A picture of a pistol on a billboard in Oakland, California, has caused an overreaction that could only come from the gun-hating hand-wringers in The Golden State.
Earlier this month, Turkish pistol maker Canik began advertising on a billboard alongside Interstate 880 in Oakland. The company hoped to interest motorists in its new Mete MC9, a California-compliant semi-auto handgun that, incidentally, is a lot of gun for the money.
While it’s unknown how much interest Canik received from those who saw the ad and wanted to buy a Mete MC9, motorists who were “alarmed” and “shocked” by the ad were plenty willing to let their voices be heard.
As Oaklandside.org reported on April 14, some commuters took to Reddit and Nextdoor to proclaim their shock, apparently at even just seeing a picture of a handgun.
“I almost crashed my car in surprise seeing this today on the 880,” one person commented. Another wrote, “I’m pretty jaded about this country, but those billboards surprised even me.” Another called the ad “tasteless and disturbing.”
Their beef is, apparently, with the fact a handgun is being advertised in a city that has one of the highest homicide rates in the nation. Of course, they’re placing the blame on guns, rather than the criminals responsible for killing others.
Naturally, this self-righteous outrage prompted some of California’s remaining patriots, who believe in both the First and Second Amendments, to respond with their takes on the billboard.
“Hundreds of kids running around here with illegal guns robbing grannies, yet you are scared of a paper billboard with a picture of a gun on it,” one Nextdoor user wrote. Another commented: “What is so upsetting about this? It’s an advertisement for people who may be interested in LEGALLY picking one up. Majority of criminals in Oakland don’t buy their guns from gun stores so this won’t interest them in the slightest.”
In the latest development concerning the billboard, Oakland officials are now saying the billboard might be violating a little-known city law. According to a follow-up report at Oaklandside.org, Jean Walsh, a city public information officer, said in an email that the billboard is subject to a provision in the city’s municipal code that regulates firearms and ammunition sales.
According to Walsh, the city’s firearms dealer or ammunition seller permit ordinance requires any entity “engaged in the business” of selling or advertising guns or ammunition to obtain a permit from the chief of the Oakland Police Department. And according to the chief’s office, Canik has not done that.
Interestingly, Oakland doesn’t have a single gun store within its city limits. The last one was finally forced out of business in 2000 by the city council, which was constantly raising taxes and fees on gun retailers.
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