In a shocking display of moral turpitude, the corporate gun lobby has teamed up with sheriffs across the state to protect guns over people. Because the New Mexico legislature has been advancing bills that would remove guns from domestic violence offenders, while they are under protective orders issued by a judge, who has determined those domestic violence offenders to be dangerous to their families. Sheriffs and the National Rifle Association have rallied their forces to pass resolutions declaring that they will refuse to enforce the law.
Our sheriffs, who have sworn an oath to protect the people in their communities as well as to uphold and enforce the laws, have instead decided to protect guns over New Mexico’s families. So, when our state witnesses the next tragic event like the November shooting near Gallup, during which a boyfriend killed three people, himself and critically wounded the mother while her was son watching, we will be able to add the inevitable lawsuit to the parade of injustices we are visiting upon the least among us.
It is worth contemplating what it means when the people we have entrusted with guns to protect us decide those guns are more important than protecting us. We live in a society based on the rule of law. If the people with the guns believe they can pick and choose the laws they intend to acknowledge and enforce, we no longer live in the democracy we cherish so dearly.
Miranda Viscoli
Santa Fe
Ms. Viscoli is co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence.