First, you can find out in much the same way as many found out from Gay Cynic on Wednesday.
I initially found out the previous Friday. So when I found out what was happening in Olympia Tuesday and Wednesday and I was advised my help would be appreciated I was more than happy to come along. It was an opportunity to spend more time and chat with Ray.
Wednesday on the drive down he mentioned that he’d like to rip the emotional crutch out from under people who are abusing it down there. He felt this was a fitting way and I had to agree. It had his sense of humor all over it. If you get handed the short straw, you might as well enjoy it. As he put it to me afterward, “I’ve come out now three times in my life. First that I was gay, then as a gun owner, now as a person fighting cancer.”
I couldn’t help but be in awe with the way he is approaching the problem. It is merely a bump in the road and he’s already gone through and fought a lot worse.
GC has posted the details of the beginning of this journey. My only request, more of a reminder, is if you call up/email to voice you’re support don’t focus on the topic. Be an upper not a downer. Remember he’s fielding lots of questions from a lot of people and if everyone calls up asking about it, well that’s all he’ll be able to think about. You can ask but limit your time on the topic.
Ultimately though Ray’s going to go all Cave Johnson on this with even more epic results.
Here is what he had planned for his full testimony:
My name is Gay Cynic. I was recently diagnosed with cancer with an initial prognosis of 6-12 months. This gives me an unusual level of objectivity regarding I-594 as, barring treatment success I am unlikely to have any personal stake in the game.
As legislators you are called to be objective. To weigh the facts and likely effects – intended and otherwise – of a piece of legislation.
You should not care about my cancer status.
You also should not consider I-594 proponents tragic stories in your deliberations, even if they are cunningly wrapped around carefully crafted Madison Avenue sound bites.
You are called to be objective – to set aside emotionalism, melodrama, spin and the urge to “Do Something, Anything” about the crisis du jour. After all, to an activist *everything* is a crisis.
If passed, I-594 will put Washington law in conflict with Federal law. It will require law abiding gun dealers to choose whether to become federal felons, state felons or simply go out of business. I-594 will eliminate firearms safety training in the state of Washington and entrap thousands of law abiding gun owners into felonies and misdemeanors for things as simple as handing a rifle to a friend at an informal range.
I594 creates no safety benefit. A background check will not save school children from a person that kills a parent and steals their guns to commit an atrocity.
I-594 does not propose an improved background check, it purports to expand the same background check that Jared Loughner passed before he shot Congresswoman Gabby Gifford, killed six and injured 12 others.
It is not enough to “do something.” To claim otherwise is the argument of fools and frauds, and is generally counterproductive to achieving any worthwhile goal.
We must do something worth doing – I-594 is not it.
I ask you to fulfill your responsibilities as committee members and bring I-594 to a vote, and hope that you will vote it down – clearing the table for measures that are actually constructive and not an elaborate scheme to whittle away firearms rights through the death of a thousand cuts.
Thank you.
TMM is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.
Many know his private name and information however due to the current political climate, many are distancing themselves due to the abandonment of Due Process.
Damn, but he’s well-spoken. As always.
Brilliant. Ray is a real treasure for us all. I’ve had the pleasure of watching him blast away the stereotypes of the misinformed. It’s a real delight