In an alarming and unprecedented move, Democrat Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has ignited a firestorm of opposition with the announcement of an emergency order to suspend both open and concealed carry of firearms in most public spaces around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Leveraging the same “public health” tactics utilized during the draconian COVID-19 shutdowns, Democrat Governor Grisham has once again taken a hammer to the foundational principles that make America a beacon of freedom.
Just like we saw so many democrats do during the COVID shutdowns and mandates, we are seeing the democratic governor exercising her tyranny, using a public health order to trample the rights of New Mexico’s law-abiding citizens. This move has left citizens and even members of her own party questioning the legality and moral grounding of such an anti-constitutional mandate. Classifying the bearing of arms as a health emergency is disingenuous and sets a dangerous precedent that allows tyrannical left-wing radicals to use COVID-style health emergencies to suspend even more of our civil liberties.
This attack to the Second Amendment applies to both open and concealed carry in numerous public places, from city sidewalks to recreational parks, a mandate the governor is claiming is tied to Albuquerque’s high violent crime rates. Gun ban violators face stiff penalties, including fines of up to $5,000.
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen announces that he will not enforce what he rightfully calls an “unconstitutional” directive. “It’s unconstitutional, so there’s no way we can enforce that order,” Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said during a news conference. “This ban does nothing to curb gun violence.”
Sheriff Allen claims the governor sprung her plans on officials just moments before her news conference, leaving him shocked and irritated. He plans to push lawmakers to call a special session to address violence in Albuquerque. “I have to turn my irritation and anger into solutions,” Allen said.
Within a day of the announcement, the governor’s order met with a barrage of federal lawsuits from gun rights groups looking to block the law from taking effect. GOP state lawmakers have responded with calls for impeachment, but the success of such proceedings hinges heavily on the support of Democrats controlling the Legislature.
“My constituents have reached out to me in droves, emailing and texting me that this is insane, this is horrifying, this is unconstitutional,” said Republican state Rep. John Block of Alamogordo, representing a conservative stronghold in southern New Mexico.
The head of the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association, Randy Kozuch, issued a statement Sunday calling the order a “shocking” act of “administrative fiat.”
Even the ACLU objected that the governor’s actions could lead to overzealous policing and infringe on privacy.
“This kind of approach leads to the over-policing of our communities, racial profiling, and increased misery in the lives of already marginalized people,” said Lalita Moskowitz, litigation manager for the ACLU of New Mexico. “The governor should be following evidence-based solutions such as meaningful diversion and violence intervention programs and addressing the root causes of violence.”
The governor’s stated motivation behind this egregious infringement on New Mexico residents’ rights is a recent spate of child shooting deaths, a tragic series of events that no one takes lightly. However, responding to criminal acts with blanket punitive measures against law-abiding citizens is not only an ineffective solution but one that goes against the principles of justice and individual rights.
The order also carries with it a highly invasive stipulation where even the transport of firearms to private locations such as gun ranges or stores necessitates using a trigger lock – in other words, criminals no longer have to fear the public fighting back! It is a mandate that not only hampers the rights of gun owners and stops them from being able to protect themselves but portrays them as criminals.
Gun Owners Fight Back!
Gun owners in New Mexico have jumped into action, taking to the streets of Albuquerque to voice their dissent peacefully. A showcase of the Second Amendment in action, citizens stood united against this attack on their rights.
