incorrect ideologies.
What they can't ban the ownership of, they'll ban the sale of or regulate to death. The goal is the same: people who are not free.
Then, when everything comes crashing down around them (as happens every 6-10 years), they just blame the GOP for it all.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
BTTT
Contra Costa seems to be one of the worst 2a counties in the entire country. Right there with Wayne County in my state.
Take a Kid to a Gun Show !
F**K California and everthing they do to erode traditions and honest law abiding citizen's rights. I lived there 25 years and outside of the computer industry boom it has never gotten better, only worse. Talk about a state with bacteria galore and no white blood cells to fight the infection!
why don't these anti-gun idiots try stopping the flow of drugs in schools and neighborhoods for crying out loud....
You know what lefty gun grabbing moonbats?
I never owned a gun until YOU GUYS started trying to ban them. The MORE you keep making them HARDER to get the MORE GUNS I WILL BUY.
Plain and simple.
And I have a lot of money saved up for buying guns.
The trouble is, in California, you have no individual constitutional right to own or use firearms. The Ninth Circuit's ruling to that effect still stands since the Nordyke case was denied cert.
Oakland (Contra Costa) = Detroit with better Chinese food.
Note to self: Photograph our next family target practice and send it to this idiot.
Mark DeSaulnier Supervisor, District Four
2425 Bisso Lane, Ste. 110, Concord, CA 94520
(925) 646-5763-ph. / (925) 646-5767-fax
dist4@bos.cccounty.us
Oakland is in Alameda County. Most of Contra Costa is quite well-to-do.
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