1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

**Support Open Carry and Second Amendment Rights Against Tyranny** I am writing to demand that you stop stripping Californians of our gun rights at a time when we face genuine threats to our liberty. The Second Amendment exists precisely to protect citizens against tyranny, and California's systematic dismantling of our right to bear arms leaves us defenseless against government overreach. The recent Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down California's open carry ban recognizes what our founders understood: an armed citizenry is the ultimate check against tyrannical government. Judge Lawrence VanDyke's majority opinion correctly notes that open carry "unquestionably involves a historical practice" dating back to the founding era. Our founders had just fought a revolution against a government that attempted to disarm them, and they enshrined the Second Amendment to ensure Americans would never face that threat again. Yet California has spent decades doing exactly what the British Crown attempted. The 1967 Mulford Act, the 2011 ban on open carry of handguns, the 2023 gun control package with its 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition, restrictions on concealed carry in parks, bars, and stadiums. These laws covering approximately 95% of California's population have left law-abiding citizens with virtually no legal means to bear arms in public while government power expands unchecked. More than 30 states allow open carry without descending into chaos. The real danger is not armed citizens exercising their constitutional rights but a government that systematically disarms its people while consolidating power. History shows that disarmament precedes tyranny, and Californians will not accept being rendered defenseless. I urge you to support the Ninth Circuit's decision, oppose Attorney General Rob Bonta's appeal, and resist any legislative attempts to further restrict our Second Amendment rights. Stand with the Constitution and with citizens who refuse to be disarmed in the face of growing government tyranny.