An Answer

Publicola poses the question:

So any more readers willing to tell me why they live in states that are not friendly (even downright hostile) to gun owners?

As a California resident, let me see if I can address the question. As I answered it, it got longer and longer, and I didn't want to leave it in the comments section looking that huge.

The reasons I live in CA, in order of importance: family, friends, school, home, finances, job.

Home and finances go together - were my home in selling condition, I might decide to move. I might not - it's mine, after all. However, its going to take some work to accomplish that while I go thru law school. At that point, I'll probably bail, but I may persue office here to change the system from within, or attempt to. My current job is unimportant to my decision. I'm reluctant to leave my parents for distant climes since I've already lost a father and would rather be here for them. Friends are the same way. I recently had a friend move to a much more friendly 2A state and he's realized very little difference in the past year. Yeah, there are black rifles on the shop shelves and one of his friends has a full-auto M4, but the pay cut he took to move won't allow him to own one.

I don't live in San Fran, so my currents rights aren't as infringed as they could be. The waiting period is a pain the ass, but its livable. I don't have to go thru what some east coasters do to get a gun, but its not as free as other places either. We have some ignorant, idiotic politicians in this state who keep trying to do dumb shit like tax individual rounds of ammo, but there are enough smart people to balance that out for the state. You'll notice that roughly 45% of the state voted for Bush in 2004. My county, San Diego, is red. We won't ever vote to disarm like the cheese eating monkeys in San Fran did, but I hate every one of them for setting that precedent. Most important is that if I move, I lose my voting rights here. That means I won't be able to stop them from further tearing down the place I've lived my entire life.

Over the past 4 years I have bought over two dozen guns and thousands of rounds of ammo, all relatively painlessly. Would I like to have an AR? Sure. A .50? Absolutely. Will I abandon my home and family to own two more guns? No, I will not. While I most likely will in the future, my priorities are set for the moment. Does that mean I support "feel good" gun control legislation? Hell no. Am I cool with the garbage "assault weapon" legislation that we've got? Nope. But there are some things more important than that black rifle on the wall. The ones already there will protect me from the tyranny of government and evil men, and giving up everything I've ever known is not enough reason to add another gun to the wall.

As to why I read RKBA sites? Its what I hope to achieve here someday. The next wave of shall-issue legislation isn't going to happen in the shall issue states, its going to happen here. The next victories will be here, not there. You live on what amounts to captured territory. This is the front lines of the battlefield. Why don't more gunnies live here, to influence these laws they care about, is the better question.