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STEVE USSHER of Mosquito Creek Outfitters in Placerville shows a customer a .22 caliber pistol. At far right, seated, is owner Don Rood. Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene
With the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary fresh in everyone’s mind, there have been calls from politicians across the country to impose stricter gun control or even to abolish the Second Amendment.
President Barack Obama has said he favors stronger background checks, a meaningful ban on assault weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines, although he’s unsure such legislation would pass in the House of Representatives.
Vice President Joe Biden has offered that Obama could do it via Executive Order if Congress fails to act.
In California, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has promised to introduce a bill this month to place a ban on assault weapons. She said the bill would ban the sale, transfer, importation, and possession of assault weapons as well as clips that hold more than 10 bullets.
Meanwhile some California legislators have called for the regulation of all ammunition sales as well as background checks and annual permits for gun owners despite the fact that the state already has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation and in 2010 also had the highest number of firearm related murders in the country.
According to FBI statistics, in 2011 there were a total of 12,664 murders nationwide, 8,583 of which were committed with a firearm. In that same year, firearms were also used in 41.4 percent of robberies, and 20.6 percent of aggravated assaults.
Gun sales up
All this heated rhetoric has resulted in a huge surge in gun sales throughout the country and El Dorado County is no exception.
According to Gail Anderson, co-owner at Newtown Firearms, gun sales are up by 75 percent, with most of their sales being handguns and assault rifles.
“We’re sold out on just about everything we’ve got,” she said. “Ammo prices are going up and people are buying what they can because they are concerned about the government and about protecting themselves.”
Anderson said many are also buying a gun for home defense because of rising crime rates. Others are buying a gun and getting a carry and conceal permit for personal defense.
“Gang bangers will always be able to get guns,” she said. “(Restricting gun ownership) only hurts the legal gun owners.”
Don Rood, the owner of Mosquito Creek Outfitters, has also seen a huge surge in sales since President Obama’s speech on banning semi-automatic guns.
“Nobody in California has any inventory in the way of handguns or assault rifles,” he said. “We had one assault rifle come in one week and sold it the same afternoon.”
He noted that last Thursday, 2,319 guns were sold in California between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. alone.
Rood noted all kinds of people are buying guns these days. ”As soon as Obama said we’re going to ban them, there was a run on guns. Women have been coming in here and buying two at a time — handguns and rifles.
“The government wants to take guns out of the hands of responsible hands leaving people unprotected and at the mercy of criminals.”
Rood believes that politicians are exploiting the massacre at Sandy Hook to further restrict gun rights. “What’s not reported,” he said, “is how often guns prevent crimes.”
He cited the story of a 75-year-old grandmother who was attending church when a man came in and started shooting. “She pulled out her .357 magnum and popped him,” he said.
Rood noted that El Dorado County is one of the most well armed communities.
“Having a gun is about not being a victim, not being afraid. Because the bad guys are always going to have the guns. I’m hoping instead of an all out ban they adopt California’s laws, which are the strictest in the nation.”
NRA membership up
All the debate about gun rights has aroused the concern of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Chuck Holland, who is the chairman of the Local Friends of the National Rifle Association, noted that, “nobody ever wants to see anything like that happen (at Sandy Hook) … but every time there is an incident, there is chatter about gun control, gun control, gun control.”
He said the current debate is helping to drive the sale of guns. “Right now Dianne Feinstein should get the salesman of the year award for gun sales and ammunition sales,” he said.
The gun debate is also pushing NRA membership. Holland said he read that the NRA may be registering up to 8,000 new members a day because of what’s happening in the country.
Holland doesn’t believe that firearms are the issue. Rather he thinks more attention should be paid by parents to the violent video games and TV programs their children are exposed to. He also thinks implementing an InstaCheck system for those buying guns and keeping a database on those with mental issues would help keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.
Currently he estimates that between 50 and 60 percent of Americans own a gun and there are 100 to 200 million guns in private hands.
“In this county we’re very fortunate that our sheriff and district attorney are both pro-Second Amendment and pro-firearms education,” Holland said.
“But if the current administration had their way, they would take every gun and destroy it, but I’m pretty sure there’s enough of us in this country that we would put some resistance up.”
Spouting NRA rhetoric about some politicians calling to abolish the Second Amendment. That isn’t the intent at all. The Tea Party/Anarchist mindset that is arming to be ready for a fight, itching for a fight with the government is just plain militant crazy. How do you see that beginning and ending? Most members of the NRA are for the controls the President and Vice have proposed. It’s their Executives spouting this extreme rhetoric playing to the crazies. Real clear Dawn has her head where the sun don’t shine as well. “Riding on the back of a tiger, you will probably end up inside.”–JFK
Yep, don;t you city slicker politicians come up to these hills…or any other hills for that matter…lol! Seriously though, I am glad I bought stock in Ruger and Smith & Wesson some time ago….I was just following Rahm Emanuels advice…never let a good crisis go to waste! LOL I swear…liberals are just too easy!
cllea- while discussing groups against the Administrations attempts to overturn the 2nd Admendment, please remember to include that far left group Anonymous. Here is part of their statement regarding gun control.—–
““Mr. Obama the 2nd amendment of the US Constitution does not talk about an army, that is covered elsewhere in the constitution. It does talk about a well regulated militia which is made of civilians with their own weapons. The second amendment of the US Constitution does not talk about protecting government or government resources, but it does talk about being necessary for the security of a free state. The second amendment of the US constitution does not say a single word about hunting or sport. But it does say ‘The peoples right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed’.”
“To the American people, as many laws have been banning firearms in cities such as Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C have been implemented and as the courts get them, they are now being overthrown as being unconstitutional. Even if they were not ruled on, they are an infringement to your second amendment rights and you have no obligation to obey it and the courts have no obligation to enforce it.”
Anonymous ————“Politics makes strange bedfellows”
Charles Dudley Warner
Dee, OMG, surely you gest? Anonymous is an anarchic cyber guerilla organization. They attack many for what “they” feel is against democracy. This group is not far left or far right. They will attack what pleases them. So don’t push this crap to the left or the right!
NRA Dinner April 20 at 5 pm El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Last year the Placerville dinner was the most attended dinner in the state. Get your tics early as last year we sold out 530 622 6500. Thanks
NRA=UNION
This would be laughable were the results not so tragic. Under the current administration gun ownership has jumped, not just lately but for the past 4+ years. From 0.6 firearms per citizen (man, woman, and child!) to soon over 1.0 per citizen and climbing. I know the intent is for the best, but it’s hard to imagine a more effective way to increase gun ownership than to implement a perceived threat to ban or restrict. Does no one in government ever learn the book burning lesson?
Dawn Hodson is an awful reporter. She begins with this line: “there have been calls from politicians across the country to impose stricter gun control or even to abolish the Second Amendment”. Please, Ms. Hodson, give examples of politicians across the country calling for the abolition of the second amendment. Or else, please print a retraction.
“or even to abolish the Second Amendment,” writes Dawn Hodson. Ms. Hodson, you provided NOTHING to back up this rhetoric…just trying to fan the flames? The President certainly has not suggested this, nor the Democratic party. I would like to see another article in the Mt. Dem about folks in El Dorado County who are very concerned about gun violence in our country…I’m sure you remember the tragic school shooting in our own community? Let’s be “fair and balanced,” shall we?
“Susan O” the anti gun abolish the second amendment folks that post here are primarily using anonymous or incomplete names in their posts. What are you hiding from? Are you not proud of what your trying to accomplish? Use your real full name so the reporter knows how to contact you.
you would think as a store whos job it is to sell guns, they would know that they didnt sell an “assualt weapon”. they sold a semi automatic rifle.
“Man who doesn’t ‘believe’ in guns rescued from armed robbery by two good Samaritans with guns” –
HERE
(Richard, have a great weekend!)
“New Proposal Will Force Gun Owners to Store Assault Weapons At Government Authorized Storage Depots” – Massachusetts State Representative David Linsky has filed a new bill that would, among other things, force gun owners to undergo mental health background checks, acquire liability insurance, pay an additional 25% tax on all forms of ammunition, and require firearms categorized as “assault weapons” to be stored outside of their homes and only at government approved storage depots. –
HERE
“Sandy Hook Smoking Gun Revealed: Factions of Government, Law Enforcement, and Mainstream Media Including Anderson Cooper Engaged in Treason Against the United States and it’s Citizens” –
HERE
Treason? Anderson Cooper giving aid and comfort to our enemies?
LIST OF SHERIFFS STANDING UP AGAINST OBAMA’S GUN CONTROL
1. Jackson County, Kentucky Sheriff Denny Peyman
2. Linn County, Oregon Sheriff Tim Mueller
3. Madison County, Idaho Sheriff Roy Klingler
4. Crook County, Oregon Sheriff Jim Hensley
5. Douglas County, Oregon Sheriff John Hanlin
6. Curry County, Oregon Sheriff John Bishop
7. Livingston County, Missouri Sheriff Steve Cox
8. Smith County, Texas Sheriff Larry Smith
9. Josephine County, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson
10. Madison Count, Alabama Sheriff Blake Dorning
11. Larimer County, Colorado Sheriff Justin Smith
12. Charleston County, South Carolina Sheriff Al Cannon
13. Morgan County, Alabama Sheriff Ana Franklin
14. Houston County, Alabama Sheriff Andy Hughes
15. Gilmer County, Georgia Sheriff Stacy Nicholson
16. Pine County, Minnesota Sheriff Robin Cole
17. Grant County, Oregon, Sheriff Glenn Palmer
18. Coos County, Oregon Sheriff Craig Zanni
19. Johnson County, Missouri Sheriff Charles Heiss
20. Martin County, Florida Sheriff Bill Snyder
21. Siskiyou County, California Sheriff Jon Lopey
22. Humboldt County, Nevada Sheriff Ed Kilgpore
23. Stanislaus County, California Sheriff Adam Christianson
24. Grant County, Oregon Sheriff Glenn Palmer
25. Lawrence County, Missouri Sheriff Bard DeLay
26. Shasta County, California Sheriff Tom Bosenko
27. El Dorado County, California Sheriff John D’Agostini
28. Tehama County, California Sheriff David Hencraft
29. Lassen County, California Sheriff Dean Growden
30. Del Norte County, California Sheriff Dean Wilson
31. Modoc County, California Sheriff Mike Poindexter
32. Mendocino County, California Sheriff Thomas Allman
33. Plumas County, California Sheriff Greg Hagwood
34. Humboldt County, California Sheriff Mike Downey
35. Smith County, Texas Sheriff Larry Smith
36. Madison County Alabama Sheriff Blake Dorning
37. Charleston County South Carolina Sheriff Al Cannon
38. Morgan County Alabama Sheriff Ana Franklin
39. Houston County Alabama Sheriff Andy Hughes
40. Gilmer County Georgia Sheriff Stacy Nicholson
41 Canyon County Idaho Sheriff Kieran Donahue
42. Fresno County, California Sheriff Margaret Mims
43. Washington County, Oregon Sheriff Pat Garrett
44. Multnomah County, Oregon Sheriff Dan Staton
45. Yavapai County, Arizona Sheriff Scott Mascher
46. Boone County, Ohio Sheriff Micahel A. Helmig,
47. Clermont County, Ohio Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg
48. Morgan County, Alabama Sheriff Ana Franklin
49. Maricopa County, Ariznona Sheriff Joe Arpaio
50. El Paso County, Colorado Sheriff Terry Maketa
51. Weld County, Colorado Sheriff John Cooke
52. Oconee County, Georgia Sheriff Scott Berry
53. Gilmer County, Sheriff Stacy Nicholson
54. Canyon County, Idaho Sheriff Kieran Donahue;
(PLUS New Mexico, 30 of the state’s 33 county Sheriff’s)
Hats off to El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini.
“Petition To Create Gun Free Zone Around Obama Gets 25,000 Signatures….. Obama raises signature level for response to 100,000″ – HERE
I also agree with Evelyn Much respect to El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini. Thank You for standing up for yourself and the county you represent.
Well it’s nice to know our Sheriff and other law enforcement uphold our Constitutional right to bear arms, but they shouldn’t be spreading lies about what the government, the President, or any other Representative wants to do in regards to gun control. NO ONE, and I repeat, NO ONE, has proposed taking away all guns from people, or saying they don’t have the right to own them. Does anyone listen, or are they too busy talking!
I find it offensive that we have leaders in our County that will join with the extremists. You can jump to conclusions all you want, but the reality of the situation is that no one is proposing taking away all guns. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to have guns, but obviously we don’t live in Nirvana. And I would think our Sheriff and Leaders would welcome some common sense gun control, to make their job a little easier, and maybe know when they go to a residence, what type of firearms they will find behind that door. I would think they would want less people pointing a gun at them, rather than more, especially here in the rural areas of the State. I hear guns going off all the time, and have no idea if someone just got shot or killed, or if they were just target practice. I know laws don’t always make people do the right thing, and criminals are always going to break the law, but to sit by and do nothing is also contemptuous to those children and any innocent victim who lost their lives to assault weapons, or any gun for that matter.
We have stricter laws in California to prosecute those committing crimes with a weapon, and they should be the same across the country, not just State to State, or city to city. I would hope our County leaders read what’s proposed before making it sound like an US or Them situation, and back some common sense restrictions on assault type weapons, and get the mentally unstable better health care. We have had quite a few instances here in our County where people were killed rather than helped, and put the law enforcement people at risk trying to arrest them. Wouldn’t they prefer attempting to arrest someone who doesn’t have an assault weapon pointed at them, and could take them all down before stepping on the property?
Just saying…keep the faith and hopefully we will all come to our senses. (Ah yes, as I hear gunfire in the background). Wonder who is thinking of the children killed by a spray of ammunition with a minimum of approx twenty hits per child, and missing hands, arms, and faces, and some in their closed caskets at their funerals. Maybe we ought to be thinking of them, over a gun owner’s entertainment to have an assault rifle. :/
BRAVO TAM!
Tam: Please elaborate on the “lies” told by Sheriff John D’Agostini.
. . . and while you’re at it, Tam, supporting links would bolster your position.
. . . and, finally, Tam: Having referenced assault weapons/rifles four (4) times, you clearly would know one when you saw it. It’s not possible to legislate about “assault weapons” without defining them. What features must legislation incorporate?
Evelyn, a good lawyer knows that while in court, you never ask a question you don’t know the answer to. Well, in the same vein, it’s not fair to ask questions for which you already know there is no good answer. Anyway, BRAVO to you.
Speaking of lawyers, DB, if “TAM” is going to call our sheriff a “liar” she might consider consulting one.
Sorry. Paddy!!!
El Dorado County Sheriff: “I will not be pressured to enforce unconstitutional laws”. PLACERVILLE, Calif. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) – El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini penned a letter to Vice President Biden expressing his concern over proposed new gun laws. Sheriff D’Agostini writes to the Vice President, “The purpose of this letter is to go on record of re-affirming my oath of office and making it clear that I and my staff will never violate [our oath of office] by being pressured into enforcing any unconstitutional provision, law or executive order.”
D’Agostini writes that banning guns would still leave guns in the hands of people “who have no respect for the rule of law.” He says California law enforcement continues to encounter people prohibited from owning guns that do have firearms. The Sheriff writes the problems with violent crime in the United States is not from firearms but “an issue of mental illness and antisocial behavior.”
He continues to write, “If as much effort were expended in keeping criminals out of our communities and identifying and treating our mentally ill as are expended in the folly of gun control, the Nation would experience and immensely measurable decrease in violent crime.” -Paddy O’Furniture
And all this time I thought that the authority for interpreting what laws are and are not constitutional was vested in the US Supreme Court. Where did I get that silly idea. In reality it is up to your local county sheriff. Boy, this guy sure knows how to suck up to his audience, doesn’t he? I wonder what other elected office he has his eye on?
Jonny D for president
AMERICAN COUP? Last night (Saturday) VP Joe Biden said “I’m proud to be president of the United States.” HERE (Video clip)
Tom Quincy. The last word is: the Sheriffs in each county pledge to uphold the Constitution instead of trample on it like Washington pigs. I am honored to have a Sheriff that interprets it correctly for his and My County. You all like links, take a look at this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=fGaDAThOHhA Still want gun control?? Give me a break. Sure works well in Aussie, doesn’t it??
Jim Riordan- I stand corrected. All this time I thought the sheriff was a law enforcement official, but now I see that he is more powerful than the courts and the legislators. He gets to unilaterally determine the constitutionality of federal laws. You are most wise and learned. I really don’t get why everyone seems to think you are some kind of simple-minded moron.
I agree. Hats of to Sheriff D Agostini. You go, Sheriff!!!
This may come as a surprise to Jim Riordan, but not everything on youtube is factual. The disinformation about Australia’s gun experience is a bunch of hogwash. Try http://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/gun-control-in-australia/ for the truth. Australia has experienced decreases in crime and violence. By the way, factcheck.org is non-partisan. They go after conservatives and liberals. (Of course, the righty extremists offer up so much more material). Poor gullible Mr. Riordan.
Here’s a wild prediction: When the smoke clears, and the new gun control legislation / executive orders are enacted, our brave sheriff will carefully analyze the law and find that everything is just barely consistent with the constitution, and he will not refuse to obey and enforce the new laws.