Why Stay

[The Annoyed Man]

I left California 2 years ago and moved to Texas with my job. It was both a fortunate and unfortunate move.

On the minus side:

• My brothers and mother still live in California. I haven't seen my mom in a little over a year. I haven't seen my brothers in 2 years.
  
• The owner of the company, which I moved with to the DFW area, committed suicide late last year, and I found myself out of work.
  
• I miss my best friends in California.
  
• I miss my church in Pasadena.
  
• I pay property taxes in Texas at 2-3 times the rate I did in California.
  
• California is a more beautiful state than Texas.

On the plus side:

• I live 10 minutes from DFW airport, and I can get out to California and visit my family members this summer.
  
• I started a business of my own a month ago, and the business climate here in Texas - particularly for small businesses - is much better than in California.
  
• Even though California is beautiful, I love the North Texas plains and the big sky.
  
• I have made some good friends here.
  
• I have a great church here in Grapevine.
  
• I don't have to pay state income taxes in Texas.
  
• I own a much better home now than I did in Pasadena, by a huge factor, paid for entirely out of the equity of my California home - with money left over.
  
• My son (whose last day of high school was today), has done much better in school here in Texas than he did in California, and the public schools here seem to be generally better.
  
• I have purchased more guns in the two years I've been here than I had in the previous 15. I have acquired a Texas CHL, which would have been unthinkable in California.

Do guns factor into my being happier here in Texas than in California? Sure, it's part of it, but by no means all of it. The reasons that I am happier here are varied, and if I had never bought another gun after leaving California nor had gotten my CHL, I would still be happier. Whatever the attractions of California, I feel very much more like I am among my own people here in Texas - and that is not a racial or ethnic statement, but rather a recognition that, whatever flaws Texas may have (and they are few and far between) that common sense reigns here far more so than in California.

The facts that guns are more easily available here and that CHLs are available to any law-abiding citizen of good character who wants one are merely products of that more prevalent common sense, but that common sense pervades so many other areas of life here besides gun rights, and gun rights had little or nothing to do with our decision to move at that particular time in our lives.

Other parts of California are probably still nicer, but I had to go back to L.A. for a week on business last November, and I couldn't believe how dirty everything is. The streets were dirty. The sidewalks were grimy. The air was dirty. There was graffiti everywhere. The traffic was even worse than I remembered it. There was trash, large and small, all along the freeways. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that you could never get me to move back there.

 

[Elza]

I left the PRK back in ’84. But, it wasn’t a difficult choice for me and gun ownership wasn’t even a part of it. At that time guns were not a big concern. We had just beaten the snot out of the anti-gunners on a ballot proposition to outlaw handgun ownership.

The ultra-liberal views held by so many and the state government were the main dislikes. I had only lived there for about 8 years so I didn’t have any real ties and I got a great job offer in Texas. The only family tie was my mother-in-law and this was another good reason to leave. No problem for me or my wife.

But those that have family, life time friendships, jobs/businesses, and ties to the community all make it considerably harder to pull up and leave. Texas could go sour on gun ownership tomorrow. After 25 years here I would have a hard time pulling up stakes and heading somewhere else.

Am I glad that I left? Absolutly!!! Would I do the same thing now if Texas went the same political route? Not likely.

 

[Warty]

You missed Illinois in your list...

I lived there most of my life, wishing I could move. First I was too young and was living with my parents.

Then, as I got older I found I had made friends and started to like living where I grew up. I still wanted to move for better gun laws but I wanted to be with my friends more.

I decided to try and change things in Illinois instead. I wrote and lobbied until my fingers bled and I was hoarse from all the talking. When I finally realized that it was futile, I did move, to Indiana.

I had enough of wondering if I would become a criminal overnight with the stroke of the governor's pen. That and with most of my friend's being married and no longer willing to do much and/or moved away themselves, there was nothing keeping me there any longer.

I now live in Indiana and have traded my FOID card for a Lifetime CCW and I couldn't be happier. I also couldn't be lonelier. This isn't the friendliest place I have ever lived. Terre Haute has its good things though and I really feel like this is the place I was supposed to live. I go to the range twice a week now and all is well in my little world.

 

[m1009]

Stay because Indiana is gun friendly and also..

Personally, when I was young, the family were here, and I never went to colllege and never had a job that paid me enough to save and start over. Plus I didn't know what I could do as a career. And the recession hit and you couldn't find a job. Kept getting laid off, so by the time that was over, I wasn't going to quit any job! By the time I met my husband, I was at the point that I had some seniority built up and felt safe where I was. Always liked guns, but never really thought about them. With hubby, we started out purchasing and learning, became more interested and luckily Indiana has some good laws so we stayed. We try to go to the range regularly, and enjoy practicing our skills and teaching others when the opportunity presents itself.
So, as long as Indiana laws stay the same, we'll stay. Easier than picking up and starting all over with new jobs at our age. Probably have a hard time finding new ones, because of that no matter what they say about age discrimination. Plus my parents are aged and I'm going to have to start helping them out more and more and they live a few miles from me. So, that's my answer. Just lucky that we can still enjoy our hobby here.

 

[nj.piney]

they changed the firearms laws in new jersey . 6 months later i was a resident of tennessee. no regrets.

 

[TT]

I only stay in California because I couldn’t get anything better than a minimum wage job outside of the state, but I can make a modest wage here. Once I've saved enough money, I'm out. The anti-gun-owner environment is enough to make me want to leave, but the pervasive strain of anti-Americanism here is another factor in my contempt for this place. I simply can’t understand people who say “there are good restaurants here and the beach is cool so losing my right to self-defense is no big deal”. California’s anti-gun policies are not a fluke- they are a reflection of the will of the electorate. In fact they are actually less severe then the average Californian wants; were it not for pre-emption most of the cities in the SF Bay Area and L.A. would have banned ownership of handguns. Barring the improbable incorporation of individual 2nd Amendment rights, California will eventually make self-defense using a firearm nearly impossible. Those California gunners who think they are going to stop the inevitable are exhibiting absurd vanity.

 

[JCF]

Those California gunners who think they are going to stop the inevitable are exhibiting absurd vanity.

Actually, I think the same may be said for Americans in general. I'm leaving neither the state nor the country regardless.

Say hi from me in the various places you end up.

 

[ArmedBear]

the pervasive strain of anti-Americanism here is another factor in my contempt for this place

Well, living in a place where there's a local club that lines a main road with American flags, it's not something I experience. Sure, there are the beater cars with leftie stickers all over them, but -- news flash -- I saw those in Idaho, too.

Where do you live?

 

[J Star]

Live in NY. Minutes form the PA border. Desperately want to move, not only because NY gun laws suck, but so do our taxes, cost of energy, etc, etc.

Have to wait, though, because I own a house and I'm waiting to see if my job is going to make me move to Malvern, PA. If not, I'm going to move right over the border so I can keep working where I am.

 

[TexasSkyhawk]

No, for us, it IS all about guns

To us, guns are symbolic of freedom, self-determination and self-reliance.

The states in which guns are easily attainable tend to show a higher degree of trust in their citizens, a much friendlier business climate, less reliance upon the government or other social programs to "take care of them," and those states tend to support those views politically (red states/blue states).

We've lived in a number of states between my career in federal law enforcement and then in the private sector. States that we absolutely and without hesitation refused to even consider moving to were Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, California and New York.

Look at who those four states continuously elect as their US Senators--politicians who believe absolutely in socialism and the theory of Robin Hood, while also believing the Constitution is no longer valid, especially in terms of the Second Amendment.

Now that we're back home in Texas--and have been for over a decade-ain't no way we're ever leaving again.

Jeff

 

[MarcusWendt]

Look at who those four states continuously elect as their US Senators--politicians

Oh really? Remind me where Ronald Reagan got into politics.

While he is a sell out, what Party does CA governor belong to?

I'll concede that we are in deep dung here, but you can't fight a war from the rear.

 

[JCF]

Look at who those four states continuously elect as their US Senators--politicians

Yeah... I suppose.

Then again, there have been one or two politicians instrumental in damaging the rights of gun-owners who have emerged from other states as well.

Like Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Lyndon Johnson for instance.

Didn't Johnson have something to do with gun control? What was George H. W. Bush's position on assault weapons again? It seems to me I remember something about each those two Texans.

Well, let's just hope that everything has permanently changed for the better now and your rights are unreachable in those other places.

 

[bluto]

Make no mistake: the gradualism of the removal of your rights is very much by design. Don't fall for it. They've learned from history not to go about things too fast, Hitler style, and end up crashing and burning.

Instead, they space things out over several generations, always making sure that at no point is the overall assault on rights too intense or obvious so as to provoke revolt.

"Schhh, it'll be over before you know it." - La Pistoletta

Well said La Pistoletta. Well said.

It is also idiotic to divide the pro-gun population of this country with "we are better than you" nonsense. The 2a cause requires unity. This type of nonsense only makes the anti-gun establishment more effective.

I am a former Canadian citizen. I was an NRA member 20 years ago IN CANADA. I cheer EVERY time someone's 2a rights are recognized, and I take it personally whenever they are restricted... in California and everywhere else in the nation. I cheer every time ANYONE, ANYWHERE decides to fight for those rights.

Personally, I'm not prepared to write off ANYWHERE in this country, and I'm not going to turn away ANYONE who is willing to fight for my cause... regardless if they are republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative, white, black, mexican, atheist, gay, illegal or otherwise.

The reason?

Because I know that disease spreads, and overconfidence and complacency, like cowardice and helplessness, kills.

-JCF

My sentiments exactly. Both posts quoted in full because they bear repeating.

Actually, a lot of posts on this thread, especially some from our European friends, are very well thought out and encouraging.

And finally,

Banding together hasn't worked in the politcal process as we all have ideas on how best things should be done and thus support various candidates weakening our strength. - hrgrisso

Some excellent insights hrgrisso, but here I would say that the first thing we have to do, as JCF said, is stop this divisive "rights snobbery" that has 2A supporters working harder to condemn people who share their beliefs than the real enemy. Sheeesh. Once we realize that we're all on the same side then we can work on banding together. Baby steps. Patience. Perseverance.

That's how the anti's do it.

 

[TT]

ArmedBear:

Well, living in a place where there's a local club that lines a main road with American flags, it's not something I experience.

Ok.

Where do you live?

Sunnyvale.

JCF:

Actually, I think the same may be said for Americans in general.

Seems pretty clear to me that many states and the Federal government are not following in California’s footsteps. However, to be fair, if Obama is elected that would be a sign that at the Federal level America is going down the California path.

Say hi from me in the various places you end up.

Seems a trifle needy to me, but sure, what the heck...

 

[bearmgc]

Sheeple, lazy, stuck in mindset.

 

[Moonclip]

bearmgc, I'm not a "sheeple", and if you read my original posting here you might have something a little more intellegent to post here.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not referring to THR members with that statement.

 

[rdoggsilva]

I left California for a better job 14 years ago when the oilfields around Bakersfield died. I do not consider myself a coward in any term. I take offense at such a statement. I am a combat vet (Vietnam), and take pride of not being drafted. I am still proud of being a native Californian as my family has been there since before the gold rush. I still stand up for California when she is bad mouthed. But would I move back to California, not on your life. Well maybe if the illegals from NY, NJ, Mass where deported, just maybe.

 

[Moonclip]

Hell, your family has been in CA probably longer than even mine, and my dad also volunteered for Vietnam and was disabled in his service.

Note the poster that implied that CA people are "sheeple" has not responded yet. I hope he/she does before the thread is locked.

I'm not the bravest person in the world but I have been in ther military and I have been shot at and have had other acts of derring do in my life.

To keep it gun related, my dad bought a gun yesterday, IN CALIFORNIA!