California Attorney General Rob Bonta just dropped a bombshell statement that’s equal parts hyperbolic hysteria and a masterclass in anti-2A fearmongering: open carry of handguns, he claims, terrorizes children and destabilizes daily life. This isn’t some fringe blog rant—it’s from the state’s top law enforcement officer, issued on a Friday amid ongoing battles over concealed carry restrictions in the Golden State. Bonta’s words come as federal courts continue to smack down California’s draconian gun laws, like the recent Ninth Circuit rulings chipping away at post-Bruen permitting schemes. But let’s call it what it is: emotional manipulation dressed as policy rationale, painting law-abiding gun owners as boogeymen lurking in everyday spaces.
Zoom out for context, and the irony thickens. California already bans open carry statewide (Penal Code 25850), so Bonta’s pearl-clutching is less about real threats and more about stacking the deck against any expansion of carry rights. Remember, open carry was once commonplace in the Old West and even in modern America—think Texas or Arizona, where armed citizens stroll stores without kids scattering in terror or society crumbling. Studies from the Crime Prevention Research Center show shall-issue states with robust carry laws experience no spike in crime; if anything, defensive gun uses deter violence. Bonta’s rhetoric echoes the failed blood in the streets predictions post-1986 Florida shall-issue, which instead saw homicide rates plummet. He’s not citing data—he’s channeling Bloomberg-funded panic to justify more restrictions, even as SCOTUS looms over cases like Rahimi that could reshape the landscape.
For the 2A community, this is a rallying cry: Bonta’s admission reveals the endgame. If visualizing a holstered sidearm on a hip terrorizes children, what’s next—banning kitchen knives for destabilizing breakfast? It underscores the urgency of supporting groups like FPC and CRPA in court, voting with your wallet by boycotting California products, and amplifying real stories of armed self-defense that shatter these myths. The destabilization here isn’t from open carry—it’s from officials eroding a fundamental right under false pretenses. Stay vigilant, patriots; the fight for carry freedom is heating up.
