From Today's USCCA Armed American Newsletter:
Armed American Report
Interview with a Pro-CCW Sheriff’s Candidate for Orange County CA
Part One
By
Uli Gebhard,
Suarez International Staff Instructor
When you read about California in the Armed American Newsletter, you will have the image of one of the most restrictive states in the back of your head, where it is often close to impossible to obtain a Concealed Carry Permit. Most likely this image is build on well-known areas such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento to name a few. The recent developments here in Orange County will most likely have contributed to this image as well.
Thankfully, there are Law Enforcement Officers in California, who have a pro-CCW/pro armed citizen mindset.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Bill Hunt, who is running against appointed Sheriff Sandra Hutchens for the Sheriff’s position in the next election. He answered several questions in specific regard to the CCW issue for this article:
* Sandra Hutchens claims that she is "just following the law." when she is restricting, denying and revoking CCW's of law-abiding Orange County Residents. What are your thoughts in regards to this claim?
The appointed sheriff's policy on the issuance of CCW's is untenable and unconstitutional. She erroneously claims the law prevents her from issuing CCW's but in reality it is her personal opposition to it that causes her to interpret the just cause statue in California law so narrowly. The fact is that the United States Constitution is the law of the land. No state law can override our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. This document is a contract between the Federal government, the States and the people of this great country. The appointed sheriff like all elected officials swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and is now picking and choosing who actually gets to enjoy that right outright, who gets restricted rights and who doesn't get the right at all. Would we tolerate that when it comes to our 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech or our 4th Amendment protection against warrantless search and seizure? Of course not, and we should not tolerate it here!
* Sandra Hutchens has restricted many of the current CCW's to "course and scope of business." What are your thoughts on these restrictions?
I think it is unconstitutional. It is my belief that the Sheriff should be in the business of protecting people's rights, not restricting them. I will issue concealed weapons permits (CCW) to any applicant who is a law abiding resident of the county, meets state mandated requirements and is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. I will depoliticize the process and establish an annual audit to review each application to ensure the process is unbiased, non-political and equitable. I consider personal protection sufficient to meet the standard of just cause.
* Would you overturn restrictions on CCW's if elected?
As I stated in my response to the last question, I will eliminate the politics surrounding this issue. We are talking about a constitutionally protected right not a privilege and it must be treated as such. Every citizen of Orange County will have the same access and opportunity to apply for and obtain a CCW when I am sheriff.
* What are your recommendations for those people who had their CCW revoked/forced into early expiration by the current OCSD administration?
I would encourage anyone who is unhappy with someone holding elected office, whether they have been appointed to it or not, to get involved and support a candidate that shares their values and represents their interests. That is the only thing politicians understand. If they are left to their own devices as they have been far too often in the past they will start looking out for themselves rather than for us and applying their own personal standards upon us rather than applying constitutional standards. At present we've got an unelected, appointed sheriff who has never been vetted by the people applying her badly misguided policies on the issuance of concealed weapons permits. Get involved and elect the person who shares your values and will represent your interests and send a message that you won't tolerate those who don't!
* Other than the CCW issue, what are the three main improvements that you want to achieve for the Orange County Sheriff's Department?
Accountability, service and performance. I will institute clear and quantifiable performance standards throughout the organization and hold management accountable for meeting those goals. I will institute a culture of service and ensure the men and women of the department remember who they work for and act accordingly.
* The BoS meeting on January 13 saw what many felt was an overbearing police presence in the boardroom. Later, one lady described how she was shadowed into the bathroom by a female plainclothes officer. What are your thoughts on these tactics?
It was unconscionable from my perspective. Here we have an unelected sheriff who has instituted unpopular concealed weapons policies then used the influence and personnel of that office to dissuade our citizens from exercising their 1st amendment rights to voice their opposition to her policies. It underscores the dangerous anti-American political philosophy of the appointed sheriff and the managers she imported from Los Angeles. It should never have happened and should not be tolerated.
Closing thoughts by Uli Gebhard:
When I first met Bill Hunt last year he struck me as straightforward person with good common sense. His answers are even more direct and to the point than I anticipated. This is the most pro-CCW/pro-Armed citizen position that I have seen to date in a candidate for any public office in Southern California. Please join us in our efforts to help Bill Hunt win the 2010 election.
What can we as CCW community do to help getting Bill Hunt elected as Sheriff of Orange County?
Read through
his program and share it with friends and family. It is straightforward and to-the-point.
If you are local and can lend a helping hand as a volunteer, please do so.
If you can donate, Bill Hunt and the CCW community of Orange County will greatly appreciate it. In case this not an option, I would like to ask for a couple of minutes of your time to contact, once again, the Orange County Supervisors and ask for their endorsem
Yahoo!ent of Bill Hunt. Supervisors Nguyen, Moorlach and Chairwoman Bates have a chance to correct the grave mistake that they made in Spring of 2008 in appointing Sandra Hutchens. Please continue reminding them that their actions are being noticed well beyond the boundaries of Orange County and California.
Patricia Bates: 714-834-3550
Janet Nguyen 714-834-3110
John Moorlach 714-834-3220
Bill Campbell 714-834-3330
Chris Norby 714-834-3440
There is a second set of questions that Bill Hunt answered. You will find those in the next edition of the newsletter.