End of Adnan Shahab’s Campaign for State Assembly
After a lot of thought, it is with sadness that I have decided to end my campaign for State Assembly in District 20.
There is still no doubt in my mind that I am the best person to represent Assembly District 20 in Sacramento. But at the same time, I believe the voters in the district are not ready to comprehend the fact that I am exactly the kind of person who they should be electing into office. For now, the majority of the voters in the area seem to be content electing unremarkable people into office.
I am also a rational business person at heart. I am a firm believer in allowing unviable entities to wither away die rather than artificially keeping them afloat longer than necessary. My campaign for State Assembly has been unable to draw enough attention or financial support to keep it going in a strong way. Because the “voter marketplace” does not seem to spending enough dollars to keep it going, I have concluded that it is not wise to continue with my campaign.
When I walk up to an average person in the district, asking them who their current Assemblymember is, and I receive a blank stare in return, there is clearly a problem. When I walk up to a resident who is currently being represented in the Assembly by Bob Wieckowski, asking them how they think he has done in Sacramento over the past year, and they can’t even begin to give me a response, there is clearly a problem. And when I walk up to a resident who is currently being represented in the Assembly by Mary Hayashi, asking how they feel about her recent arrest for shoplifting and claims that a brain tumor affected her decision-making abilities and behavior, and they have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, there is clearly a problem. With such ignorance among the electorate, it is no wonder that there is no overwhelming movement afoot asking forcHayashi to resign from office immediately. The vast majority of the people in this area have absolutely no idea what is going on with their elected officials. I condemn the ignorance and apathy on the part of these people, as well as their acceptance of mediocrity in their elected officials. Clearly, I am not the right person to represent these people at this time.
Over the course of my time as a candidate, I have learned that I am not a very good politician. I am much better at telling people what I really think than at sucking up to people and telling them what they want to hear just to get them to donate money to my campaign or to vote for me. And even if I were to have been elected into office, I would have refused to trade favors in order to hold onto my elected office. Unfortunately, that’s the dirty and dishonest way that things are done here in California. With our current way of conducting politics, my personality means that I am not cut out to serve in elected office in California.
Ever since I was a small child, I have believed in the American political system. I have always told people about how great it is, and I have voted in every election that I was eligible to vote in since I turned 18. But I have now witnessed the ugly reality of American politics. For the system to work properly, it requires an electorate that truly understands the issues and that is willing to vote for the best person based on each candidate’s positions on the issues and personality traits. But the stark reality in such a voting area as Assembly District 20 is that the Democrat candidate, no matter how bad of a person he or she may be, will always win over a Republican candidate. The deck is stacked so far in the favor of the Democrats that a Republican has no chance. Without an honest effort on the part of the electorate to get to know the candidates, they simply wind up voting for the person with all of the fancy glossy ads touting that they are a Democrat and that they will give you things for voting for them. It really is disgusting.
Moving forward, I will continue to support the American political system on general principle. But I am going to be highly skeptical of any district, liberal or conservative, that is so biased in their political leanings that true competition does not exist. A vote in such uncompetitive races becomes essentially meaningless. It is through fair competition that the best and the brightest emerge. But in our current highly biased system, with its uncompetitive districts and uninformed electorate, we will continue to get the same sort of bad elected officials that we already see in office.
Resignation from the Responsible Citizens of California
From its inception, I have sat on the Board of Directors of the Responsible Citizens of California. And very soon after its inception, I took over the position of President of the organization. After almost two years with RCC, and against the wishes of its Board of Directors, effective immediately, I am stepping down as President. I had originally planned to stay on as a member of the Board of Directors, but I have also decided that, effective immediately, I am resigning from RCC’s Board of Directors as well.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints with my job, my personal relationships, and my campaign for State Assembly, I feel that I do not have enough time to adequately lead RCC on a day-to-day basis. The time has come for me to hand over control of operations to someone else. I believe this moment also provides me with a good opportunity to make a clean break and move in a slightly different direction with my life. I will continue to fight for Second Amendment rights in my own way. But from now on, I will be doing so as an individual, not as part of a formal organization.
I wish the Responsible Citizens of California the best of luck in their future endeavors, and I thank everyone for their support during my time at the helm of RCC.
Adnan Shahab
December 2, 2011
Governor Brown Signs AB 144
The Responsible Citizens of California is disappointed with Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to sign AB 144, a bill to ban the Unloaded Open Carry of handguns, into law. Furthermore, we express very strong opposition to the passage of AB 809 (long gun registration) and SB 819 (misappropriation of DROS fees) into law.
The right to Open Carry has been legal in the State of California since its inception, and there has never been a single case of an Open Carry advocate ever committing a violent crime in the Golden State's entire 160-year history. Since no problem has ever existed that needs to be addressed or fixed, there was no reason for AB 144 in the first place.
The right to carry a firearm for personal protection is a basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right that is guaranteed by the United States Constitution, confirmed by the US Supreme Court's twin landmark rulings in both Heller and McDonald, and Unloaded Open Carry was cited as an important right in California by two federal judges in recent court decisions. This decision on the part of Governor means that, as of January 1, 2012, the fundamental right to carry a handgun will be denied to the vast majority of law-abiding California residents. It is essential that law enforcement officers understand that Unloaded Open Carry will remain legal until January 1, 2012. Open Carry advocates should be treated with respect and in a manner that does not violate any of their basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil rights.
The Responsible Citizens of California will continue to work with other 2nd Amendment organizations to plot the best possible course of action moving forward. Also, it is worth noting that while AB 144 bans the practice of Unloaded Open Carry of handguns in California, this bill does absolutely nothing to limit the civil right to Open Carry long guns (rifles and shotguns). Since the State Legislature and the Governor have chosen to attack the right to carry handguns, law-abiding citizens who wish to be able to protect themselves from violent criminals have no choice but to Open Carry long guns instead.
Compared with the rest of the country, California is behind the times with regards to 2nd Amendment Rights. Most other States have been expanding the basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right to self defense for their electorate. It is time for our elected officials in California to stop eroding every law-abiding citizen's 2nd Amendment Rights. Instead, our public servants should be working to firmly protect the basic, fundamental, and enumerated civil right to self defense and take deliberate action toward expanding these critical civil rights for all law-abiding Californians.
Adnan Shahab
President, Responsible Citizens of California
AB 144 Passes in California Legislature
While I am disappointed in the outcome, I am not surprised that the Legislature has passed AB 144, a bill to ban open carry in California. It is disheartening to know that a majority of our elected officials in Sacramento feel that it is okay to disarm law-abiding citizens and remove the only realistic means available for most people to be able to carry a firearm for personal protection in this state.
I would like to remind everyone that open carry is still legal in California. Governor Jerry Brown has yet to sign AB 144 into law. I urge the governor to veto this piece of legislation when it hits his desk.
And if Governor Brown does decide to sign AB 144, it is almost certain that the law will be challenged in court. There are constitutional issues that must addressed, as well as how this law relates to the recent court ruling that the highly discriminatory "may-issue" concealed weapons permitting process in California is legal partly because open carry is also available to residents as an alternate means of carry in this state.
The fight will continue.
Adnan Shahab
President, Responsible Citizens of California
Shahab for Assembly 2012
I am proud to announce that I, Adnan Shahab, am running for State Assembly in 2012.
After my defeat in the race for the Assembly District 20 seat last November, I thought long and hard about whether I should run again. I heard from many people throughout Assembly District 20, throughout California, and throughout the nation who urged me to keep fighting for what’s right, no matter what the odds. The reality is that the task remains unfinished. California is still in trouble, and I must try my best to help fix this state.
The reasons why I am running now are the same as when I ran in 2010. The people of California deserve a Legislature that is committed to promoting economic development and job growth through fewer restrictive regulations on business. We need to eliminate wasteful spending, cut the size of government, and get it off the backs of hard-working individuals via reduced taxes. We must maintain public safety and a commitment to an education system that truly works. And we must assure that the rights of law-abiding citizens are not infringed upon by a nanny government that thinks it is wise enough to tell people how to live their lives.
I do not consider this to be a new campaign for State Assembly. Instead, I consider this to be a continuation of the campaign I began back during the summer of 2009. Please join me. The road will be tough, and we have a lot of hard work ahead of us. But we have to keep on pushing for a better California.
Please visit my official campaign website at:
www.Shahab2012.com
CCW Denied by Alameda County Sheriff and Fremont Police Chief
Below is the text of a Letter to the Editor that I just sent to a couple of my local newspapers. It will be interesting to see whether they actually print my letter.
I was born and raised in California, and I have absolutely no criminal or mental health history. I have undergone extensive firearms training, both in California and out of state. And I currently hold multiple concealed weapons permits, allowing me to legally carry a concealed firearm in 32 states.
Despite living in the City of Fremont virtually all of my life, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern and Fremont Police Chief Craig Steckler do not believe my life is valuable enough to be issued a permit to carry a concealed firearms with which to protect myself in California.
The Second Amendment to the United State Constitution states “…the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” My right, as well as the right of many others in California, to bear arms is being infringed upon by Sheriffs and Police Chiefs throughout the state. The people should be aware that our rights have already been stripped from us in an unfair and discriminatory way.
If any crime is perpetrated against me that could have been deterred or avoided had I been permitted to legally carry a firearm on my person, I am going to hold the Alameda County Sheriff and Fremont Police Chief accountable for leaving me defenseless.
-Adnan Shahab
Responsible Citizens of California is Working to Stop AB 144
With the introduction of Assembly Bill 144, a bill to ban open carry, the right of law-abiding citizens to be able to carry a firearm for personal protection is, once again, being threatened by the Legislature in Sacramento. I would like to take this opportunity to assure everybody that the Responsible Citizens of California is working diligently to defeat AB 144. As President of the Responsible Citizens of California, I am personally involved in the direction of the organization, including strategic decision-making and planning. While the defeat of AB 144 is RCC’s main short-term priority, we also have other long-range goals of defending the right of responsible citizens to be able to safely and conscientiously keep and bear arms.
-Adnan Shahab
President, Responsible Citizens of California
For information about the Responsible Citizens of California, please visit:
http://responsiblecitizensofcalifornia.org/
AB 144 Debate Challenge
I, Adnan Shahab, publicly challenge Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, or any other member of the California Legislature who supports AB 144, to a debate on open carry and California's carry laws. My only stipulation is that the Legislator must post video of the debate, in its entirety, on the front page of his or her official website for the entire time period ranging from 72 hours after the end of the debate until 30 days after a final vote on AB 144 is taken in the Legislature.
Election Day 2010
The best candidate in the California Assembly District 20 race did not win on Election Day 2010.
After a long campaign season, it is customary for the losing candidate to congratulate the winner. I will not congratulate Bob Wieckowski. The way my opponent conducted himself during his entire bid for the Assembly District 20 seat was not honorable. Not only did he show his true character by going completely negative against his opponent in the Democratic primary, but he was not man enough to go before the voters of Assembly District 20 and be judged based on his positions on the issues and the content of his character. He repeatedly refused to debate me, instead using his special interest campaign contributions to deceive the electorate. In short, he was afraid to face off against me on a level playing field. I cannot respect a person like that. I will keep a close eye on his activities in Sacramento, and I will not hesitate to shed light on what he does in the Capitol.
I would like to thank everyone who supported my campaign for State Assembly. It is during times like this that one finds out who their true friends really are and who can be depended upon. I won’t forget those who were there for me, and I won’t forget those who were there trying to help me save California.
As for me, I have a lot to digest right now. I will look at the results of this election, assess the situation, and decide on my future plans moving forward. I made a number of sacrifices over the past year-and-a-half while running for State Assembly. Precious time was taken away from friends and loved ones during this endeavor. Also, plans for my working career were substantially altered in order to accommodate my campaign. But this was something that I simply had to do. If I hadn’t tried my best to fix California, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. And still, California is in a whole lot of trouble. The United States is in a whole lot of trouble. I cannot simply turn a blind eye to that. No matter what, I will continue to do what I think is best for my state and my country.
With my head held high and absolutely no regrets
After almost a year-and-a-half running as a candidate for State Assembly in California’s 20th District, Election Day is almost here. Looking back, I cannot believe the incredible journey that this campaign has been.
When I first decided to run, I knew I would be doing so as an overwhelming underdog. After all, I’m a conservative running in a Bay Area district. The liberals and Democrats control the Bay Area with an iron fist, holding just about every single elected position in the region. District 20 is comprised of 48% registered Democrats and only 20% registered Republicans. And in 2008, the Republican candidate for the Assembly District 20 seat only managed to garner 28.8% of the vote. It is exactly because of these long shot odds that I never seriously ran for political office in the past.
But something was different this time. Despite the astronomical odds of me pulling off a victory, I still felt that this was something that I absolutely had to do. I was tired of simply sitting on the sidelines and being upset with my elected officials. Sure, I voted in every election in the past, but that didn’t seem to accomplish much of anything. I still felt like I hadn’t been doing enough. California is in deep trouble, and somebody needed to step forward to try to start the process of rescuing this state. I felt that it was my duty to put myself before the people and try to open their eyes to what needs to be done.
I am not a person who is beholden to anyone. I am not controlled by any political party or special interest groups. I have integrity, and I believe in doing what I think is right, no matter what. And it is with this commitment to sticking to my principles that I ran my campaign.
Despite being outspent more than 100-to-1 (my opponent spent close to three-quarters of a million dollars for the Assembly District 20 seat and received hundred of thousands of dollars more in support from so-called “independent” campaign committees), I feel like I put up one heck of a fight. My opponent knew that he had absolutely no chance against me on a level playing field, so he used whatever advantages that he had. I repeatedly asked my opponent to debate me, but he repeatedly refused. He continued to hide from the voting public, choosing instead to put out expensive television commercials and fancy brochures filled with skewed representations of his past voting record and falsehoods about his character. And when he did finally agree to debate me one time, I mopped the floor up with him. (http://powerhost.powerstream.net/003/02419/candidateforum20thassembly.wmv) He was worked over so badly that, fearing I would eat into his voter registration edge if the electorate saw more of us in public, he outright refused my challenge for more debates leading up to Election Day.
There is no doubt that I am the better candidate in this race for the Assembly District 20 seat. Whatever winds up happening tomorrow, I know that I should be the one representing this district in Sacramento. Faced with a heavily unfavorable voting registration in the district, a severe shortage of campaign funds, absolutely no past campaign experience, and very little name recognition, I did my absolute best. I put myself out before the people, and I made a bold statement of who I am and what I can do for California. Because of this, I go into Election Day with absolutely no regrets about how I conducted myself throughout this campaign.
Please visit my official campaign website at:
www.Shahab2010.com