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July 18, 2005

It's Quiet. Too Quiet.

I and a number of other concealed-carry proponents have asked - where's Lillehaug?

Joel Rosenberg has a potential answer.

Remember; the DFL has learned the hard way that they can not win the concealed-carry debate in the Legislature. Being good Democrats, they don't need no steeking legislatures to make law.

Rosenberg:

There's been no updates on David "Darth" Lillehaug's lawsuits attempting to overturn the Personal Protection Act since the law went back into effect.

I'd rather know what they were doing, myself. That said, my guess is that he's waiting until the lege is out of session, just in case.

Using last time as a yardstick, if he files at the end of fall, assuming he can find an equally tame judge as Finley in Ramsey -- no guarantees, either way -- and if he wins -- I'd bet against it -- it should be a major campaign issue next fall.

Which is precisely what the DFL doesn't want. The metrocrats' opposition to the Personal Protection Act has been very politically expensive for the DFL, every time it's been on the table. Their one major victory in recent years happened in 2004, when it was perceived, politically, as a done deal.

Is Lillehaug waiting for the November 2006 election, and hoping for a legislature that wouldn't repass it, or a governor who might veto repassage?

Interesting question.

This is where a lot of people whose first exposure to politics through talk radio, activist groups or insta-parties get their first bit of cultural sticker shock. It takes a lot of work to change government policy - in the case of the Personal Protection Act, eight years of constant lobbying, petitioning, fundraising, and showing up at hearings in the middle of the work day.

Eight years.

And now that the job's been done successfully - and by that, I mean not only hte legislative job, but the job of changing the attitudes of the people of Minnesota to the point where support for the old racist paternalistic law is considered a political liability. And when you change it over the howling protests of an entrenched constituency, you need to be prepared for them to spring back from the political grave like the monster in a B movie, again and again.

What it means is that every single one of you that cares about self-defense, and about keeping our former, racist, paternalistic concealed carry law off the books, needs to keep your war face on. You need to stay active in politics, and continue supporting politicians that delivered on this law. It's easier to do than ever - a supermajority in both houses supported the MPPA last session, so there are more to choose from than ever. It doesn't even necessarily means supporting the GOP - most outstate DFLers are firmly on board. If you live in the metro, though - if you think the rape victim should have more rights than the rapist, you need to come to the realization that the DFL disagrees.

And since the DFL knows it can not win this debate in the legislature, they know they have to take it to court, hope to find another tame judge like they managed last year, and try to impose their will from the bench. Which may or may not work - judges are a crapshoot, albeit less so in the metro - but in any case it means that we may have to come back to the legislature and do it all again.

Probably not next session; the DFL is dumb, but they're not stupid. They know that messing with concealed carry during an election year will mobilize a lot of people - many of them unfortunately single-issue people who couldn't care less about taxes or the budget or gambling, but who want their right to self-defense. Fair enough - such is politics.

Just saying; keep your war face on. Keep convincing your neighbors. Keep boycotting stores that are posted "No Guns", and telling store management why. Keep failing to create a bloodbath of the innocent (and while you're at it, maybe lop off the odd robber or rapist once in a while). Get your permit, and then have no problems - each of you.

We're not done yet.

Posted by Mitch at July 18, 2005 06:47 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Lilly-hog was on Almanac this weekend. Nothing specific to guns was discussed, but he did blow alot of DFL hot air.

Posted by: Dave at July 18, 2005 08:51 AM

I didn't bother getting my concealed carry permit before the lawsuit, thinking I'd have plenty of time. Never dreamed they'd actually toss the law on such a piss-ant excuse.

This time, I took no chances - I took the course before the law was even passed and applied as soon as the ink was dry.

Ramsey County Sheriff's office was very nice, professional about it.

Posted by: wouldn't you like to know at July 18, 2005 02:58 PM

Ah, Ramsey. Got to love that Sergeant Ryan O'Neill -- no joke, please; he's heard 'em all.

Posted by: Joel Rosenberg at July 18, 2005 11:09 PM

Ah, Ramsey. Got to love that Sergeant Ryan O'Neill -- no joke, please; he's heard 'em all.

Posted by: Joel Rosenberg at July 18, 2005 11:09 PM
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