What did I do to them?

[hotfxr]

I have never claimed to be smart, talented or particularly good looking (but I can move heavy things), but in scouring ads from various ads & Gunbroker I keep running into a certain bias and really nasty attitude bordering on downright hatred against California that I don't completely understand. Even though I have lived most of my life out here, I claim Phenix City, Alabama  as my home town and most of my family still lives there and have for 5 generations. It's true that this state has been ruined by amoral tax & spend left wing politicians and there are so many laws, rules, and regulations that it is lucky we are even allowed to breathe without a permit. And we have the most asinine redundant useless firearm regulations in the country. WE are the ones that have to put up with this. What we do not have are any regulations or restrictions on muzzleloaders, antique or reproduction. Only one that requires the buyer, not the owner, to be over 18. Yet time and time again I look at ads that state "No California Sales". There is one seller on Gunbrokers that has the temerity to state "California, when you decide to join the United States, let us know". I have had responses from inquiries to sellers that have been hostile and vulgar. Why? I have lived and worked all over the country and have noticed a universal dislike of this state, to the point that while travelling I will ride my Harley that I keep registered in Montana just to make the going easier. Now I will readily admit that this state has more than it's fair share of folks who would roll over anyone for a profit, but there are still a lot of good people out here. I can honestly state that I have never taken advantage of anyone, ever, and live my life according to my very strict southern upbinging and that tried and true golden rule. I usually don't let things like this bother me, but between the death of the building trades here, injuries that have sidlined me for the last year and the fact I turn 55 in a couple of days, this anti CA attitude on the sales sites has really got me bugged. Not looking for solutions, just had to sound off on this to hit the reset button on my sense of humor. Thanks to the members here for making this place a welcoming oasis of friendship and a wealth of information and encouragement.

[beowulf]

can understand that ! born in the peoples republic of maryland  but fortunate enough to have lived most of my life in pennsylvania ! maryland , new jersey , new york , and california ( there are others ) suffer from an infestation called liberals ! examples would be schumer, o`malley , and feinstein !gun owners and freedom loving people need to get out and vote , and talk sense into others to get these infestations cleared up ! california is a beautiful state , but the liberalism keeps trying to spread !just let folks know that just because you live there dont mean you agree with the policies ! 

[hotfxr]

Trying to stay away from the political direction this is going to go, the big 4: Feinstein, Boxer, Evans, and Brown who are trying their hardest to disarm the citizens of California are also the biggest hypocrites, they all drive around in limos with bodyguards, yet all 4 have CCW's. My question and new pet peeve is why sellers from other states just like to add insult to injury and refuse to ship to CA. And some have to add snide comments along with their rule.

[beowulf]

 an excellent question !  guess some people just are`nt happy unless they are messing with someone else ! I try to just ignore those types , except on facebook !  been known to hammer a few fools there ! 

[mongrel]

As someone who frequents the GunBroker discussion forums, I can say first and foremost this will NOT run off into politics. Anyone feeling the need to save the world and pontificate on political matters is welcome to register at GunBroker and dive into their "Politics" forum.

The regular posters there will eat you alive with not the smallest hint of indigestion.

Though the anti-gun laws of California (and similar regions) are indeed of left-wing political origin, I can explain the problem Hotfxr is having and assure him (and other Californians and anyone who still thinks they have to make a political issue of this), that the snide comments and obvious bias against Californians, exhibited in certain GunBroker auction descriptions, are not really of political origin. I've followed posts and topics on the discussion side of GunBroker and seen exchanges with some of the actual sellers who stick that sort of thing in their auctions.

In a nutshell, what you are dealing with is just plain sheer stupidity, mixed with bullying. When I say "stupidity" I am not confusing that condition with "ignorance", which would mean the sellers in question just don't know any better. No, they're too stupid to grasp that gun owners and buyers in California are between a liberal rock and a socialist hard place. They're too stupid to understand that a relative few heavily-populated urban areas control everything that lives, moves, and breathes in California. They're too stupid to realize that, no matter how we thump our chests and proclaim our manhood and patriotism while hiding behind internet usernames, it's not presently feasible and would be flat-out suicidal to attempt a resort to armed force to change the situation. They're bullies in the sense that they literally condemn others as cowards for not being willing to commit suicide; they have no intentions of joining you or of even cheering you too loudly if it looks like such support would get THEM in trouble, but they expect you to enter into insurrection against the government of your state to change the gun laws there.

There is a lot wrong in California and selling or shipping guns to Californians is in most cases not worth the effort to a lot of us who buy and sell nationwide, but what you're dealing with are people who lack the intelligence to see that little or none of it is your fault.

Again, the above is based on having read exactly what I have stated, on the GunBroker discussion forums. There are some tiny-minded, thuggish people out there who have no problem with expecting the whole world to roll exactly as they say it should, and who will viciously attack anyone who in any way, however small, disagrees with even a single point of their thinking -- or who is forced to abide by laws that disagree with their thinking.

This has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with old Strother Martin's line in "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid": "Morons. I have morons on my team."

So, in short, you've done nothing to them. Their lives are made meaningful by hatred. As a Californian you're presently a convenient target.

[Squeeze]

Haha  Ive said more than a few times, I wish I was born 150 years ago..   

[hotfxr]

As someone who frequents the GunBroker discussion forums, I can say first and foremost this will NOT run off into politics. Anyone feeling the need to save the world and pontificate on political matters is welcome to register at GunBroker and dive into their "Politics" forum.

The regular posters there will eat you alive with not the smallest hint of indigestion.

Though the anti-gun laws of California (and similar regions) are indeed of left-wing political origin, I can explain the problem Hotfxr is having and assure him (and other Californians and anyone who still thinks they have to make a political issue of this), that the snide comments and obvious bias against Californians, exhibited in certain GunBroker auction descriptions, are not really of political origin. I've followed posts and topics on the discussion side of GunBroker and seen exchanges with some of the actual sellers who stick that sort of thing in their auctions.

In a nutshell, what you are dealing with is just plain sheer stupidity, mixed with bullying. When I say "stupidity" I am not confusing that condition with "ignorance", which would mean the sellers in question just don't know any better. No, they're too stupid to grasp that gun owners and buyers in California are between a liberal rock and a socialist hard place. They're too stupid to understand that a relative few heavily-populated urban areas control everything that lives, moves, and breathes in California. They're too stupid to realize that, no matter how we thump our chests and proclaim our manhood and patriotism while hiding behind internet usernames, it's not presently feasible and would be flat-out suicidal to attempt a resort to armed force to change the situation. They're bullies in the sense that they literally condemn others as cowards for not being willing to commit suicide; they have no intentions of joining you or of even cheering you too loudly if it looks like such support would get THEM in trouble, but they expect you to enter into insurrection against the government of your state to change the gun laws there.

There is a lot wrong in California and selling or shipping guns to Californians is in most cases not worth the effort to a lot of us who buy and sell nationwide, but what you're dealing with are people who lack the intelligence to see that little or none of it is your fault.

Again, the above is based on having read exactly what I have stated, on the GunBroker discussion forums. There are some tiny-minded, thuggish people out there who have no problem with expecting the whole world to roll exactly as they say it should, and who will viciously attack anyone who in any way, however small, disagrees with even a single point of their thinking -- or who is forced to abide by laws that disagree with their thinking.

This has nothing to do with politics. It has everything to do with old Strother Martin's line in "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid": "Morons. I have morons on my team."

So, in short, you've done nothing to them. Their lives are made meaningful by hatred. As a Californian you're presently a convenient target.

Wow. You have perfectly articulated what has been a fog of random thoughts in the back of my mind. I don't know what has happend here to let the slow takeover by the nanny state occur except for apathy and indifference. I do know that when I was in high school I kept a 22 and a shotgun in the window rack in my truck as did a lot of others with no problems. Now those racks are only legal to hold a level or fishing rods, not that there are many places to fish anymore. Thanks for giving me a different perspective, now that my twisted sense of humor is kicking in, I can laugh at these guys a bit more. Not that it will stop me from using the seller contact button smart-a.. uh, smart-alec commentary on their stand. Gotta have some fun.

[Dogshirt]

ALL that being said, there are a FEW sellers on gunbroker that DO say "sale to California OK". You just have to scope things out a bit closer.

[mongrel]

Haha  Ive said more than a few times, I wish I was born 150 years ago..

Being born 150 years ago -- not so bad. Being an adult 150 years ago, though -- well, that wasn't a good time in our country's history. I doubt anything was meant or implied by the "150 years" timeline, so I don't mean or imply any criticism in this reply, but the idea of "150 years ago" leads to what I believe is a very important point in all this. I've raised this point before and will do so again, I'm sure.

On July 1st of this year it will be 150 years to the day since the beginning of the three days of the Battle Of Gettysburg. There is a lot of talk these days of taking up arms against oppression and tyranny and all that, and we well may have to before it's all said and done. However....

I have visited Gettysburg. It's physically impossible to simply pass near all the graves there, in a single long day of walking. It's mentally and emotionally impossible to take in the full impact of it all, of all those graves. Impossible to completely grasp that none of these men died fighting a foriegn enemy; they died fighting their fellow Americans. Impossible to completely absorb that the dying memorialized at Gettysburg was the work of only three days. Impossible to accept that what you see and can't completely comprehend was a choice that was made. There were Americans to whom it seemed right, proper, and just that there should be a war, just as today there are Americans who seem to be champing at the bit to fire up another one.

The nearly countless graves at Gettysburg are a silent testament to what comes when as a nation we lose the ability and the will to solve our problems by means other than bloodshed, to what comes when the finger-pointing and name-calling and threats and rage finally push us to the conviction that fellow Americans are our enemies -- and that, again, war seems right, proper, and just.

Make no mistake, there are fellow Americans who ARE my enemies, who are OUR enemies, and fighting them or those who accept their orders can't be ruled out -- but between Gettysburg and a few nights spent doing security on the "Moving Wall", the travelling black monument on which are incribed the roughly 58,000 names of the fallen in Vietnam, war to me is a last resort, welcomed and encouraged only by the same kinds of fools who insult and condemn someone for having the misfortune to be living in California.

[Rev]

Well said...

[Squeeze]

 

[Otter]

Well said Mongrel, well said.

[beowulf]

very well put 

[Red Badger]

Amen - Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.... I was born 180 years too late, that would put me about 20 in 1800... and with my luck I'd have been caught up in the th war of 1812... 

[Squeeze]

I was born in Norway, came to the US at about 12... Prob never would have left if 150 years ago.  I live in NJ when im not out to sea, so I know about a restricted state.  Saw a quote on another forum I had to add
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

~ John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873)