I am pretty much sure for those who have been following airsoft and firearms news that they have seen this video circulating around about California State Senator Kevin de León 's Gun Control Press Conference on SB 808. In the video, which David West posted, shows either his ignorance, unpreparedness, or just plain arrogance that everything he says will be taken as gospel truth by those who listen to him:

It's surprising for those defending their 2nd Amendment Rights  that their nemesis in California doesn't have any clue on what he is talking about. But for the airsoft community, they already know this with his attempts at regulating airsoft since his reasons doesn't really prove airsoft is public problem and that his latest effort in airsoft regulation in California is based on the issue of a young boy being shot dead by a Police Officer for carrying an airsoft gun in public.

While we do not condone replica firearms displayed in public, we also do not condone law enforcement personnel doing a "shoot first, then ask questions" later. We will not take the mere reason of "firearms/replica firearms" in public as a reason for the police to shoot immediately, since there are other ways of subduing a person doing such without the unnecessary loss of human life. It is just unfortunate that many police personnel just shoot without discerning nowadays in the US. But since many do not question the police, it is the person who lost his/her life to blame since there's no way for a dead person to defend himself/herself from the actions of the police. The lack of a critical view of such incidents lets the police do such actions with impunity.

Such situations allow for politicians such as Kevin De Leon to exploit to pursue a personal agenda. They may ride on anti-gun or anti-airsoft sentiments even if they spew out statements that do not make sense at all.  In this case for airsoft, SB 199 which De León is pushing for replica firearms and airsoft guns to have a bright color or transparent material without understanding that the such action would diminish the safe hobby of airsoft and the jobs that go with supporting such a hobby. There are economic implications if SB 199  passes and gets signed into law too apart from airsoft being stopped dead in its tracks in the biggest and richest state in the USA.

SB 199 doesn’t take into consideration that nowadays, anyone that is stopped by the police may be shot for the mere innocent action of holding a cellphone or even a cigarette lighter. How much more with airsoft, BB gun, or a nerf gun which has shape so much different from a cellphone or lighter and closer to a real firearm? It doesn't even to take into consideration that real firearms which pose an real danger to the Police if in the wrong hands can be painted with bright colors that the law enforcers might get complacent before it's too late. Thus, SB 199 doesn't really answer the issue at all.

If Senator de León thinks that legislating it away might solve the problem, then he is terribly mistaken. There are more successful models than SB 199 and he can just look to Europe which countries in the region have very strict firearms laws or regulations but understand how to allow airsoft without such requirements that SB 199 contains; and airsoft is thriving without causing a big problem to law enforcement.  Or better still, look at Japan from where airsoft came from and has very strict laws on gun ownership. It  is just a matter of crafting regulations that provide a win-win situation for both the government and airsoft community.

Senator de León just doesn’t know what he is talking about and doesn't care about the implications. But with the hysteria of school shootings and other gun-related crimes in the US where innocent and young lives are lost , he has an advantage. The question is how the airsoft community will be able to state their case clearly amidst the backdrop of the shooting of  13-year old Andy Lopez and other unfortunate young souls?

We can mock De León with such a video, but can we stop his SB 199?