Not bad turnout for a state where most gun owners are resigned to the fact that Governor Murphy’s gun control package is likely to pass. Also, I give News 12 credit for fair coverage. Looking at the crowd size, I agree “hundreds” is the number:
(Sorry, the embed code doesn’t seem to work)
About 1/3rd of my club is from New Jersey. We’re right over the bridge. Close enough that we could shell Trenton (tempting, I know). Most people who are left there are resigned to the fact that they are second class citizens, and are now doing their best to fly under the radar. There are some that are actively defiant and still willing to fight, but I’d say they are a minority. In a generation, there won’t be much in the way of gun owners in the Garden State. They don’t have to take your guns. They are willing to drive a stake through the heart of our gun culture and wait.
I visited the rally for about an hour. Also had a great opportunity to speak to my former Assemblywoman, Donna Simon, and Scott Bach, whom both said that there’s about 1.2 to 1.3 million NJ Residents with Firearm Identification Cards, a few hundred thousand higher than 15 years ago actually. Attendance was about 1200 people.
To be honest, NJ is worse than California on the political scale of gun rights. The New York City and Philadelphia Democrat Party Machines have such strong influence on the State, that it will easily take 40 years or more to improve the 2nd Amendment situation, but by that time for NJ alone, everyone outdide of the immediate NYC and Philly Metro areas will have moved out to other States, and most of them will be gunowners.
Interesting enough that the Geological/Environmental Firm I work for, this week, will have concluded it’s last business conference in NJ, and will be closing down it’s offices in Newark and Kenilworth. This week was my 2nd and final one. The remaining Family and Friends that my Fiance and I have will also be completely moved out in the next year from the Garden State.
2nd only to getting engaged, the happiest day of my life was when we moved out to Ohio. We enjoy the gun cultures and firearms community here, and love hunting in not just OH, but PA, WV, and KY. Safe to say that we won’t ever be visiting NJ ever again. The liberal and relaxed hunting laws, and even the great Pizza there won’t ever convince us to go back; not even to visit, especially with our Family and Friends moving out.
I’m in California, and see the handwriting on the wall. We’re looking at a move to a free state like Utah or North Carolina within the next two to three years.
The stand and fight or run and live is an interesting question. For NJ, its at the point for run and live. PA is stand and fight. But that line is tough. Because if we keep leaving, they keep getting stronger. But standing and fighting could be bad as well.
I wish I hadn’t had a family emergency that prevented my attendance.
My only hope now is that either there is federal legislative action, or the PTB in NJ so outrage the 2A that even the federal judiciary has to take notice.
I’m not in a position to leave, alas.