An XDS-9 came in the mail today for a customer. I turned the case to the side and there it was: the “NOT LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA” warning.

Always so special, Kali. They take really good care of their citizens there. From special lawnmowers to special (that is, limited) firearms–I’m sure safety has arrived and everyone enjoys an idyllic and bucolic lifestyle.  And with the recent batch of laws, folks on the internet have again turned to debating what can be done, if at all, to stop or reverse firearm legislation there. Some are sure it’s too late now and there is nothing to do; it will continue to get worse. Others say there is perhaps a glimmer of hope, given some recent court rulings, and things would get better.

One of the side effects of prohibitions is that over time you don’t just ban the object or action (or severely limit or control their use) but also eradicate the culture around it. And by culture we don’t mean the core “gun culture” as we identify it, but also all of the peripheral things that go along with it: merely a general awareness by the population at large that guns exist, that people use them, that there are businesses around them, marketers for those businesses and so on. Once that is gone, then it becomes even more difficult for the core gun culture to achieve not just legislative wins but also cultural acceptance. It becomes a bit of a vicious circle: there is no gun freedom because there is no gun freedom to be wanted and demanded. After a few generations nobody will be left to remember what it was like to have it. Granted, in today’s modern world of instant communications and cheap travel, people can see how things are elsewhere, so perhaps a possibility of change for the better. Of course, the upcoming election is likely to determine many things. But that’s another matter altogether…