News: California Republicans Favor Gun Control (Right to Bear Arms)

May 17, 2015

IRVINE, CA - The state of California is well-known for being a hotbed of the political battle of between liberals and conservatives. California has had both Democrats and Republicans govern the western state. While California's western and northern regions tend to be liberal, the eastern and southern parts are strongholds of conservatism and of Republicans. In fact, Orange County ranks as one of America's most conservative regions.

This swing tug-of-war battle is no exception when it comes to gun rights and gun control in California, with the state having both staunch supporters of the Second Amendment's Right to Bear Arms and that of further gun control legislation.

However, it's not just the Democrat-Republican divide that contributes, the issue of gun rights is still divided, even within the conservative and Republican communities of California. The California Republicans are different than say a Georgia, Texas or a Mississippi Republican when it comes to the issue of gun control.

A poll showed that 63% of California Republicans support gun control, whether gun owner or non-gun owner, show much more more mixed the issue becomes even within one political community. A poll showed that only 48% of those California Republicans who answered, are gun owners. These stats conclude that even within California's conservatives, still, a minority, though a large minority are gun owners.

But these people are pledged-Conservatives in just about every other issue such as religion, LGBT issues, abortion issues and economic matters.

William Howard, a religious radio-talkshow host from rural northern California says that he's within the pro-Second Amendment and gun-owning group.

"I own a Winchester Model 21 and a Glock 17 pistol. If I see some mad jihadi or some crazy armed freak in my property, I'm not waiting for the police, no patriot does that. I'm going to shoot back, just like our Founding Fathers did."

Jacob Davidson, an accountant from the city of Irvine is not within the gun-owners group. He said, "I don't want a gun, I don't have a gun, because I have no use for one. They're very dangerous tools, and they're used in too many crimes. I don't want anybody in my family ending up on the news. If other people want one, that's great, that's their freedom but I prefer not to have one in my house. No, I'm not a Democrat, I am a Republican and I am a proud Christian."

But there are even some Republicans, who want guns completely banned.

Rose Palmero-Lopez for example, is a soccer mom who works as a superintentant at a school. Though a devout Catholic and Republican, she excludes guns from her love of the Republican Party.

Rose said, "Guns are a subset of criminal activity. Nobody should own them except for members of the military or law enforcement. It's not a Democrat or Republican issue, it's a common sense issue. If we could get a Catholic Republican governer to just take them all away, I'd vote for them in an instant."

Lopez says that while she's okay with gun ranges, she states that only police should own gun ranges and make all the guns un-purchasable for citizens.

"If people want to visit a shooting range, that's fine. I think all gun ranges need to have their owership transferred to the police or military. If people want to use guns for sport, that's fine. Then leave the guns at a locker, in a range or better yet, don't give citizens the ability to purchase them. Renting is enough."