“Campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, Gov. Chris Christie said he’ll likely pardon several out-of-staters legally permitted to carry their firearms in their home states who have been recently arrested in New Jersey under the Garden State’s tough gun laws,” nj.com reports. Specifically . . .
Elizabeth J. Griffith, of Daytona Beach, Fla., was arrested by U.S. Park Police on July 14 during a visit to Liberty State Park in Jersey City and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. She could face a ten year prison sentence because her Florida state-issued permit to carry a handgun is not recognized by New Jersey . . .
Christie referred to Brian Fletcher, a North Carolina man volunteering to make emergency, storm-related utility repairs in Mercer County who is facing possible prison time for a felony gun charge after telling a police officer in Hamilton that he had a handgun in his vehicle.
“We have this gentleman who we’re considering right now for pardon, from North Carolina who was up here, helping New Jersey after the storm to repair cell towers,” said Christie. “This is just not the right way to do these things. This was not a guy who was a threat to anybody.”
Christie also said he “supported introducing a firearm permit reciprocity law that would honor out-of-state gun carry permits, but didn’t expect the Democratic-controlled legislature to cooperate.” In other words, it wazzunt me.
As for his previous support for a ban on “assault weapons,” Christie recently told a town hall attendee that his thinking has changed and challenged him “to come up with one fact (that shows) as governor of New Jersey I’ve done anything — anything — not to support the rights of legal gun owners.” You know, other than the call for a ban. And signing a law increasing the penalties for unlawful firearms possession – without provision for mistaken out-of-staters. Or anyone else.
Whether this is enough to sway Americans who vote their guns, people who [correctly] view the Garden State as the place where gun rights go to die, remains to be seen. But it’s not likely.
It’s all smoke and mirrors. These politicians are shameless in their attempts to curry favor (I.e., votes).
His chances of getting the nomination, or the presidency, are slim (unlike him), but if some good can come of his candidacy through these pardons, why complain?
“why complain?”
Not for nothing but that kind of statement is what excuses our political betters treat us as morons and peasants.
The only thing this pandering does is allow for the law to stay on the books and a different bureaucrat to get rich off of our backs.
Because it negligently shapes expectations and makes a mockery of the rule of law.
People will see that other firearms offenders are getting away with it, so they’ll do it, too. Except, now you’ll have people selecting for themselves which laws to ignore, in expectation of their own get out of jail free card.
Moreover, it replaces the legitimate legislative process with one man’s political expediency. Sure, pardons are within the governor’s authority, but they’re intended to remedy rare and gross misapplications of the law. Well.
NJ’s firearms laws are abhorrent and unconstitutional in my view. However, they’re applied as evenly as any other law is. They’re applied exactly as intended, too. The state’s draconian approach has been endorsed by the court’s.
So there’s really no legitimacy to pardoning anyone’s offenses, let alone only a few high profile cases during an election season. Had the governor a problem with these laws, he could have campaigned against them and in favor of legislative candidates with similar views.
He’s done none of that. He’s just swooped in, last minute, with an arbitrary and dangerous abuse of his power, while confessing his otherwise (political) impotence for being stymied by a Democrat legislature.
And this guy thinks he deserves thanks and promotion to President? He should be booted out of office, disbarred, and imprisoned.
@Jonathan
“People will see that other firearms offenders are getting away with it, so they’ll do it, too. Except, now you’ll have people selecting for themselves which laws to ignore, in expectation of their own get out of jail free card.”
We are already at this point, just replace guns with illegal immigrants or drugs.
In most gun free zones the picture of the banned gun does not resemble mine, which I assume means mine is one of the accepted categories of guns to possess in that establishment, that is operating on American Soil.
That he blows! The Outlaw Jersey Whale.
Ray
The job of a politician is to persuade. To seek cover behind democratic legislators is a failure of leadership. Withdraw from the national stage and do good for the people of New Jersey.
The “job” and purpose of every politician, bureaucrat, government employee and supporter of same is control… ownership of other people. Most people probably sincerely believe that government (of one sort or another) has legitimate authority to control… to own the lives and property of others. And that’s the vicious lie and myth that causes the continuing destruction of society and the economy of the world.
They want to take our guns because they want to do things to us that we won’t allow as long as we have guns.
Who owns your life? Who is responsible for that life and your safety?
I see great minds think alike. Remember power is unto itself an end.
It’s definitely too little too late for christie. Glad he’ll pardon these few though, it’ll aggravate the hell out the dem majority. Lived in jersey for 40 some years, and saw what that majority did to the state. Sinking ship. Can’t say i blame christie for running for prez, anything to get outta jers is a step up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful state with a boatload to do once you get out of the northeast corridor, but the way it’s run by the dems have ruined it for the regular people
Christie Creme will “likely” not be elected president. I hear Subway needs a new spokesman.
Any genuine “gun rights” supporter with the demonstrated power to pardon “out of staters”, would do so equally to anyone else who ran afoul of his state’s tyranny.
Will the pardon come before or after the expense of a trial?
Why not just ask Sweeney to fast track a reciprocity bill. If it goes nowhere, then he can truly say “it wazzunt me”…
Sounds interesting, although I honestly don’t think much of Christie’s character. More to the point, this is New Jersey we’re talking about. Suppose that Christie pardons otherwise lawful gun owners from out of state for their transgressions as a matter of policy. Would this, then, perhaps influence the Legislature to reform New Jersey’s onerous and unconstitutional gun laws? Or, as seems more likely, would the Legislature double down on their anti-gun hatred and insanity? And in any case, what’s to say that as soon as Christie’s term is up and a Democrat wins the governership that he or she wouldn’t just simply throw out any and all reforms and return to status quo?
This sort of thing is just why I consider some states, New Jersey being one of them, beyond hope.
Tom
Christie is a mobster goodfellow thug. He represents everything wrong with politics, and why our Constitution was based on limiting the power of the government, not the freedom of the people. I’d rather have Hillary. I won’t vote for any RINO’s this time. I’m done.
The timing is impeccable. It’d be nice to see tangible things backing up his rhetoric. An example of this would be a historical movement to increase freedoms in that state – in particular sponsoring or early involvement in simplifying or removing restrictions to gun ownership. In that vein, it’s all crickets. This is merely a show – look at what a benevolent leader he is.
Still no confidence. He needs to go back and worry about bridges…
Well, as long as SOMETHING good comes of CC running for prez…
I’ll believe it when I see it.
This is not the level of 2A support I’m looking for. It beats Blatant Anti, but Christie seems far too timid about gun rights to stand up to any real political firestorm. If another Newtown happened on his watch I’d fully expect him to go the road of Dick’s Sporting Goods and CTD.
Gun-owning Jersey residents must be getting sick watching out-of-staters come in to their state, break laws, and then get free passes, while they still risk imprisonment. I know I would be furious.
He keeps blaming the legislature, but I am yet to see him name any NJ guns laws he wants to repeal.
Instead of saying “likely” why not sit your ample hindquarters behind your desk and do it?
(And the rest of the people whose rights are infringed and don’t give him political capital can go pound sand)
Too little, too late. If the liberal media and the GOP attempts to shove Christie down my throat I will vote for an independent.
Christie deserves a pat on the back if he does pardon unwary travelers for violating Jersey’s draconian gun laws. He just doesn’t deserve a vote.
I give the governor credit. Most elected leaders refuse to subject themselves to an open forum where they could be subject to hard questions. So when a 2A person grills him he gets up set. Good now do something about it Governor. Like it or not this is how politics works. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If the civil rights of citizens are restored I will be glad. That does not mean I will send him an out of state support check. He will have to do a lot more.
Civil rights workers are putting up stiff resistance in Oregon, New Jersey, Colorado, and Washington State. All have had small victories. Oregon and Colorado had major victories forcing out anti civil rights politicians. Every small victory can lead to a bigger victory. It took the old civil rights movement years to get the voting rights act of 1965 passed.
The second amendment is a civil right. Every time the subject comes up in conversation I call it that. It Throws the opposition off and makes them uncomfortable, just as civil rights made people uncomfortable the 1950s.
Yep +1 Ralph-but he’s still on the rino list. I see slow Joe Biden might run-good times for dumbocrats(he he)…
I stayed on and off in NJ while in the Army (my wife was a Jersey girl). I retired from the Army in 95 and headed there. Some of the local Leo did not like that I had two 9mm semi auto pistols with me that I’d bought at an American rod and gun club in Nuremberg.(they came with me from FRG on military orders) and kept wanting me to register them. I knew the Captain on the force who said don’t worry about it. I suffered through a few anti gun governors until my wife passed in 07. I moved out to my native Illinois(oh crap). When we finally got ccw here in Illinois, I also got my Florida ccw. I was going back to NJ to visit family. I asked the NJ SP about bringing my ccw firearm. Their quote; if you are traveling through NJ with your ccw, do not stop for anything, not a pee break or fuel. If you stop we consider that you have completed your travels and are staying in NJ. If we find a gun in your possession, we will arrest you and lock you up until your arraignment and possibly until your trial. Do not bring a firearm into NJ .
With that, I went “naked”. The residence are fed up, but Newark and other North Jersey cities politicians are anti 2nd Amendment and they rule the legislature. They are toxic and remind governors that they rule the state not the governors.
So, if your car broke down when traveling through, you’re screwed.
That is why PA exists. To circumvent NJ.
I’ll just let myself think that our letter writing campaign helped change his mind.
I’d vote for him, the only one besides Donald who seems to be willing to stand in front of people and answer THEIR questions, unlike most politicians, who plant questions.
Plus who do we want to take out our enemies, someone who can benefit from foreign donations, or a guy who will punish his enemies by closing a bridge to teach them a lesson.
We need someone in their with some balls.
I would rather see someone with brains and balls who protected our interests, and it is not Christie Creme.
La Creme is not running for re-election as governor of New Jersey, he is running a nationwide campaign for president of the United States. The political calculation is: extraordinary action in favor of gun rights = votes.
The demonrats know they are going to be smashed in the 2016 presidential election, so they double down on calling for suppression of 2nd ammendment rights. Their opposition sees political mileage in supporting 2nd ammendment rights and that is what we like.
Christie also said he “supported introducing a firearm permit reciprocity law that would honor out-of-state gun carry permits, but didn’t expect the Democratic-controlled legislature to cooperate.”
So propose it and see what they say. If they shoot it down (pun intended) use it as a stick to beat them with.
This is the conservative who hugged obama 2 days before the election……I would never believe this guy…..as NJ continues into the toilet.
National reciprocity as a campaign theme NOW! Get national reciprosity in NJ as a show of good faith. That will get my vote. That will overcome my objection to you pushing for means based SS and taxed health benefits.
I don’t feel a real love for our gun rights as these innocent people have been needlessly
languishing in NJ jails for so many years.
It is just like Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation.
There was no real love for the slaves.
It is just for POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY.
Hmm… this politi-speak he’s spouting now wouldn’t have anything to do with his recent presidential candidacy bid? Where was this attitude earlier this year? As the church lady is fond of saying, “how convenient!!”
Freaking politicians. They should all be fitted with a term-dependent non-removable dog collar that shocks them every time they lie during their time in office.
“Freaking politicians. They should all be fitted with a term-dependent non-removable dog collar that shocks them every time they lie during their time in office.”
If there was a “like” button I’d use it. It would be like July 4th every day with the flying sparks.
These morons- all of them- lie with such frequency and impunity it’s become a public spectacle when one inadvertently tells the truth.
Nice of King of the Deli to pardon foreigners for things he’ll throw his own people into prison for. Either it’s wrong or it’s not, and if there is any question- the default is supposed to be “not”.
Reciprocity? New Jersey? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! Don’t lie Christie! Just keep the pardons rollin’ lol
I’m not sure if Christie is empowered to exonerate rather than just pardon. If simply pardoned, don’t they still have a felony record and suffer the consequences (e.g, fail to pass background check for firearms purchase or CCW permit)?
How likely is it that those pardons dry up with the end of the presidential primary?
More Political BS from a Politician until gets elected. like all the politicians that would pimp there mothers for a vote!
He had years to pardon the guy who came to help after Sandy. Now he decides he is “looking into it”?
As we say in the South, “bless his little heart”.
Pandering SOB. It will be a cold day in the Sahara before I vote for that knucklehead.
+1, TCK. But let’s not forget what a mess he’s made of NJ’s finances. And unlike Mussolini, he couldn’t even get the trains to run on time: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/nyregion/new-jersey-transit-expects-big-bills-for-offering-alternatives-during-delays.html
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