We know that gun control is particularly stupid, especially in an anti-gun state like California. They have so many ridiculous controls in place--none of which do anything, mind you, but they just have to have them--that it's virtually impossible to buy a lot of guns that you can get in just about any other state.
And now, it seems a billboard advertising a gun is against the law, too.
Caniks have become very popular since they were first introduced. A Turkish design, they've offered what many feel is a solidly reliable firearm and a lower price than many of its polymer competitors. I've got friends who swear by these things.
And apparently, they're on the California registry, so people in the state can buy them.
Like any company entering a new market, they wanted to let people know, so they put up a billboard. It's just a sign that lets people know Caniks are now an option.
And that is a big no-no, apparently.
A billboard gun ad towering above Interstate 880 in Oakland might be violating a little-known city law.
For weeks now, the Outfront Media billboard at Fifth Avenue and Embarcadero has been advertising the Mete MC9, a California-compliant handgun from Turkish firearms manufacturer Canik.
The ad took many Oakland residents by surprise, with some criticizing it on social media for promoting firearms in a city that has long faced high gun violence rates. Others have defended the ad, saying it is marketing a legal product that poses no risk when bought and used by responsible owners. However, some have pointed out that the city of Oakland already has restrictions on billboards advertising alcohol, tobacco, and pornography.
Now, some people are calling into question the gun ad’s legality.
When asked about the ad, Jean Walsh, a public information officer for the city of Oakland, wrote in an email that the billboard is subject to a provision in the city’s municipal code that regulates firearms and ammunition sales.
Oakland’s “firearms dealer or ammunition seller permit” ordinance states that any person or company “engaged in the business” of selling or advertising guns or ammunition must first obtain a permit from the chief of the Oakland Police Department.
Alright, in all fairness to California, this is a local thing, not a state thing. The state doesn't ban billboards for guns or anything.
Yet.
They allow this, of course, which is totally their fault, but they didn't actually do it. Again, yet.
Anyway, this is beyond stupid.
Canik isn't actually selling anything. Not directly. All of that has to go through a licensed dealer, in accordance with federal law. I'd also note that they're not "engaged in the business" of advertising guns. They're engaged in the business of making firearms that are then sold to distributors who then sell to licensed dealers.
Probably a semantic argument, at least in a court's mind, but I still think it's valid or I wouldn't have made it.
It should be noted that the billboard didn't include any specific dealers or anything of the sort. It's just making it known that this is an option for people interested in purchasing a firearm.
But this is California, where they don't want people like you owning guns at all. They don't like that they have to allow a company like Canik to get their guns on the registry in the first place. They really want companies to just stop bothering so they can essentially ban handguns without actually banning handguns and earning the ire of the Supreme Court.
Yet I'd also argue that this is a free speech issue. Canik has every right to advertise its products, and there's absolutely no way a multinational company can keep up with every local regulation. That's an undue burden on anyone.
Mostly, this is idiotic on the part of Oakland. It's not like any of their measures have made their community safer. Maybe they should consider that before they go down this ridiculous road.
