If you live in New Mexico, or even if you like to visit New Mexico, I encourage everyone who can to show up at an important gun rights rally on February 3. Residents of the state find themselves in a similar situation to the one Virginia faced in 2020, and it’s a disease that can spread nationally if we don’t stamp it out now.
Looking Back To Just Before The Pandemic
In late 2019, gun owners saw something unprecedented happen. Virginia, a state that had been gun friendly for much of its history, found itself facing an anti-gun legislature and governor who promised tyrannical new laws that would make the state look a lot more like California or New York. Even Donald Trump (who wasn’t the most vocal supporter of gun issues) recognized the threat, saying, “Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Between the attention that brought and the hyperventilations of mainstream media outlets, word got out that gun owners needed to show up and make their voices heard. So, tens of thousands of people from all over the United States showed up to the Virginia Citizens’ Defense League’s annual Lobby Day protest. Everyone knew that if it wasn’t stopped in Virginia, it would spread everywhere.
While the media worked to discredit the event as some kind of bigoted, right-wing threat to the Republic, those of us who don’t let the media tell us what to think saw that the event represented something entirely different. Gun owners from all backgrounds showed up to let the civilian disarmament movement know where they stood.
January 2020 Lobby Day in VA. Met these gals along with a lot of other patriotic 2A supporters. pic.twitter.com/GNh5Rajcqz
— Cheryl (@Cheryl4labs) June 1, 2022
Many bad laws still got through the legislature after the event, but the governor’s signature anti-gun bill, an “assault weapon” ban, stalled and died. Now, people are working in the legislature and the courts to reverse the other losses.
Not only did the predictions of violence and mayhem not come to pass, but people even stayed after to help clean up any messes. The message was sent, but people also showed that they were good citizens and not people looking to crap in their own nest (something we saw a lot of later that year).
It’s Happening Again
Like Virginia, New Mexico has been a gun-friendly place for a long time. Like most other states, the concealed carry situation had to be fixed (and still needs a lot of work), but open carry had been legal as long as the state had existed, along with strong protections for car carry. A constitutional amendment in 1986 even prohibits local governments from passing local gun laws.
The state gained a reputation for being a “purple state” because it not only protected gun rights, but wasn’t a stereotypical pro-gun state dominated by conservative politics. This middle-of-the-road approach was great for gun owners of all backgrounds for a long time.
But, in the last couple of decades, a cloud of locusts have moved in from California. The state’s low cost of living made it very attractive, especially for retirees. When these people moved in, they were smart enough to leave California, but weren’t smart enough to not bring their dumb politics with them. This culminated in the election of Michelle Lujan-Grisham, a radical authoritarian progressive, who has worked to undermine the “purple state” balance.
On top of instituting some of the most insane pandemic policies in the country, Grisham then tried to further abuse her authority during public health emergencies to ban the carry of guns in Albuquerque, something which even anti-gun figures like David Hogg knew was both illegal and insane.
Governor: It’s time to ban assault weapons in New Mexico https://t.co/ds9VNSlzLE pic.twitter.com/DPYfjxpt1U
— Albuquerque Journal (@ABQJournal) January 16, 2024
Now, the governor is doing it again, this time trying to get the legislature to pass some truly awful gun control laws. Like Ralph “Black Face” Northam, the governor’s key bill is going to be a semi-auto rifle ban, but this time based on the failed GOSAFE Act, something even more extreme than people faced in Virginia.
If passed, this law (along with the others she wants) isn’t in compliance with the Supreme Court’s NYSRPA v Bruen decision, but she knows that. The point is to tie gun owners up in court for as long as possible and deny rights for as long as she can. Plus, she’s hoping that Biden will get reelected, and that maybe the court will be different by the time her nonsense makes it to the top court.
This is a cancer that will spread if unchecked. We’re seeing similar things in Colorado and other states that have been infected with the California virus. Even more solid states like Arizona, Texas and maybe even eventually Utah are not immune. Keep in mind that New Mexico used to be a strong pro-gun state, too, until we got infected. Large numbers of Californians are moving out to other states, and many of them have brought their disdain for individual rights with them to places like Phoenix and Austin.
We can’t stop people from leaving the festering hell-hole that California has become, but we can make this a teachable moment. When they come to other states and want to respect individual rights, we’re friends. But, when they try to import authoritarianism, they need to know that we won’t put up with that nonsense.
If you can, please come and let Loony Lujan-Grisham and her friends know that people care about this issue enough to come from across the United States and oppose it. The capitol grounds are not a “gun-free” zone, so be sure to bring along whatever guns you feel comfortable bringing.
But, please keep any signs and flags on topic. We want the state legislature to know that they aren’t watching a Trump rally or a Republican protest, but a statement from people from all walks of life and affiliation who believe in the Second Amendment and support all of our Constitutional rights. This needs to be loud and clear if there’s any chance that they’re going to listen and get a clue.