California: Let the Media Know About Your Opposition to Measure C

In addition to your own efforts, please ask your family, friends, fellow gun owners, sportsmen and Second Amendment supporters in the Sunnyvale area to write and submit letters to the editor of the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle in OPPOSITION to Sunnyvale’s Measure C, an unconstitutional local gun control measure on the ballot on November 5.  We need your support for a final push to help oppose anti-gun New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s attempt to impose his personal social agenda on California residents.  Information on how to submit letters to the editor for both local newspapers is provided below.   If you need help with your letter to the editor, please click here for guidelines for communicating with the media.

If passed, Measure C would:

• Ban possession of ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds and not allow the grandfathering of currently owned ammunition magazines.  California already bans the sale of ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds unless those ammunition magazines were purchased prior to 2000.  State legislation was introduced this year for this requirement and it failed to pass. The California Sheriffs’ Association is also opposed to this requirement.
• Require the registration of all ammunition purchases including a thumbprint.  State legislation was introduced this year for this requirement and it failed to pass. The Governor also vetoed similar legislation in 2012 and litigation is currently pending on this issue.
• Require all firearms to be locked-up when not in use.  California already has some of the strictest firearm storage laws in the country.
• Require the reporting of lost and stolen firearms and would penalize gun owners for failing to report their lost or stolen gun within 48 hours.  This state requirement was vetoed by Governor Brown this year and in 2012.  To view Governor Brown’s 2013 veto letter, please click here.

If passed, Measure C would do nothing to reduce violent crime or firearm accidents in Sunnyvale.  NRA lawyers see Measure C as an opportunity to clarify that the Second Amendment protects against these types of infringements on the right to keep and bear arms, and intend to file lawsuits challenging Measure C in court if it passes.

The District of Columbia and the City of Chicago have each spent millions of dollars unsuccessfully defending their unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms.  San Francisco has also spent millions fighting against legal challenges to its gun control laws.  That city had to pay over $800,000 when it lost a court challenge to Proposition H in 2008.  Several other California cities have also been dragged into court and incurred significant legal expense.

Sunnyvale taxpayers should consider whether they want to foot the legal bill to push the social agenda of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose gun control advocacy group is behind Measure C, or whether they want to wait until these issues are resolved in court cases involving other cities.

There are many good policy reasons to defeat Measure C.  Sunnyvale has among the lowest gun crime rates in California.  These unconstitutional measures overstep local government authority and have already been rejected by the state as ineffective safety measures.

How to submit your letter to the Editor:

San Jose Mercury News letters to the editor have a 300 word limit.  San Francisco Chronicle letters to the editor have a 200 word limit.  Please provide your full name, address and telephone number with all submissions, but only your name and district where you live will appear in print.  Anonymous letters will not be published. Please type and double space.

Below are the links to submit your letter to the two local newspapers:

San Jose Mercury: E-mail to: ELarsen@bayareanewsgroup

San Francisco Chronicle: Page form – Click HERE to submit.