New Mexico continues to be a shining example of gun control activists and politicians overreaching to restrict law-abiding citizens’ ability to exercise Second Amendment rights instead of pursuing violent criminals. The failure of the so-called leaders to address those breaking the laws and punishing the ones that follow it is a major reason why residents of Albuquerque rank crime and public safety as a top concern.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham made waves for her ill-fated attempts at suspending Constitutional rights within the state’s largest county, saying “No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute.” She was brushed back by the courts and forced to recalibrate.
The latest example by city officials in Albuquerque shows their efforts yielded more fizzle than fruition in reducing criminal violence.
Gun Control Flop
In 2021, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller signed an executive order to establish the Albuquerque Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Task Force aimed at developing strategies to “turn the tide on gun violence.” The creation of the task force came after months of discussions and on the heels of the deadliest year in the city from homicides.
“Turning the tide on gun violence will take immediate action, like strengthening laws for gun storage and gun crimes,” the mayor said at the time. “This task force is one of the priorities that emerged from the Metro Crime Initiative this summer, as it becomes more clear that gun violence is a public health crisis.”
Mayor Keller’s rush to “do something” included pushing for unconstitutional mandatory firearm storage laws and strengthening gun control laws despite playing footsie with the “defund-the-police” movement in 2020. Calling “gun violence” a “public health crisis” is also code-speak for using taxpayer funds to implement more gun control and usurp the Constitution to limit rights.
Fast forward to last month and the three-year-old task force has fizzled out with little fanfare. According to KOB4 News, a member of the task force who wanted to stay anonymous said that the group hasn’t met since last fall, leadership has changed multiple times and more than a dozen members have left the group.
One of the members of the task force who left, Miranda Viscoli, acts as the co-president of the gun control group New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. Viscoli seemed baffled about the idea of what to do and how to do it. “Task forces are complicated, right? It’s, you know, we have to figure out what to do, and then how do we execute it,” Viscoli said.
After more than two years of “work,” the group is dismantling with an odd message about their accomplishments. “I think there is still more work to be done,” former task force leader and Albuquerque City Councilwoman Nicole Rogers said. “Clearly, gun violence is still an issue in our community, especially with our youth. So there is absolutely more work to be done.”
In sum, after nearly three years, there are no formal recommendations and there’s no report yet on how much it cost taxpayers.
Like Governor, Like Mayor
Mayor Keller’s failure to face the fact that it is criminals who should be held accountable for their crimes is familiar because that’s what comes down from the state’s top executive. Gov. Lujan Grisham exhibits many of the same tendencies based on gun control fantasies as well.
During her first term, Gov. Lujan Grisham tried choking off gun rights during the COVID-19 pandemic by closing down firearm retailers under the guise of those businesses not being “essential.” The backlash across the state was fierce and when faced with the legal certainty her order wouldn’t pass Constitutional muster, including legal challenges, the governor relented and allowed firearm retailers to reopen.
Fast forward to September 2023 and the governor decreed a public health emergency in Bernalillo County, including Albuquerque, that suspended Second Amendment rights and prohibited all lawful public and concealed carrying of firearms.
“There are literally too many people to arrest,” the governor said. “If there’s an emergency … I can invoke additional powers. No constitutional right, in my view … is intended to be absolute.”
But in the wake of her edict, even gun control’s most stalwart schemers criticized her for the announcement. March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg did and so did U.S. Rep. David Lieu (D-Calif.), who posted on social media, “This order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution … There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution.”
Once again, a judge placed a temporary restraining order on the concealed and public carry provisions of the public health order. And again, the governor recoiled, narrowing her edict but extending the initial 30-day order by another 30 days while legal challenges are working through the courts.
The governor tried once more to push more gun control during the 2024 30-day budget-focused legislative session but still failed to get her way.
Answer Right in Front of You
If the governor, Mayor Keller or any of the former task force members are still searching for answers on how to reduce criminal gun violence, the governor already announced to media how it can be done. She held a celebratory press conference in October 2023, patting herself on her back that her gun control efforts were working. Except they weren’t. The things she highlighted as having the biggest impact on reducing criminal gun crimes were, in fact, related to criminals, not law-abiding New Mexicans.
The “successes” the governor highlighted included getting tough on criminals and holding them accountable. She praised the arrests of more than 500 people, “many for misdemeanors,” during a recent stretch. She “celebrated” the recovery of 20 stolen firearms, while leaving out that there had been more than 5,000 firearms reported stolen in Albuquerque over the past five years. Another data point Gov. Grisham praised was that there were 38 fewer reported gunshots detected over a three-day window – a blip lower than last year’s average of 100 each day.
Taxpayers in Albuquerque are owed answers. How much did they pay for an ill-fated task force to meet and sputter out with no formal report or finalized recommendations on reducing crime in the city? That money could’ve been saved if everyone recognized that going after criminals does the most good, not further restricting the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
To sum up the pointless waste of this and every other government task force:
“Whatever we did was a success and whatever we didn’t get done is the fault of someone/something else. Thanks for the money.”
“Never let a crisis go to waste and if one doesn’t exist make one up.” This is the mantra of all tyrants since the beginning of history.
The whole anti-gun citizen revolt is based on donations from liberal ignorant sources that are not willing to do anything except listen to someone selling the idea. Most are just ignorant or raised in a manner that does not allow them to think otherwise.
Then there are the Soros and other communist sources that know the only way they can end up with control over the masses is to remove their source of defense.
Don’t worry, this group my wane but bigger money has been waiting to move in to fill the gap.
I can’t comment, wtf
We all certainly wish that debby couldn’t either, but somehow every single one of her non-relevant “responses” seems to garner the required interwebz ink, and as always a recycled video attachment – see below.
Testing 1 2 3
twice i’ve had ether and subsequent “you’ve already said that” notices, with nothing appearing. not controversial either, glitch.
Consulting fees disbursed, shared, and kicked back. Catered luncheons and networking sessions. A good time was had by all.
An officer can refuse to enforce with the power of “discretion”
Unsurprising Trivia: When mankind history is viewed in terms of tyrannical ‘government’ powers, over 98% of those ‘individuals in power’ invoking such tyranny of deprivation of rights of the people did not survive the ire of the people while the people were armed.
Today’s Gun Control is mostly Rooted in the public’s ignorance of Yesterday’s bigoted Gun Control…
Thank you for providing such insightful information…. Damn woman you are a broken goddamn record. 80% of your posts remind us that gun control is rooted in racism. WE GET IT ALREADY!!
I feel terrible for your husband…or wife…..whatever.
3.2.1 now she will call me a demoRAT or some other childish name.
Debbie,
I, too, am sick and tired of you always posting the same “gun control is racist” over and over and over again.
It adds nothing to the conversation.
Try posting something, anything else
I am no fan of Israel’s New York style “mother may I” gun control policy, but by contrast they are allowing those how have pistol CCW permits to carry at concerts and other public venues (sensitive areas). They apparently have realized even if you have a cop or soldier on every corner they will still be half a block away when the balloon goes up. Take that Governor “Shorty” Lujan-Grisham!
Shows the mindset of the policymakers.
These communists do not want to spend money on enforcing laws and throwing criminals into jail, among other necessary functions. They would rather fund drag time for libraries and other mentally questionable endeavors. It is an abdication of their responsibilities.
I take great pleasure when these efforts by liberals to go around the Constitution fail.
….and you might want to put a little effort into researching who in our own legislature votes down stricter laws to enforce who stays in jail, who’s held prior to hearing or trial and who is let go to roam the streets. A little effort and educated research will reveal that it isn’t all the blue side of the aisle.
“Miranda Viscoli, acts as the co-president of the gun control group New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence. Viscoli seemed baffled about the idea of what to do and how to do it. “Task forces are complicated, right? It’s, you know, we have to figure out what to do, and then how do we execute it,” Viscoli said.”
Miranda is the perfect “Karen” busybody, just Google and see how she’s “doing something”.
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who would pervert the Constitution.
Abraham Lincoln – 1859 as part of his notes in which Lincoln worked out how to articulate his policy on slavery, and his positions on popular sovereignty and the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision. These complete notes used in various parts in speeches he delivered in the latter part of 1859 into 1860.”
(and for Debbie, the complete portion of the speech including those lines is thus, on February 27, 1860, he spoke at Cooper Union in New York City:
“We must not disturb slavery in the states where it exists, because the Constitution, and the peace of the country both forbid us — We must not withhold an efficient fugitive slave law, because the constitution demands it —
But we must, by a national policy, prevent the spread of slavery into new territories, or free states, because the constitution does not forbid us, and the general welfare does demand such prevention — We must prevent the revival of the African slave trade, because the constitution does not forbid us, and the general welfare does require the prevention — We must prevent these things being done, by either congresses or courts — The people — the people — are the rightful masters of both Congresses, and courts — not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it —” )
Oh no! Look what old Abe said while debating Frederick Douglass! I betchya this isn’t taught in elementary school ….
” I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause]-that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. “
They need criminals running free so they can step on the law abiding individual’s Rights when people become scared and run to government for help.
Seems to me all the states that start with New are just like the old.
ABQ’s government has long been a giant grift.