The unalienable rights of Americans are well stated in our Declaration of Independence as coming from our Creator. To secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Our rights beyond Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness are followed by the right of the people to lay a foundation sufficient to effect their Safety.
Our governor has decided to supersede our founding document’s stated rights as given by our Creator and our Constitution by signing a public health order banning the here-to-fore, legal carrying of firearms by responsible and licensed citizens. She must think she is more than she is and no longer bound by her oath of office.
What is really happening here is shewill term out as governor and is laying the progressive groundwork for a higher job in government or academia where so many now out of work progressives are featured lecturers and teachers. Can you say Lori Lightfoot? Chicago’s previous and failed mayor is now teaching at Harvard, in the Chan School of Public Health.
Our governor’s move is part of the Biden agenda to disarm Americans. They are using a public health crisis which they feel supersedes the four current Supreme Court decisions granting gun rights and the right of self-protection to Americans. Now you know why she threatened to veto any limits on her ability to extend the public health crisis provision during COVID-19.
It will be a trial case for the courts and if successful, will be a precedent for other progressive Democrat governors. However, Article 2, Section 6 of the New Mexico Constitution clearly states: “No law shall abridge the right of citizens to keep and bear arms for security and defense. No municipality or county shall regulate in any way any incident the right to keep and bear arms.” The governor will claim she is not passing a law, but enacting a health order under another law.
The ACLU of New Mexico has voiced their concern that her solution is “misguided and not effective” at dealing with the various crime issues. Their concerns of over “policing in communities” and “racial profiling” instead of utilizing evidence-based programs to combat crime. When asked by CNN’s Poppy Harlow if she felt criminals will voluntarily comply with her directive, she answered, “No.”
Harlow then asked if she felt criminals would obey her order and would she extend the order for another thirty-days? MLG answered, “No,” but to which question, obedience or another thirty-days?
Disagreeing with her order are Albuquerque’s, Mayor Tim Keller and Bernalillo County Sherrif, John Allen have refused to enforce the directive, citing the infringements of rights of the people. Also not supporting the order is Attorney General Raúl Torrez. Torrez wrote in a letter to the governor, “I do not believe that the Emergency Order will have any meaningful impact on public safety…I do not believe it passes constitutional muster.” “I believe it is unwise to stretch the definition of a ‘public health emergency’ to encompass something that is fundamentally a public safety issue.” He further refused to represent her should the issue come to a court.
MLG’s public health crisis order is in lockstep with the coming United Nations meeting on September 20th where member nations are expected to endorse a “political declaration” that commits them to abide by and support a set of “global governance” initiatives which will place our security and sovereignty in jeopardy, if adopted.
For example, the World Health Organization would be allowed to dictate what constitutes an actual or potential health emergency and what must be done in response. MLG and the UN seem to share goals.
This past legislative session, a myriad of gun bills were proposed and only one passed. All were bad legislation which did not consider the rights and safety of upstanding citizens. House Bill 100 proposed a fourteen-day waiting period, even after passing a background check. If passed, that meant someone who was threatened and need protection could not obtain a firearm for two weeks. House Bill 101would have restricted possession of high-capacity magazines and so-called assault weapons, which were inadequately described.
There is such a person as gun enthusiasts who enjoy shooting sports, even with legal semi-automatic rifles and pistols. If passed, the rights of upstanding citizens would have been infringed.
Gun control legislation is not addressing the crime problem, nor is the governor’s executive order. Enforcement of existing laws would be more helpful as well as recognizing and addressing the roots of crime. Most violent crime is non-gun related. With Democrat pushback on the governor’s directive and current lawsuits, perhaps our legislature and local law enforcement officials will be thinking more constructively on solutions to fight crime and the violence it often brings.
The governor’s current solution is a part of a much larger progressive agenda. It is time to oppose this progressivism. If we do not defeat progressive politicians at the polls, our rights will eventually be denied, despite granted by our Creator. Government is not God, nor is our governor.
Tom Wright is an investor in El Rito Media LLC, owner of the Rio Grande SUN. He’s freelancer writer based in Santa Fe.