Properly Subversive/Sherman R. Frederick
In the rush to “do something” about the recent spate of California’s gun violence, Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Burbank Democrat, takes the blue ribbon for dumbassery.
He introduced Senate Bill 368 to ban gun stores from marketing via “giveaways, lotteries and raffles.”
“This is no joke,” as our Prevagen-enhanced president might say.
To tamp down California gun violence, our man in Burbank thinks we gotta ban gun stores from giving away a box of birdshot with the purchase of a shotgun.
Dammit!
Had we only known about this nexus before.
Then, mushroom farmer Chunli Zhao might not have killed seven people in Half Moon Bay. Or, Huu Can Tran would not have killed 12 people in that Monterey Park dance club. And right here in Marin, those gang members stalking Novato schools would instead be tucked away in bed by 9 p.m. and, without doubt, the gunfire heard nightly in Marin City would draw to a peaceful close.
It’s stupid, of course. The truth is this: If you wanna get serious about gun crime you gotta get serious about gun criminals.
For example, consider what’s happening right now in Alameda County.
Newly elected District Attorney Pamela Price, who fancies herself the Fairy Godmother of justice reform, is trying to get a three-time, stone-cold killer out of prison. Delonzo Logwood was sent to prison not on some technicality or sketchy witnesses. He ended the life of three people while committing brutal crimes in 2008. At the time he was convicted, he was eligible to be put to death or serve life in prison without parole. He instead got 75 years, which seems about right.
But D.A. Price seeks to undo that NOT because Logwood is innocent or a victim of some kind of gross mis-prosecution, but because Logwood was 18 years old when he slayed those people with a gun. Logwood was – and this is not disputed – an active member of the vicious West Oakland gang known as Ghost Town.
Solely based on age, Price has asked a judge to consider a plea deal in which Logwood would plead no contest to a single count of voluntary manslaughter with a gun enhancement in one of the three killings in exchange for the prosecution dropping all the remaining counts. With time served, he’ll be eating at a fast food restaurant next to you and your kids very soon.
Even in California this is unprecedented. The judge in the case, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Mark McCannon, said he might be convinced to approve the deal, but expressed strong reservations.
“I haven’t seen any remorse,” he said. “I have never seen a case pled down like this before.”
Let’s hope sanity shows up in Alameda. But don’t bet on it.
Look, I acknowledge I’m connecting two stray dots in a universe of millions of dots. But, damn, this kid shot and killed three people.
We gotta stop stuff like what’s about to go down in Alameda.
Also, gun raffles have nothing to do with it.
ENOUGH ALREADY
I was registering for an April Marin event and was confronted with this note:
“According to College of Marin’s protocol, all attendees must provide proof of vaccination, including boosters, or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours prior to the event. Masks are strongly encouraged when indoors and not eating or drinking. Only acceptable masks allowed (snugly-fitted cloth, surgical masks or higher [KN94/KN95/N95]).”
Gee wiz, shouldn’t we be over this kind of precaution already?
$18 BILLION AND COUNTING
California has spent $18 billion (and counting) in homeless services.
Has the tide turned yet?
ONE MORE THING
– Goose feather pillow manufacturing is quite complicated. I’d explain it to you, but I don’t want to talk down to you.
– After a big fight, I took my wife by the hand and said I really wanted to make this marriage work. She replied: ‘Oh believe me, it’s already work.’
– Spacing matters just as much as spelling. Even though I love wildlife, somehow I doubt my friend is hosting a “Superb owl party.”
— I was raised by a pack of hyenas. Life was tough. Food was scarce. But, boy, did we laugh.
Thanks for reading Marin’s favorite newspaper. Until next week, avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.
(“Properly Subversive” is a commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for Marinscope Community Newspapers, the “mother ship” of the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Mr. Frederick is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Kudos on the courage to write this article, but if you keep writing articles like this all your industry colleagues are going to ban together to get you cancelled.