Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Law schools aren’t easy to get into and earning a law degree is a sign of intelligence. But a law degree provides no indication of the recipient’s sense of ethics, honesty, or wisdom, and in the case of elected officials, a respect for the U.S. Constitution and the founding principles of the country. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who has a J.D. from the University of New Mexico Law School, confirmed that last week with her brazen attack on our right to keep and bear arms.
In case you missed it, Tom and Cam covered it over the weekend and detailed what’s in the order (archived links):
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued an emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and the surrounding county for at least 30 days in response to a spate of gun violence. […]
The firearms suspension, classified as an emergency public health order, applies to open and concealed carry in most public places, from city sidewalks to urban recreational parks. The restriction is tied to a threshold for violent crime rates currently only met by the metropolitan Albuquerque. Police and licensed security guards are exempt from the temporary ban.
Grisham knows it’s unconstitutional, and so do law enforcement officials in the affected area – Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina, and Everytown-endorsed Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, who are refusing to enforce it. Gov. Grisham doesn’t care:
The Democratic governor said she expects legal challenges but was compelled to act because of recent shootings, including the death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium this week.
Lujan Grisham said state police would be responsible for enforcing what amount to civil violations. Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina said he won’t enforce it, and Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he’s uneasy about it because it raises too many questions about constitutional rights.
Other local elected officials – Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman – are also refusing to enforce the order, with the D.A. bluntly calling the Executive Order unconstitutional (archivedlinks):
“As an officer of the court, I cannot and will not enforce something that is clearly unconstitutional,” said Bregman, the top prosecutor in the Albuquerque area. “This office will continue to focus on criminals of any age that use guns in the commission of a crime.”
Grisham’s moves are too much even for gun control enthusiasts. Parkland opportunist David Hogg questioned it:
I support gun safety but there is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.
California Rep. Ted Lieu, a proponent of ineffective gun control, couldn’t stomach it either:
I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.
Former gun salesman Ryan Busse, who is now a gun control activist and Montana gubernatorial candidate, expressed the outrage necessary to make his candidacy viable in a state with 65% gun ownership:
Suspending concealed carry permits: Is a bad idea. Will not solve anything, may make things worse. Is the sort of knee-jerk that only fosters distrust. The best policy involves bringing responsible gunowners to the table to work towards real solutions. This ain’t one of them
Call me cynical, but these are strategic moves only to make themselves look reasonable in comparison to other actors, such as the Arizona House Democrats, Newtown Action Alliance’s Po Murray, or New Mexicans to Prevent “Gun Violence” whose responses can be seen below:
Hat tip to New Mexico!
When – NOT if – the time comes and elected officials who claim to support the Second Amendment (looking squarely at Sen. John Cornyn) are again under political pressure, people like Ted Lieu, Ryan Busse, and David Hogg will pretend to be the reasonable ones who the likes of Cornyn can listen to and negotiate with to give away more of our rights. The pretenders’ rhetoric about caring for the Constitution must be treated with the utmost skepticism.
The deafening silence of gun control groups can’t be missed. They haven’t protested or said a word against the Executive Order. There’s a simple reason for that: they don’t believe that the people have a right to keep and bear arms. Banning guns, banning accessories, putting mere ownership under a discretionary licensing regime, depriving you of your First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights are all kosher to them if it’s done to destroy the Second Amendment.
Twitter user avsterbone found and shared a case (Bateman v. Perdue) involving the suspension of gun rights during an “emergency” in which the gun control group Brady submitted an amicus brief siding with the State:
The takeaway from the New Mexico Governor’s Executive Order is to treat both the Tweedledum and Tweedledee halves of the gun control movement the same, as those who would harm our liberties given the first available opportunity.