Should Washington State Residents Be More Armed Or Alarmed

Sandra Robson moved to Whatcom County from California about four years ago. She is passionate about protecting and preserving the environment we all enjoy and need. She is actively engaged in educating herself and others about all things Gateway Pacific Terminal.

Representative Jason Overstreet’s Pro-Gun Bills

Washington State Representative Jason Overstreet (R-42nd District Lynden) made the following proclamation during the Freedom Agenda Team’s podcast entitled Freedomcast 4 - 2014,1 streamed in January, regarding House Bill (HB) 2529:

“You know, it is so important that we are talking pro-gun, pro-gun, pro-gun. And you know what, we shouldn’t be ashamed of that — our constitutions guarantee us that right. And you know what, and we’ve said this before, and we need to say it again right here tonight. It’s not about hunting. It’s not even necessarily about protecting yourself and your family. It’s about protecting from an out of control tyrannical government. That, is why the founders guaranteed us the right to firearm ownership under the second amendment.”

Overstreet is the primary sponsor of HB 2529,2 read first on January 20, 2014. The bill would exempt firearms and firearm ammunition from sales tax in Washington state. Overstreet posted this statement about HB 2529 on January 24, 2014 on his Facebook page:

“I want to be very clear … Not only will I oppose any further erosion of our constitutionally protected gun rights, I’m fighting to expand them — pushing for a tax exemption on guns and ammunition, allowing short barreled rifles and shotguns under the National Firearms Act and the protection of your right to firearms under a declared state of emergency. It’s time to use our constitutional standing, to advance the pro-gun offense.” 3

HB 2529 is co-sponsored by Washington State Representatives: David Taylor (R-15th District Moxee), Elizabeth Scott (R-39th District Monroe), Joel Kretz (R-7th District Wauconda), and Matt Shea (R-4th District Spokane Valley). During The Ben Shapiro Show, aired on January 24, 2014,4 Shapiro interviewed Overstreet and Shea discussing HB 2529.

Shea stated, “I think the ability to defend yourself is a basic necessity, just like food and water, and we exempt food and water actually already from the state sales tax, at least in large part.” Overstreet agreed with Shea’s thinking on that.

Representatives Jason Overstreet, Matt Shea, and David Taylor have anointed themselves the Freedom Agenda Team. According to the Freedom Agenda Team’s Facebook page, its mission is “to restore a constitutional State of Washington based on the Republican form of government guaranteed under Article IV, Section 4 of The Constitution of the United States, so that our children and grandchildren can live in peace and prosperity and freedom.”5 It might be called ironic that the last line in their mission statement talks about the idea of children and grandchildren being able to “live in peace” when the Freedom Agenda Team is sponsoring bills that promote guns and encourage people to buy more guns and ammo.

Freedom Podcast

The Freedom Agenda Team has regular podcasts they call Freedomcasts, where they discuss liberty, more freedom, fighting tyranny, less government, pro-guns, lower taxes, and legislation. In terms of legislation, they do quite a bit of patting themselves on the back about how much national attention they feel they are generating by their newsworthy bills that they have sponsored.

In Freedomcast 4 - 2014 entitled “Pro-Guns = Pro Business,” 6 Overstreet talks about two pro-gun bills, “Two great gun bills” as he describes them, that the Freedom Agenda Team has sponsored. They explain these two pro-gun bills are the Freedom Agenda Team’s response to HB 1588 7 which calls for universal background checks on firearms, read first on January 31, 2013. HB 1588 would strengthen the background check system by broadening the requirement for a background check to apply to all firearms sales in the state. Because background check requirements apply only to transfers by licensed firearms dealers, many firearms are currently sold without a background check, allowing felons and other ineligible persons to gain access to them.

During Freedomcast 4, David Taylor, the primary sponsor on HB 13718 “The Washington Firearms Freedom Act” (Freedom Agenda Team’s Overstreet and Shea, and Elizabeth Scott were also co-sponsors), said the bill was the Freedom Agenda Team’s response to HB 1588, which he considers a bad bill. Taylor’s HB 1371 basically says that gun owners’ personal guns, gun accessories, and ammunition which are manufactured in Washington state, which stay in Washington state, would not be subject to federal regulation under the authority of Congress to regulate interstate commerce since those items have not traveled in interstate commerce. And, if any U.S. government official tries to, or does, enforce regulation on those personal guns, accessories, and ammunition they would be guilty of a felony.

Stand Your Ground

Alarming to many people is the fact that HB 1371 further states that any law or regulation created or effective on or after January 1, 2013 shall be unenforceable within Washington state if it attempts to ban or restrict ownership of semiautomatic firearms, or to require any firearm, magazine, or firearm accessory to be registered in any manner if they are manufactured and retained in Washington state.

HB 1371 also says that individual citizens have the constitutionally protected right to bear arms, which is “ … intended to ensure that society and law-abiding persons remain protected from criminal aggressors within their homes, neighborhoods, and communities. … law-abiding citizens when attacked in a place where they have a right to be, have no duty to retreat and have the right to stand their ground and meet force with defensive force, including deadly force, in certain circumstances.”

More in HB 1371

There has always been the idea of people defending their home and the people inside it, but now, if this bill were passed, law-abiding citizens (whatever that means exactly) could then “protect” neighborhoods and communities with guns if they are attacked (whatever that means exactly) in a place they have a right to be (wherever that is exactly).

Additionally, in HB 1371 it states that during a declared state of emergency, no person (unless otherwise prohibited by law from possession), shall be prohibited or restricted by the governor or any governmental entity from the otherwise lawful possession of firearms and ammunition. HB 1371 says that the constitution guarantees that, “A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” This same clause was added into HB 2529 which The Freedom Agenda Team also sponsored. Why is The Freedom Agenda Team so concerned about the ability to have an armed and “well-regulated militia?”

Selling his HB 2529 to Freedomcast 4 listeners, Overstreet says, “We need more guns and more ammunition in circulation. Why? Because our constitution says that they are essential to protect yourself, your family, your property, and the free state. And if our constitution says that they’re necessary to the security of a free state, then we need to make sure that people have access to it, and we need to take that burden of sales tax off of it.” 9

Sixty Guns Per Square Mile

Matt Shea adds, “And you know what? I reviewed a statistic that there are sixty guns per square mile in the United States of America right now. Sixty. And people say well that’s horrible, why do you want’ em? But think about that. Sixty guns per square mile and think of all the accidental gun deaths that really haven’t happened.” 10 Shea in his optimism, clearly sees the glass as half full, in terms of accidental gun deaths. There was no reference offered by Shea to back up his stated statistic.

Overstreet, leaving his Freedomcast 4 listeners with a peppy sound bite for his bill says, “House Bill 2529 — intended to give a sales tax exemption, a complete exemption on sales tax to firearm, ammunition and ammunition components. Let’s get more firearms and ammunition into the hands of law abiding Washington state citizens to protect themselves, their families, and their property, and the state.” 11

Encouraging New Business

Dave Taylor, appealing to Freedomcast 4 listeners, said, “This is a great, another great opportunity, to bring business and encourage new business coming into Washington state. Sales tax exemption on firearms at the endpoint, we can build on this. We can start lookin’ at B&O tax exceptions for producing firearms in Washington State. Why not?” Overstreet chimes in, “Think about the manufacturing possibilities. If we would actually court these companies. Think about that. Huge economic potential for the state of Washington.” 12

Apparently sensing an opening to rant about President Obama, Shea jumps in, “And think about what’s going on at the national level—and I want to be very clear about this, President Obama, just like with the NSA data that he’s just gonna store, but we’re not gonna look at it — he wants to store your guns — but were not gonna look at it — we’re not gonna let you use them either. I mean that’s really where these guys wanna go. They wanna take all guns away because they don’t have control — that’s what this is all about — they can not control you, if you have a firearm.” 13

Ammunition

The Freedom Agenda Team; Overstreet, Taylor, Shea, and Scott were all sponsors of HB 2020,14 first read on March 28, 2013. With this bill, according to an online March 28, 2013 Heraldnet news article entitled, “Bill aims to lure manufacturers to state,” by Jerry Cornfield,15 the Freedom Agenda Team is hoping to lure firearm ammunition, parts, and accessories manufacturers to set up shop in Washington state — in the hopes to expand economic development and create jobs by increasing ammunition, firearm parts and accessories manufacturing in Washington state. The bill would exempt Washington state manufacturers of firearms ammunition, parts, or accessories (those products must remain in the state in order to be exempt) from paying B&O taxes, property taxes, and business license fees. The bill also says that the safety of law-abiding citizens who possess firearms is at serious risk if they cannot obtain ammunition for their firearms, and, “A reliable, adequate, and ongoing source of ammunition is an indivisible and essential part of the right to bear arms.”

If there is such a demand for ammunition in our state that we need to be encouraging ammunition manufacturers to locate here, and give them tax exemptions, then where would all that ammunition be used, and for what, and by whom?

A Sleeper Issue

Apparently, many of our state Representatives may be some of the ones needing the gun ammunition, parts and accessories, because in Freedom Agenda’s Freedomcast 2 – 2014,16 Shea brought up what he identified as a “sleeper issue” that recently came up; the proposed Open Carry policy changes for the House of Representatives. Shea said, “They [whoever he means by “they”] actually want to start gun control in the People’s House.” Overstreet explained that the legislators had received an email from the Chief Clerk, who runs the administration of the House, and in that email was a proposed policy change to House policy relating to the Open Carry of firearms policy in the People’s House. Overstreet then announced to listeners, “And folks in case you don’t know, there are probably more firearms in the House of Representatives in the state of Washington than anywhere else.” Shea chuckles at that disclosure, and Overstreet adds, “They’re just primarily concealed.”

Then Shea says, “And for all three of us, we are hoping to contribute to the fact that there are enough guns on the House of Representatives in case something happens.” Is the public supposed to collectively breathe a sigh of relief knowing that now?

In talking about one of the Freedom Agenda Team’s two gun bills during Freedomcast 4 – 2014,17 Overstreet said, “The second bill [HB 1371 Washington Firearms Freedom Act], is a bill to protect your constitutionally guaranteed rights to own and use and transport a firearm in the time you need it most; in a declared state of emergency.” Overstreet then asks the listeners, “Did you guys know … that the governor, under a state of emergency, can prohibit the movement and use of firearms outside of your home or place of residence? Even if you own them lawfully — either authorized by law or guaranteed by the constitution. So, the Freedom Agenda Team dropped a bill to say, no, no, no, no, no. If it’s otherwise authorized or guaranteed by law, the governor can not prohibit those firearm usage and transport.”

Things That Warrant Alarm

Matt Shea chimes in, “I mean when do you need firearms more, in an emergency or just when everyday life is going peachy?” Apparently, in November 2011, Matt Shea felt the need for a firearm when according to an Associated Press article entitled, “Wash. legislator cited for gun violations in “road rage” incident,” posted to the KOMO news website on July 22, 2012,18 Shea was driving in his vehicle and he was involved in a road rage incident in Spokane. The Spokane police report 19 was taken later that same day, after the incident occurred. Shea admitted to pulling out a firearm (which was determined by police to be loaded) from his glovebox, but insists he did not point it at the other driver. Shea was cited for carrying a loaded concealed weapon in a vehicle without a permit, and for drawing a firearm, what is more commonly known as brandishing a weapon, “under circumstances and at a time and place that warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.”

Shea ended up being charged with carrying a loaded concealed weapon in a vehicle without a permit, ultimately resulting with the city of Spokane agreeing to a stipulated order of continuance, according to a July 22, 2012 Spoksman Review article entitled, “Legislator pulled gun during road incident,“ by Jim Camden.20 Shea admitted to police that he knew he had let his concealed weapon permit expire several years prior to the road incident. Shea’s attorney Bob Cossey attributed Shea’s expired permit to “just the normal forgetfulness of people.”

Oath Keepers Sponsored Rally

Shea’s extreme pro-gun rights zeal fits in well with the Christian Patriot world. According to a July 28, 2012 Coeur d'Alene Press article entitled, “Preparing for the 'inevitable collapse,” written by Jeff Selle, 21 Rep. Shea was a keynote speaker at the three day “Northwest Patriots Self-Reliance Rally” of about 500 self-described patriots, Tea Party activists, constitutionalists, and survivalists held at Farragut State Park on Lake Pend Oreille, in Idaho. Representative David Taylor also attended the rally; Shea acknowledged Taylor’s presence by pointing him out to the audience during his speech.

The rally was sponsored by a group called Oath Keepers, a fast-growing right wing “patriot” group, which promotes strict adherence to its interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Oath Keepers was founded in 2009 by Stewart Rhodes, who had been an Army paratrooper and a former staffer of former Congressman Ron Paul. Oath Keepers is comprised of former and current military and law enforcement members. According to an article entitled, “Oath Keppers and the Age of Treason,” by Julie Sharrock, published in the March/April 2010 issue of Mother Jones magazine,22 besides pledging to protect the constitution, Oath Keepers’ members vow to disobey a declaration of ten orders,23 “from what they view as an increasingly tyrannical government,” that they feel are unconstitutional. A few examples of these orders they pledge to disobey are; “We will NOT obey orders to disarm the American people;” “We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a ‘state of emergency’ on a state;” and “We will NOT obey orders to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.” (caps are theirs)

A video of Shea's rally speech is featured on the Oath Keepers' website.24 The video shows Shea being introduced to the crowd as a “rock solid patriot,” by rally emcee Bill Finlay who also added boastingly, “And he [Shea] just told me that Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has him listed as one of the top 12 hatemongers in America.” The crowd cheered when they heard that credential. Shea embraced his making the SPLC’s “Dirty Dozen” list, appearing to own it like a badge of honor. In his speech, Shea talked about the fact that some people call him and others at the rally, fringe or extremists, which then launched him into another tirade about President Obama. Shea crescendoed with, “Let me tell you what I think is extreme. What I think is extreme is a president who is raised by communists, taught by communists, who is supported by communists, and whose self-appointed and self-admitted heroes are communists. That’s what is extreme in this country. And that, I think, is un-American.”

Opportunity Not Crisis

According to a July 20, 2013 article about the Northwest Patriots rally, entitled, “Rep. Matt Shea: Economy is going to collapse,” 25 published in the seattlepi online, reporter Joel Connelly wrote that Shea told the rally attendees that the U.S. economy is going to collapse, warning them, “We need to prepare for the inevitable collapse that is going to happen. That’s right, I am a politician and I am standing here and saying that.” Shea added, “When it happens, we need to look at this as an opportunity, not a crisis.” The video also shows Shea urging the crowd to stock up on thousands of rounds of ammunition saying, “If you don’t have five thousand rounds of .223, five thousand rounds of .22, and a thousand rounds of hand gun ammo, as a minimum, you’re wrong.” This idea of preparedness including ammunition stockpiling is part of what Shea believes is “ …what it means to be an American.” Shea preached to rallyists, telling them to “stand up for what is right — even if it means you have to stand up to your government,” and, according to the July 28, 2013 Coeur d'Alene Press article entitled, “Preparing for the ‘inevitable collapse,’” some speakers at the rally urged the creation of militias.26

A local chapter of Oath Keepers has been started in Whatcom County in October 2013, according to the Whatcom County Oath Keepers Facebook page.27 They had their first meeting on November 7, 2013 at the Hannegan Feed and Garden store in Lynden, and their December 5, 2013 meeting was held at the Custer Sportsman’s Club in Custer. On the Whatcom County Oath Keepers’ Facebook page, a January 27, 2014 post announced that Washington State Representative Jason Overstreet will be coming to speak at one of their meetings when time permits.

Sheriff Posses

On the Oathkeepers.org website they posted a webpage (dated October 21, 2013), announcing that, “Oath Keepers is Going ‘Operational’ by Forming ‘Civilization Preservation’ Teams.” 28 The announcement goes on to say Oath Keepers is instructing their 30,000 members nation-wide to form up special teams and sub-teams in each Oath Keepers chapter, at the town and county level, modeled loosely on the Special Forces “A Team.” They suggest “forming County Sheriff Posses … and eventually to assist in forming and training town militias (established by official act of town and county elected representatives).” The words in parentheses following the word “militias” appear to be a disclaimer of sorts. There is a detailed outline of how Oath Keepers suggests organizing those “Civilization Preservation Teams” in their October 21, 2013 webpage post.

In that detailed outline, Oath Keepers explained that their board of directors “war-gamed” what they thought was the most likely move by their “enemies to scrap the Constitution.” Oath Keepers theorize that most likely course of action by their enemies would be, “to intentionally trigger a catastrophic economic collapse as an economic ‘neutron bomb’ (kills the people but leaves the land intact).” They believe the end result after all of the chaos that would ensue is that the government would declare martial law and scrap the Constitution and people would be told to turn in their guns.

This war-gaming by Oath Keepers raises the question as to why the Freedom Agenda Team’s Jason Overstreet, Matt Shea, and David Taylor are introducing and/or co-sponsoring multiple pro-guns bills such as Taylor’s HB 1371, which Overstreet says is a “bill to protect your constitutionally guaranteed rights to own and use and transport a firearm in the time you need it most; in a declared state of emergency.” Or why HB 1371 also says that guns and ammunition would not be subject to federal regulation; and if any U.S. government offcial tries to enforce regulation on people’s guns, accessories, and ammunition if manufactured in and retained in Washington state, they would be guilty of a felony. Or why Overstreet says his bill, HB 2529, is really “ … about protecting from an out of control tyrannical government.”

Needing More Armed People

In Freedomcast 5 – 2014,29 the Freedom Agenda Team talks about Overstreet’s HB 2529. Overstreet declares, “This bill is definitely an offensive strike.” Shea proclaims, “ … the true investment in our criminal justice system, the true investment in stopping crime, is this [bill], repealing the sales tax on firearms and ammunition, because the more armed people that are out there, it is a conclusive proven fact the less crime there is.” There was no reference offered by Shea to back up his proclamation.

Then Taylor asked Overstreet, “How old were you when you shot your first firearm?” Overstreet answered he was about seven or eight years old.

Children Protecting Themselves and the Family

Taylor responded, “And nowadays if you take your kids shooting, people lose — their — mind.” He continues, “We need to get kids involved in shooting. We need to get them to understand and show them the proper handling, the safe handling of firearms. So that when we’re not around, they can, in fact, protect themselves and the family.” 30

Representative Taylor and his Freedom Agenda Team buddies seem to be really thinking that when parents “are not around,” that then those children should and would use guns to protect themselves and their family. It’s one thing for individuals who are inclined to want to teach their children about the safe handling of guns to do so, but a whole other thing to reason that by getting children “involved in shooting,” those children would actually possess the cognitive and moral capabilities necessary to make the right judgement in terms of protecting themselves and/or their family with guns, when parents are “not around.” Is that even a reasonable argument for exempting guns and ammunition from sales tax? Why are our state legislators even thinking about leaving their kids, or any kids, at home unsupervised, who would then be in a position to be making adult decisions and potentially using a gun for protection?

Most people agree that freedom has responsibilities, and that freedoms such as the right to vote come with the responsibility of people being vigilant in their due diligence to learn what their legislators stand for beyond what they know from listening to sound bites, reading headlines, or scanning local news stories. Many news reports often just offer up the top layer of issues or events and don’t peel away additional layers to reveal other, often vital facts to be considered.

Armed with Facts

When people have responsibly “armed” themselves with the facts, they can then effectively voice their opposition to their representatives’ actions when needed, voice their support on representatives’ actions when called for, and use their voting power to elect representatives who best serve them.

Editor's Note: The Washington state Legislature adjourned on Thursday, March 13. All four bills, HB 1371, 1588, 2020 and 2529 were introduced and referred to committee. No further action was taken on any of them.

Endnotes

1. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-pro-gunpro

2. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2529.pdf

3. https://www.facebook.com/jason.overstreet.77

4. http://kiroradio.com/listen/9966802

5. https://www.facebook.com/FreedomAgendaWashington/info

6. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-pro-gunpro

7. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1588.pdf

8. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1371.pdf

9. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-pro-gunpro

10. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-progun-pro

11. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-progun-pro

12. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-progun-pro

13. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-progun-pro

14. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2020 !

15. http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130328/BLOG13/130329788/1036/NEWS05#Billaims-to-lure-ammunition-manufacturers-to-state

16. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-2-2014

17. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-4-2014-progun-pro

18. http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Wash-legislator-cited-for-gun-violations-in-road-rage-incident-163338616.html

19. http://www.spokesman.com/documents/2012/sep/18/matt-shea-gun-charge

20. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jul/22/legislator-pulled-gun-during-road-incident

21. http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_322c8855-9ea1-5ae1-a06e-1e69f3104eab.html?state=refer

22. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/oath-keepers

23. http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2009/03/03/declaration-of-orders-we-will-notobey

24. http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2013/08/04/matt-shea-washington-staterepresentative-shooting-truth-darts-in-neighboring-idaho

25. http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2013/07/30/rep-matt-shea-economy-is-goingto-collapse

26. http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_322c8855-9ea1-5ae1-a06e-1e69f3104eab.html

27. https://www.facebook.com/oathkeeperswhatcom?ref=stream&hc_location=timeline

28. http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2013/10/21/oath-keepers-is-going-operational-byforming-special-civilization-preservation-teams

29. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-5-2014-gunshemp

30. https://soundcloud.com/freedom-agenda-washington/freedomcast-5-2014-gunshemp