Colorado ousts 2 gun-control extremists

Since I first visited Colorado in 1964 on my family's trip “Out West” from Michigan, I've loved Colorado. I worked there the last half of 1977 in my first major journalism gig, with the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph as a cub reporter. I still have relatives there.

Now heroic Coloradans just recalled two anti-gun state legislators:

An epic national debate over gun rights in Colorado on Tuesday saw two Democratic state senators ousted for their support for stricter laws, a “ready, aim, fired” message intended to stop other politicians for pushing for firearms restrictions. Senate President John Morse and Sen. Angela Giron will be replaced in office with Republican candidates who petitioned onto the recall ballot.

Party insiders always said Giron's race was the harder one. Although her district is heavily Democratic, Pueblo is a blue-collar union town. Morse's district included Manitou Springs and a portion of Colorado Springs — and more liberals.

The turn of events made Morse and Giron the first Colorado state lawmakers to be recalled. Former Colorado Springs councilman Bernie Herpin will take Morse's seat in the Senate, while Pueblo will be represented by former Deputy Police Chief George Rivera.

It's unclear when the city of Pueblo was last represented in the Senate by a Republican.

“Coloradans … sent a clear message that politicians who blatantly ignore their constituents will be held accountable,” said Dustin Zvonek, state director of Americans for Prosperity. “Perhaps this will serve as a lesson that one-party rule in Denver doesn't give the majority license to take things to extremes or run roughshod over the values and rights of Coloradans who just happen, for the moment, to be in the minority.”

“Tonight is a victory for the people of the state of Colorado, who have been subject to the overreach of a Democrat agenda on guns, taxes and accountability to the people,” said Tim Knight, Founder of the Basic Freedom Defense Fund and the “father” of the recalls. “Since day one, they said it couldn't be done. Tonight, this is a victory for the people of Colorado, and we share this victory with them.”

There's a lesson here for California Republicans, who like their brethren and sistren in Colorado have had a hard time lately: Back Second Amendment gun rights and you'll win.

My suggestion for the 2014 CA GOP: Adopt a 100 percent pro-gun platform. This should include:

1. Passing a state initiative allowing conceal-carry permits to all Californians who are 21 or older and don't have a felony conviction.

2. Repealing California's restrictions on so-called “assault weapons” ownership.

3. Repealing whatever anti-gun laws the California Legislature passes, and Gov. Jerry Brown signs, this year.

 Colorado has shown the way back to freedom.