By Daisy Luther
California.
Home of restrictive gun laws. Liberal enclaves like Los Angelos and Hollywood. That terrible, four-year drought. Feinstein and Pelosi.
Not great qualities for a state, I have to admit.
I can’t tell you how many times people have blithely suggested that I move. Or that they hold close the fervent wish that our state should break off with the next earthquake and fall into the ocean. Or that they lump every single Californian in with the Obama-loving, gum-chewing, impractical folks that are always the ones representing us on TV.
And, honestly, if it’s okay for you to say that, then it’s okay for me to say that you are a short-sighted, narrow-minded, bigoted, and ignorant person.
There are a lot of reasons why I live in California. And if you read this article with an open mind, maybe you’ll start to see why you should stop insulting an entire state’s worth of people over the actions of a certain percentage. Maybe not, and if you can’t grasp the reasons, then feel free to carry on with your generalizations. (Which, I might add, are the sign of a less-than-critically-thinking mind. When one paints with a broad brush, one is unable to grasp the fine details.)
#1. We have friends and family here.
So, you think that those of us who love America should all just up and move.
Is it really that easy when you’ve made a life for yourself? We have friends and family here. If they aren’t on board with a group relocation, do we just leave them to fight the battle alone? What about those who have elderly parents? What about those with huge extended families?
My family and I have more friends in our beautiful part of the state than we’ve ever had before, and we’ve lived a lot of places, both in the US and Canada. We have found more like-minded people in our particular county than any place we’ve ever lived. And by more, I mean numbering in the thousands. We belong to a group of homesteaders with a real sense of community, where we barter jam for eggs, volunteer time at each other’s farms, share knowledge, and lend a helping hand.
Last year when the forest fires swept our part of the state, members of our community housed entire families, livestock, and pets. They drove into the danger zones to help people evacuate their farm animals. They set up temporary shelters on their own farms. They fed people who were displaced. They provided a sense of fellowship that reminded me of days gone by, when people helped others raise their barns and brought over a casserole when someone was ill.
Why on earth would I leave a group of friends like this? It’s pretty unique to find a place where you fit in, especially if you are a fan of the self-reliant lifestyle. Many people in this state love liberty and independence just as much as you do, in whichever supposedly superior state you call home.
Many of the people I love most in the world live here, and when you wish earthquakes and tsunamis on California, you’re wishing it on me, my child, my loved ones, and my dear friends. If you’re reading this and you’re one of the death-wishers, please know that I think you are an ignorant jerk.
#2. We’ve built a home here.
It isn’t just the people. We have a home. A home in a place where the weather is wonderful and mild 10 months out of the year. We have a long growing season, outrageously beautiful views, and a place we love. We’ve invested time and money into making our home productive and self-reliant.
And what about the folks who have worked the same piece of land for generations?
There are ranchers in our area that are the third generation to run cattle on their swath of acreage. Are you suggesting they just say, “To heck with it” and bail on their land? Wouldn’t the government love that? Do you honestly think this is a good idea?
It would be like the BLM and Bundy Ranch in Nevada all over again, as land rich with resources reverted back to the government.
And don’t be fooled, the resources here are incredible
. The entire state is NOT a desert. We have glorious mountains, forests loaded with timber, fresh pure mountain water, rolling hills, lush green oceanside regions, rivers with gold in them, and rich farmland. We have plains studded with cattle, verdant orchards, and ancient mystical redwood forests in which some of the trees actually predate the birth of Christ.
#3. We are your first line of defense against terrifying legal precedents.
Every time a bad law passes in one state, it sets a precedent that makes it easier to pass that law elsewhere. It’s pretty easy to pick on the laws that have passed, but what about the ones that haven’t, because liberty-minded people fought them tooth and toenail? What about the bad laws we’ve fought to get repealed, like the 10 day waiting period for firearms? Do you think that just magically happened, that the gun fairy did it, or that people worked diligently to overturn it?
The state is loaded with activists, fighting for the right to produce food, fighting against the sale of our resources to corporate big spenders, and battling the expansion of Big Biotech and their GMO crops
. Down in the southern part of the state is the headquarters of The Anti-Media, a vocal group of activists who fight police brutality, Monsanto, and Big Government.
For the record, California is not actually the least free state in the union. In various rankings, you’ll find that Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island often score worse. And no one wishes the residents of those states a watery. apocalyptic death. And good grief, have you taken a look at the gun control laws in Washington, DC lately? They make our state look like a haven of freedom in comparison.
#4. The police state isn’t going to stop at the state line.
Also, speaking of precedents, do you think that the overthrow of liberty will stop at the state line? If we move to a state that is “more free,” do you think it will stay that way forever?
Think about Obama’s overuse of executive orders. Those apply nationally, my friends, not just to California. What do we do when bad laws happen in the state where we theoretically opt to move? Do we move again? And when the police state follows us to the third location, do we just give up and leave the country entirely? Where does the running end? The police state is a contagious disease that is not contained to one geographic location. It gains a foothold then races like a wildfire to other areas. You can dig in and fight that fire, or you can run forever.
#5. I prefer to stand my ground.
So no, I’m not going to run. Why the heck should I?
I’m not going to bail on this part of the country. I’ll stand my ground and fight my battle on my home turf. A home turf that includes a beautiful climate, abundant wildlife, and rugged, glorious mountains that take my breath away every time I look out the window. A home that includes loved ones who fight with me. A home with a true community that gives generously of time and experience.
Do you honestly feel that ceding territory is the best way to win a fight? Because that’s just not how we roll here in my part of the world.
Stand with us instead of against us.
The principle of divide-and-conquer is working, and if you are one of those folks sending mental death rays to the residents of our state, well, you have been successfully manipulated. “They” have won. You might as well go keep up with the Kardashians because you really aren’t as aware and awake as you think you are.
When you buy into the media-driven image of the West Coast and hope an earthquake destroys us all, you’re letting “them” win. You just rejected an entire state through ignorant, uninformed, personal bias and you completely disregarded your allies in that place.
Instead of just complaining and wishing bad things upon us, perhaps you should be a little more thankful for the hundreds of thousands of like-minded, awake people who are sturdy and self-reliant. and who rebel in the name of personal liberty. Maybe you should support us instead of wishing your fellow countrymen dead.
There are many people here, and in every state, who quietly stand our ground, refusing to accept tyranny. Perhaps you could save your disparaging opinions for those who really deserve it, like the politicians who are running the country into the ground and getting super-rich by selling out to corporate interests.
It’s time for us to become one country again. It’s time to stop blithely painting 320 million Americans with the same brush. It’s time to look for some common ground so that we can unite and stand strong against the real adversaries of personal liberty.
Is California still part of the United States?
Good article, as a third generation Californian, I share many of the sentiments.
First, the major fault line is along the coast, so California is not going to “fall into the ocean” (which I am sure you know, I am saying it for those who spout this. ) The worst case scenario for California would be that San Francisco and coastal regions north and south become islands and that seawater floods into areas of the central valley (which in the long run might be a positive for the central valley. )
The other thing is that California is a huge agricultural state and losing California would decimate populations in conservative bastions like Arizona. The negative impact would be felt from Montana, through Nevada and Utah, even into Wyoming and Colorado. Texas would have to nearly double its agricultural output or there would be an exodus from western cities.
The other thing is that the Eastern, inland part of the state is quite conservative and as a Californian I can say that a lot of California conservatives are more committed to their principles than folks on the East Coast and the South, who talk a good game and then watch the same Hollywood crap that dumbs you down. Sorry, but if you are complaining about how “liberal” California is, but you are up on all the latest reality shows, you are an idiot. (And yes I have met that person.)
Lastly this state was largely ruined by people who came here from other states in the 60’s and since. This state was a great state and testament to the best America could produce. It was affordable and open and work was abundant. Californians had the foresight to see this couldn’t last and passed laws to manage the growth of population, which the federal courts struck down.
I know my ancestors came here during the dust bowl depression from Nebraska, on the other side, they came before that. Even though some of my family has moved back that direction, I still find it hard to go knowing what my ancestors gave up to get here. Fact is the stoutest and hardiest of the westward pioneers were the ones who made it all the way to the west coast and secured America’s access to the Pacific, allowing this country to become a world power.
What a fantastic article! I must admit, I too, at one time was swayed by media sensationalism and mis-perceptions regarding California. But upon doing my own research, I found, that California, really has it all! Just like my wonderful province, Ontario, and subsequently, my beloved country, Canada, both are being destroyed by puppet politicians employed by the banker-corporate fascist junta who seek to create a totalitarian world government. Hopefully, Americans, Canadians, and people around the world- will rise up to defend their respective homeland against these sociopathic tyrants.
I quit reading this site when the webpage changed and I couldn’t find any new stories for months. Could only access archives so I took it off my favorites.
California has always been the test bed state for new tyrannical laws.
It’s a state that reels between Fascism and Communism. Beautiful State with too many tyrannical people.
Daisy, it’s hard to keep an open mind when I watch some of the videos of Mark Dice getting Californians to sign petitions on things like doing away with petitions, doing away with the first amendment, passing bills to protect fourth trimester abortions etc. Not sure how many people he has to approach to get the outcome in the videos but I doubt it takes much work. I fear that people are just that dumb all across the US though. California just seems to have more than it’s fair share.
Sharon – I totally understand that! I cringe myself. The thing is, Cali is an ENORMOUS state, and those videos take place in Los Angelos. There’s a lot of the state (thankfully) that looks upon those videos with the same dismay. 🙂
Actually, I think those videos are in San Diego for the most part.
Ah – my mistake. 🙂
Thank you Daisy for you wonderful article! I am a native Californian and I have been to many states and many countries, and I think there is absolutely no better place to live than beautiful California. Of course, we have too many politicians that are being corrupted by corporate money (recently the most appalling like is SB277, the mandatory vaccination bill), but this happens in all states in the union. We are blessed to be here in beauty and with beautiful people. And, stand our ground we must.
I’ll admit, I am guilty of saying that Cali should fall into the ocean.
I know not every Californian is a commie.
But it pisses me off that you allow such idiotic, socialist gun laws to pass without even a bit of resistance. Laws such as the “bullet button” and the “10 round magazine”. Also, most of your gun owners are soft-core commie snitches. If they were to see someone with a 30rd or larger magazine, they’ll snitch you out in a heart beat. They believe its their patriotic duty, as a “law abiding” citizen, to rat you out.
I wish you people would start weeding out the socialists. Your state is over-run with them…
Funny that states with lenient gun laws have things like School shootings and movie theater massacres.
Speaking of Socialism, TX, where I’m guessing you’re from ranks #1 in Welfare recipients. Where is TX getting the money from? From CA tax payers!
TX = State full of oxymorons.
I lived in California for decades. They are liars, thieves and abusers. California clones don’t trust one another, they steal from friends, lie more than politicians and about everything whether trivial or not, believe they are of higher consciousness, are nosy and always minding your business rather than their own, and seek to name drop as if every celebrity in the state is their personal associate. It’s over-the-top obsession about status. They are not a friendly and helpful people but rather of loose morals welcoming potential victims into their nest. And if you don’t like any of this, well they have a backpack full of vindictiveness to sweeten the taste. In short, Californians are the worst Americans there are, with no competition in sight.
I was raised in Roseville CA. My father was a railroad engineer and spent
50 years with Southern Pacific. I used to walk through town with my model 12
Winchester shotgun to hunt behind the High School…Everybody had guns
and fishing tackle…When I went in the army in 1966 the town had 12,000
people in it. It is creeping up on ten times that population and is inhabited
by yuppies from the bay area today…Californians have been made a minority
in the state. Veterans that I used to hang with all headed to northern counties
because it was hard to find neighbors that were born and raised here. In the eighties people from all over the country flooded the state looking for
work…All those people who added a huge burden on our population that
stayed are voting here as well, and haven’t improved the criminal mess
of goons down at the Capital…Seems to me that criminals ARE in charge
in every state…Because so many voters are not native to California, some of you that know better should come here and show us what good you can do to save us from ourselves when we are a minority in our own state, which has been flooded for years by those who liked our pay scale, but
felt no kinship to us…
Daisy,
Mark Dice is from San Diego, which is much more conservative than L.A…He seems to like to go out
to the beaches to find people to sign his phony petitions…These people can be tourists as well.
I’ve seen man on the street type videos from Austin
Texas asking people questions about different issues that they have no idea about, because they do not waste their time studying issues when they are to busy shopping…If this sounds like California, it is! American’s are universally EDUCATED in being non thinkers…We weren’t born that way…
CA should secede from the US. We PAY way too much taxes to the damn Feds. In turn, the Feds use the money to help the POOR states that pay zero State income Tax.
These same states claim they are anti-Socialism yet they rank in the top 20 states welfare recipients and TAKE more than they give to the Feds.
CA on the other-hand GIVE more to the feds than we receive.
We CA resident would be better off if we didn’t have to support these redneck states.
If all our money stayed here at home, CA would be better off. Instead, the damn Feds take our money and then make fun of us at the same time.
It’s time to secede.
The losers who whine endlessly about California are mostly ignorant trash who can’t see the socialism in their own back yard.
I have zero desire to leave California. Why would I? I have an great mid-six-figure job in the tech industry. Sure I don’t like taxes, but guess what – I don’t feel them as much as the low paid losers in the rest of the country.
I enjoy real food, each and every day. Not the mainstream filth that middle Americans consider food. Actual FOOD.
I can AFFORD to prep. You could too if you had paid attention in school.
I work with, and enjoy the company of, people from truly diverse backgrounds. Not the monolithic cookie-cutter, boring-as-hell mainstream american monoculture.
While the entire country is infested with war-loving scum, we at least have SOME people who protest the illegal, immoral wars against completely innocent people who have done NOTHING to us.
California is a better place to live than any other place on this beautiful Earth. But only if you have enough heart to explore who you are and to do your own thing. Yup – that trite BS about “finding yourself” is actually true! But it’s only for the brave. We’ll be here, still innovating, still moving forward, while the ignorant cookie-cutter non-persons go on whining. So be it.
As a California native, I certainly understand your point of view. And having lived there since 1990 (with a few short times in other states), I understand everything you’ve said, and agree with the majority of it.
The PROBLEM is that there aren’t enough people in the state to stand with. That is, the vast majority are left-leaning statists, collectivists, pick your label. Most are afraid of guns, and most haven’t the foggiest idea of being “neighborly.”
These two facets make independent-minded people an anomaly at best, and a “potential domestic terrorist” at worst. The overt boot-licking by most Californians and the inability to see what is coming (much LESS prepping) makes survival in a SHTF scenario in California unrealistic.
I moved out of California for good, only two months ago. I’m in a gun-friendly state, where no permit is required for open or concealed carry, there are no income taxes and property taxes are a pittance. The police of this state- while actively pursuing criminal elements- have NEVER been named as abusing citizens, or shown on youtube beating, killing or otherwise mishandling anyone. (Kelly Thomas is unavailable to comment on this subject.)
The fact is, while there is MONEY there, and the weather is very nice, the fact is that the price to be paid is your freedom, and increasingly, your life. That California is the go-to place for most illegals, is turning most California cities in barrios.
Californians have largely forgotten their rights. [Sadly, that includes my own parents, who happily swallow the propaganda fed them from MSM outlets like CNN and their ilk.]
I now live in a cold state, will have to contend with snow and winter weather rarely seen in most of California. But I am FREE to do as I wish, THINK what I wish, SAY what I wish, without wondering if I’m going to be shot by the police or the statist parasites which infest California.
F##K California.
Eric, I’m sorry we lost you. I wish you would have stayed to fight. I was born and raised in California, and have lived in western El Dorado county for the last 20 years. So much of what you say is so very true. We love our life on the small ranch we have, and the neighbors we have nearby, and couldn’t think about leaving this, not to mention our awesome church family. We Californians do frequently get painted with a broad brush, and until we step up, fight, and change the people who we elect to represent us, it will continue.
Yes, it’s a massive uphill battle, but I see the tide turning, albeit slowly. We have neighbors moving in up here who are young (like 20s and early 30s), conservative, patriotic and self-reliant. And they are having children. It gives us a lot of hope for our own young daughters. If they grow up and choose to leave the state, that’s fine. But if they stay, I want to know I did everything I could do to leave them a better place to live. Conservatism is not dead in California, despite the best efforts of the tyrannical left. Things can change, even if it take another generation to do it. I’m not here to judge anyone’s lifestyle, but let’s be honest; the “childless by choice” lefties and all the LGBT folks are not reproducing.
“I’m in a gun-friendly state, where no permit is required for open or concealed carry, there are no income taxes and property taxes are a pittance.”
Yes. But you have to live in South Dakota.
I appreciated this article. I am a 4th generation New Yorker and I receive similar abuse. The income tax and property taxes are admittedly ridiculous.
But I get to live in New York.
I’m a full-time RVer and travel throughout all the western states. I love them all–they’re all beautiful. But every time I cross a border into California, I feel a huge relief, as if I’ve been let out of prison. CA has an air of freedom that I’ve never felt elsewhere. Although I generally like the folks I meet in other states, they are definitely more narrow-minded and bigoted than Californians. And by the way, I’m not a moral degenerate or a commie or any of the other seedy types too many people ignorantly label Californians. So don’t judge the whole state by its mega-cities, which are mere specks in the landscape of the rest of the state.
For so ;long, Ive watched, STAND YOUR GROUND. You know where I am Daisy, and if anyone is gonna be destroyed, its us first. I pray nothing happens. And I miss the state Ive drove every road. I understand, exactly how you feel.
I wish you life and love and freedom.
I left that scurvy rotted out piece of greedy filth for a better paying job. After leaving I found much better parts of the US where people are actually nicer, and nothing beats southern hospitality. As a former California native and seeing “change” for the past 50 years, I am sickened even thinking about the corruption, the taxes, and the constant propaganda that the people there have to put up with. California is and will be in it’s death throws economically and especially environmentally. Continue to drink and bath in your radiation poisoned waters and eat plenty of sushi delivered to you by Fukashima. Your all brain dead…suck it up freaks !
Where is the love? I thought the idea was for “humanity” to have a place to go for unbiased information and NOT to judge or be judged for the freedom to decide what you do with your life,
where you live, or what your opinions are. Most of this sounds like fifth graders arguing on the play ground. When “they” have us acting like children, and divide us, “they” have won. Looks like “they” just won another point in this game.
After reading this piece (i really like and agree with what you are saying, Daisy) and then reading so many of the comments i believe i am seeing a trend that is as dangerous and pervasive as anything our corporate military government may be doing.
My goodness, what a thread of small mindedness and intolerance! The “object of the game” is not to tear each other and their life choices to bits just because you feel differently. When that becomes the norm, as it seems to have done with so many, then THEY are certainly outscoring and out maneuvering us.
Is it really important that YOUR state is “better” than MINE? I thought that ended with high scholl rivalries. Isn’t the point of all life is to treat all of us the same, to love and care for each other, and to offer support when we can? (Sounds pretty liberal, doesn’t it? But, wait, about 2000 years ago a brilliant and loving human being strongly suggested that this is how we should all live.)
Let’s all try to get over ourselves and our choices and bolster the community of like-minded, no matter where or how they live. We are all in this together.
Love your passion. Born and raised Northern Californian girl. Moved family to Texas and I can honestly say that I Love it here. I resisted moving but I can look back now and see that it was the BEST for us. Yes- we left ALL of our family and friends. It was quite an adventure. Native Texans are the salt of the Earth. We feel so blessed to have the ability to raise our family here. No cell phone laws here. You might think I’m making this up but Texans drive safer! Citizens are encouraged to protect themselves. Texas is the #1 state for homeschooling. And we will be able to afford to own property!! We had given up on such a dream due to the sheer expense of living in CA. And no one wishes that Texas would sink into the Gulf. They know better!
If your path leads you away from the Golden State, just know that I have experienced the other side and it’s glorious! Miss my citrus though! 😉
Wow-great article. I personally love California. People do not realize that Cali is several states in one. San Diego is very pro military and rather conservative. Even Mexicans who have immigrated there are mostly conservative in their outlook. LA, my own point of reference, is all about HOLLYWOOD. That industry provides most of the jobs-actors & actresses are only the beginning. It has spilled over to Orange County in a sense, yet the OC is very Liberal and wealthy on the water; and very different when you get to the desert. Go to Bakersfield and that is middle class, salt of the earth, hardworking folks. Swing by Santa Barbara and you are in Liberal Hollywood Estates. Up above Isla Vista is poor and rife with students in the colleges. The Central Valley is 2 classes; immigrants and blacks who moved up from LA or San Diego or family farmers. Drive up 5 and you will blow past everything of importance. Drive up 99, and you can enjoy great places like Las Banos or Lodi. San Jose is Liberal, Wealthy, and very self assured. Santa Cruz is college town on steroids. Sacramento is the political capital, yet gets no respect among other cities. Nicknames: Cowtown or Sacratomato. San Francisco is the Gay/LGBT/Climate Change/Environmental/Politcal capital of the state. They have no problem throwing their weight around. Go outside of Sacramento: small towns, farms, local business. The same for Placer County/El Dorado-all the way to the Nevada border. Extreme Northern California; Redding, Eureka, all the way to the Oregon Border-wants to be their own state. They have no jobs because of the EnvironMentalists; they want out of paying taxes for the Section 8 and Welfare Moms in the southern part of the state.
We are very different in all areas, and not everyone in California is a card carrying Obama supporter, they aren’t waiting for Hillary, and could give a rat’s patoot about the Kardashians. You just need to find us!
The time has come for 51. Look into the State of Jefferson movement.
Thank you for the article, Daisy! I agree with you about the great people outside of the big population centers. Unfortunately it seems California has the same problem as elsewhere; the cities control the politics.
I am absolutely DISGUSTED at how blue our “red” state of Idaho is. From Common Core to Obamacare our supposedly conservative leadership has forced progressive crap on us “because we can’t win this fight”…
Wishing you and yours health and safety!