Alburquerque, New Mexico
Column By Mike Bibb
It’s not rocket science – sometimes, state governors make fools of themselves.
In her quest to impose a 30-day restriction on lawful gun owners in New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, instituted an executive mandate forbidding the lawful open or concealed carry of a firearm, in the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.
Supposedly, because crime is out of control in this community, she felt obligated to enact an emergency directive indicating drugs and gun violence have become a safety and health issue.
A person could be shot just walking down the street. Sort of like what citizens of Chicago, and other big cities, experience every day.
Being a good progressive, she decided a logical solution to the problem was to implement an order preventing legal gun owners from carrying a firearm in the city or county.
Meanwhile, folks in possession of unlawful guns can continue to shoot up the place whenever they feel like it.
Typical liberal thinking.
Except, a federal judge thought this wasn’t such a good idea. Actually, Ms. Grisham’s proclamation was a little too wacky to pass the smell test.
Prohibiting law-abiding citizens from carrying an open or concealed firearm, while ignoring the bad guy’s proclivity to gun down anyone at will, was a violation of a person’s right to bear arms.
In essence, denying self-defense.
Consequently, the judge ruled Gov. Grisham’s edict invalid and voided the proclamation.
Ms. Grisham didn’t take the hint. She thought she knew better, and resubmitted her directive – re-costumed in a slightly different format – to her secretary of health to announce lawful guns will no longer be allowed in city or state parks in Bernalillo County because of their potential health hazard.
Wait, didn’t the judge rule residents could continue to legally carry a firearm in Bernalillo County and Albuquerque? Wouldn’t the judge’s decision include state and private parks within the area?
Perhaps, Gov. Grisham didn’t get the memo – or, ignored it.
Instead, bad guys with guns will, presumably, continue to disregard the state health director’s decree, deal drugs, and fire their 15-round, 9mm pistols at anyone they choose.
The good guys had better not shoot back – they could get arrested.
Obviously, lawful gun owners will be hampered by the governor/health director’s mandate. Fines and penalties can be imposed upon anyone found violating these ridiculous decrees.
Meaning, I suppose, legal gun owners apprehended for transgressing state health rules will be forced to pay the price, while drug dealers and violent criminals remain unconcerned with Santa Fe’s latest feel-good announcement.
After all, the bad guys were shooting and killing each other and citizens before the governor proclaimed her get-tough policy – and they will, probably, be shooting and killing after her demand to stop doing these things.
That is unless a federal judge intervenes and prohibits her newest threat to a person’s constitutional right to carry a firearm.
So far, Ms. Grisham is 0-1 in the win-loss column on this topic.
Keep in mind, this is the same governor who recently publicly stated no constitutional right, even her oath of office, is absolute.
Feeling, I guess, she can pretty much do whatever she wants. Her oath of office, the Constitution, and New Mexico laws be damned.
Even more amazing, she actually believes she, and her staff, have the final authority to enact mandates affecting the constitutional rights of private citizens, without going through the legislative process.
With a wave of her royal scepter, Queen Grisham declares who’s allowed, under certain conditions, to enter public locations within the city and county.
Her bloated ego may – again – bump up against reality. Particularly, if a federal judge is in disagreement with her latest stunt.
Not certain why New Mexico voters tolerate her insolence. Except, for the fact she is a Democrat in a very Blue state. Both U.S. Senators are Democrats, as are the three U.S. Representatives.
There are currently 45 Democrats and 25 Republicans in the New Mexico House of Representatives. There are currently 27 Democrats and 14 Republicans in the New Mexico Senate.
Basically, Dems outnumber Repubs almost 2-1.
This might explain why New Mexico is nearly at the bottom of most social, economic, crime, educational, and business-oriented states in the country. The state ranks #45 in income, and #36 in population.
Admitted to the union a month before Arizona in 1912, it lags its sister state by about five million inhabitants, and billions of dollars in revenue.
In 2020, New Mexico’s population was reported to be 2,117,522. In comparison, Arizona’s population in 2021, is listed as 7,359,197 – #14, and #28 in income.
New Mexico just never seems to grow. Between 2010 and 2021, the state’s population increased by an average of only 0.02% a year (USAFacts). An indication people and private businesses are hesitant to move to The Land of Enchantment.
On the other hand, in the past three years, only three states have gained more people than Arizona – Texas, Florida, and North Carolina.
Now, the current New Mexico governor is of the opinion a clamp down on the rights of lawful gun owners strolling through state and city parks will – magically – reduce crime in the state’s largest city.
Good luck with that assumption.
Here’s an idea. Maybe, if Gov. Grisham tried arresting and jailing the bad guys – and left the good guys alone – New Mexico might actually see an improvement in crime statistics.
