All politics is essentially a reflection of the surrounding environment. All politicians are reflections of their environment (and genetics, but that's a matter for a future post). All humans who do not have a self-loathing relationship with themselves often favor people who either look like them or who share their values.
There is no better example of environmentalism in politics than can be found in Southern California where rural and suburban assemblymen still pack pistols as if waiting for the next onslaught of banditos. Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, (R) Twin Peaks (located in the 59th state assembly district governing a portion of the San Bernardino Valley 35 miles east of Los Angeles) was stopped for carrying a Colt .45 as he attempted to board an airplane in Ontario, CA on his way to the state capitol for an assembly session. The esteemed assemblyman reportedly has no permit to carry a weapon.
Donnelly claimed the incident was "a mistake" and that he had received death threats following his launching of support for a referendum that would overturn the Dream Act, a law that provides state aid for the college expenses of undocumented immigrants. This is also the same man who founded the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California, an organization that patrolled the state's border with Mexico to discourage illegal immigration. I feel confident that if we probed his voting record in the state assembly we could find all sorts of reasons for people to dislike him.
While the assemblyman may have good reason for packing heat, it is still illegal to do so unless some sanctioned police authority provides permission. But, clearly a vigilante like Donnelly doesn't need to consult such authority figures. He makes his own rules and has the audacity to believe that he can take his gun where ever he wants to whether it is Twin Peaks, an airport, or the state capitol.
Here is the point of this rant... No matter how wacky this looks to me, a majority of voters in the 59th assembly district elected him BECAUSE THEY CAN RELATE TO HIM. This indicates that the voters are (1) afraid of immigrants, (2) feel they can take the law into their own hands, and (3) scoff at real authority figures who are supposed to protect them from people who can violate their person or property. The same folks who elected this character are now doing fist bumps in San Bernardino diners in support of "their man Donnelly" and their way of life.
How can this mentality from a by-gone era still be thriving so close to the glittery, urbane streets of Los Angeles?
We'll explore the possible answers to this question in due time.
"All humans who do not have a self-loathing relationship with themselves often favor people who either look like them or who share their values." Ah, a bone of contention. It has been my experience that people who have feelings of genuine self worth are more likely to see the value of people who are unlike themselves. They appear to be less threatened by differences, and are often the people who are happy to immerse themselves in other cultures.I live in the county of San Bernardino, and I can tell you that many of these people are easily threatened, I try to frighten at least one every day. Having said that, I am thrilled that you are writing again, and I look forward to your future posts. I remain your biggest fan,
ReplyDeleteAdrian
This just in:
ReplyDelete.
Donnelly cited for handgun in carry-on at Ontario airport
Legislator could face a year in jail
January 04, 2012 12:17 PM
Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer
ONTARIO • Assemblyman Tim Donnelly was cited and released Wednesday after security officials at LA-Ontario International Airport discovered a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag.
The Tea Party-backed state legislator, who represents Apple Valley and Hesperia, could face up to a year in county jail and a fine up to $1,000 for the misdemeanor, airport police Sgt. Belinda Nettles said.
On his way to Sacramento for the 2012 legislative session, Donnelly was passing through the security line in Terminal 4 at around 7:45 a.m. when the X-ray belt caught a loaded gun in his bag, Transportation Security Administration Nico Melendez said. The weapon was a .45 Colt Mark IV handgun with four rounds of ammunition in the magazine and a separate magazine with five additional rounds, Melendez said.
Airline passengers can only transport unloaded firearms that are declared to the airport, stored in proper carrying cases and placed in checked baggage.
“I was released as soon as it was determined that I was not a threat,” Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks, said in an emailed statement. “I boarded the next flight without incident.”
Donnelly told reporters Wednesday afternoon that he had forgotten to remove the gun from his briefcase — the most common explanation people give when stopped with guns in their carry-on bags, according to Melendez.
“This happened 1,200 times in 2011 across the country,” Melendez said.
Donnelly is also a staunch supporter of gun rights. Last year he opposed AB 144, which makes it illegal to carry unloaded weapons in public.
The assemblyman does not have a concealed weapons permit with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jodi Miller said.
Donnelly explained to other media outlets he had been arming himself after receiving death threats for his push to repeal Assembly Bill 131, which provides financial aid to illegal immigrants as part of the California Dream Act. He and fellow “Stop AB 131” proponents have until Friday to collect nearly 505,000 signatures to get a referendum to overturn AB 131 on the ballot.
This referendum effort may not be the first time Donnelly has faced threats for his anti-illegal immigration stance. He co-founded the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps of California along with Gregg Imus, former chief of staff to Donnelly. Imus recalled that on a trip patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border in 2006, border patrol and sheriff’s officials alerted him and Donnelly to a Mexican publication calling for a $100,000 bounty on their heads. Imus said the two reported the information to local sheriff’s officials to keep an eye on them briefly, but nothing ever came of it.
Donnelly did not return a call for comment beyond his statement.
He will be assigned a court hearing for a later date. His firearm was booked at the Ontario Police Department.
Technospaz, thank you for participating. Obviously this fellow is near and dear to your heart.
ReplyDeleteI love this Donnelly quote: “I was released as soon as it was determined that I was not a threat...”
Exactly who claims that this dude is not a threat? Was he determined to be "safe" once he was disarmed? Was he safer than other people who walk around carrying guns without permits? How does his belief that it is acceptable in our "civilized" society to carry a concealed weapon make him safer than an armed gang member or a neo-Nazi who makes pipe bombs in his basement?
The answer is: They are all the same. The only difference between this esteemed member of the California assembly and any other gun-toting extremist is that the people with gang affiliations would go directly to jail while Donnelly will remain free to lawyer up, plead no contest and get spanked on the wallet for his offense.
This is a link to an interesting article on sociopathic politicians.....John Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Elliott Spitzer, etc.....very interesting!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.alternet.org/news/145917/is_your_favorite_politician_a_sociopath/