Michelle Lujan Grisham
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

By Matt Manda

New Mexico Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham held a recent press conference to praise herself for implementing legally dubious gun control measures.

Her initial 30-day suspension of Constitutional rights was forcefully and roundly criticized. Even Everytown for Gun Safety-endorsed Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen flat out rejected enforcing it.

Now, as the governor extended her “emergency order” for an additional 30 days, she touted the early successes in targeting criminal firearm misuse in Albuquerque. Most of the results she celebrated, however, come from law enforcement getting tough and holding criminals accountable for breaking laws, not from restricting the rights of law-abiding New Mexicans.

Criminals seem to be carrying on.

Restrict, Backtrack, Repeat

For Governor Grisham, it’s a pattern. It’s always about going overboard and restricting rights, then walking it back once she’s been rebuffed. During her first term, she brought her gun control bona fides to the Moms Demand Action/Everytown for Gun Safety Veepstakes audition to join President Joe Biden’s presidential election ticket. Her sales pitch failed.

The governor 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 was swift and fierce. When faced with the legal certainty that her order wouldn’t pass constitutional muster, including legal challenges supported by NSSF, the governor relented and allowed firearm retailers to reopen.

Michelle Lujan Grisham moms demand action
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)

Fast forward to September and the governor was at it again. She declared a public health emergency in Bernalillo County that suspended Second Amendment rights and prohibited all lawful open 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.”

Even some of the gun control industry’s most stalwart schemers knocked the announcement, including March for Our Lives co-founder David Hogg. U.S. Rep. David Lieu (D-Calif.) criticized Governor Grisham’s reasoning, posting 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 thirty days while legal challenges work their way through the courts.

Tooting Her Own Horn

All the legal back and forth hasn’t stopped Gov. Grisham. She held a press conference to praise her own leadership.

“I won’t rest until we don’t have to talk about (gun violence) as an epidemic and a public health emergency,” the governor said. Responding to questions about her abilities to impose the anti-Second Amendment restrictions, the governor sounded like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “That’s a question that’s now moving to the courts. I need to know what we can and cannot do to keep New Mexicans safe,” she said.

The “successes” the governor touted have more to do with getting tough on criminals who are already ignoring and breaking the law and holding them accountable, and less to do with law-abiding, permit-carrying New Mexicans.

According to the media, Gov. Grisham highlighted the arrests of more than 500 people, “many for misdemeanors,” over the last three weeks. She “celebrated” the recovery of 20 stolen firearms. There have been more than 5,000 firearms reported stolen in Albuquerque over the past five years.

One more data point Gov. Grisham praised was that there were 38 fewer reported gun shots detected over a three-day window…a statistical blip lower than last year’s average of 100 each day.

Straying off message, Secretary of the New Mexico’s Public Health Department Patrick Allen said, “Gun violence is a disease, a contagion with symptoms,” adding, “homicides and criminal shootings are driving increases in gun violence.” State Corrections Secretary Alisha Lucero said focusing recent arrests on criminals has led to an 11 percent increase in the jail population at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

What Gov. Grisham and her cabinet officials didn’t reveal — or care to admit — is what percentage, if any, of those criminals arrested were lawful permit holders in the first place. That’s likely because that number is at or near zero.

Not the Problem

Gov. Grisham left out any reference to law-abiding New Mexicans exercising their Second Amendment rights while committing crimes or being included in her “stats of success,” most likely because there weren’t any. Or, at least, next to none.

Data show that concealed carry permit holders very rarely commit crimes using their firearms. In New Mexico, according to research, only 0.002 percent of law-abiding permit holders have had their permits revoked for any reason at all, including conviction for some nonviolent misdemeanors, let alone intentional violent crimes.

What’s more, studies by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics consistently show that criminals convicted of crimes involving a firearm admitted over 90 percent of the time that the firearm they criminally misused was obtained illegally, either by stealing them or through the black market or other illicit means.

Governor Grisham isn’t fooling anyone. She’s only making a fool of herself. Except she’s playing with New Mexicans’ Constitutional rights.

Her extreme emergency public health order was a ruse. The “successes” she’s bragging about are due to law enforcement going after criminals who were already ignoring and breaking the law, not restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens that her sham gun control orders impacted.

 

Matt Manda is Manager, Public Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. 

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60 COMMENTS

  3. Why hasn’t the DOJ initiated a civil rights violation investigation. There is no question her “Emergency order” Cleary violated citizens 2nd amendment rights.

  4. “I won’t rest until we don’t have to talk about (gun violence) as an epidemic and a public health emergency,” the governor said.

    Well, you can rest because we don’t and it isn’t.

    • But by actually allowing basic policing to go on the illusion can be presented that her policy is involved let alone working and evil gun rights people are trying to let criminals roam free or some such nonsense. Just a guess at motivation.

  5. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham continues to press her case to be Joetato’s back up VP candidate. She appears highly qualified.

  6. She should move to Israel where they have REAL gun control. NO private rifles or shotguns, mental exams, shooting test, interviews for permits, one hand gun only and only 100 rounds, IF you are 27 years of age and speak Hebrew in designated residential areas.

    • She can hang out with NY Gov Hochul. They can dig up/borrow a brain from Yasser Arafat and share it.

    • The Israeli Government just suspended those restrictions on firearms ownership. Allowing for 400,000 Israeli citizens to legally acquire and use firearms to defend themselves, their families and their nation. From the terrorism that should have been dealt with many years ago. Unfortunately they grew comfortable with it and didn’t consider it a threat anymore. Much can be learned from what happened to Israel over the last 10 days. Especially when it comes to being unconcerned about the threat of terrorism and unwilling to deal with it. Until it attacks your way of life and kills your family. It has been allowed to fester and grow unchecked since 2006. Much like what we are witnessing in our country. BLM/ANTIFA, along with what is occurring at Liberal Universities all across the nation. Add with that 1.5 million illegal aliens entering the country unchecked. Many of whom are from nations in the middle east that would rather see us dead. Yes, there is much that can be learned from the war the Middle East. The question will we wait until our nation is attacked, before we act. LIke Israel did.

      • “The question will we wait until our nation is attacked, before we act”.
        Yes, it’s too hard to justify the expense when we’re using the money that should be used to fight them to house, feed, arm, and provide medical care to them.

        • Only because the citizenry Allows It. You more than most being a VN vet, should understand the dangers of allowing Infiltration into your compound. Regardless of what the politicians say. Especially considering it was the politicians that cost the US military that war. and every war since WWII. The enemy still exists and we are still fighting them.

        • @Darkman That’s the point I was trying to make. This administration let them in and they’re giving them everything they need to make war on us instead of using that money to get them out of here.

  7. Tyrants just gotta Tyrant…their emotional reward is the Power to implement their fantasies on everyone else. Power is their ultimate drug.

    Michelle, you have not met a Right that you will not trample in furtherance of your Authoritarian ideology. What’s next on your Agenda…Speech, Search and Seizure, Self-Incrimination…Ah, I’m betting on a double hitter – Due Process and Double Jeopardy.

  8. The democrat gun owners will re elect her. Because they want their “free” condoms, and their “free” abortions. They want their “free” sex change operations. They’re “free” medical marijuana. They want “free” HIV/AIDS, STD treatments.

    Because they voluntarily engage in sexual activity that increased their chances of catching a sometimes fatal disease.

    They also want a “free” government doctor at the “free” injection centers. So that they don’t die of a drug overdose. Because they voluntarily put poison into their bodies.

    So the Libertarian gun owners, the liberal gun owners. And left-wing gun owners will certainly vote to reelect her.

    The New Mexico has fallen.

    • Didn’t even hear anything about this garbage (the brief) but his bigger picture assessment is about what we are expecting for this round but between the expected appeal and other circuits moving along will be really interesting on the next wave heading towards the 2nd circuit

  10. No one should be surprised that a Leftist Democrat Governor praises her illegal and unconstitutional “order”.

  11. Well the good news is Grisham will be elected by the people of New Mexico again, and again, and again, and again.

  12. She should be proud!

    She successfully violated the 2nd amendment, flagrantly, and got the courts to go along with it. This doesn’t change the fact that she’s a reprehensible disgusting human being, but from the perspective of the left, she’s a rock star!

  14. Not too many to arrest. Go after the first 1,000 with a vengeance to make it stick then followup with action.

    People seeing jail come to Jesus pretty quick.

  15. She’s the worst kind of liar. Those that tell half-truths in order to persuade the simple minded. The only question that remains to be answered is: How many simple minded New Mexicans are there?

    • Not so much simple minds as indoctrinated. It began while you were in Nam and has been embedded within the Liberal Democrat Indoctrination system. Formally known as Public Education. Ever since. The culmination of that Indoctrination is being witnessed all across the nation and universities controlled by Liberal/Progressive Democrats. It was allowed to flourish, because far to many people refused to acknowledge it was happening and they couldn’t be bothered to stop it. Especially among parents who ceded the responsibility to ensure their children received a proper education. To groups of people who wanted to control those children’s emotions, rather than teach them the skills,abilities, and knowledge necessary to be productive members of society. Much in the same vein as the Hitler youth.

      • I don’t disagree but I would argue that those who allowed themselves to be indoctrinated have simple minds. There are many who survived it with their minds intact. They are today’s conservatives. Their numbers are growing in the schools and universities now that the demonicRats have shown their true agenda.

        In a way, Covid may have saved the nation by forcing the parents to see what their kids were learning in school. Most clearly didn’t like what they saw.

        • Possum has the simplest explanation that covers one door of the issue. Both parents need to work to cover basic necessities in the majority of the country. Few families are living in multigenerational homes or communities for built in trustworthy daycare. So outside of outliers (home schooling, religious communities, very wealthy etc) the state is the caretaker of the child and takes full advantage of it. VNVet for the most part you are correct the most vulnerable do get the worst of the indoctrination but it is important to remember no one is immune to propaganda and the damage can be subtle instead of the obvious blue hair. With that said yes people absolutely deny it exists because it is easier to live with a lie than admit they were fooled. This is of course by design and I find a startling amount of products and practices that seem to have the side effect of making the kids (and many adults) more susceptible to such programming.

        • @SAFE: The “both parents must work” thing is a cop out. My wife and I both worked and raised 3 wonderful conservative kids in MD (about 87% democrat). Lead by example, not through edict, a word here and there to encourage them to think for themselves, and, always show them unconditional love is all that’s needed.

        • Vet in your case that may be true now think about it and honestly tell me how many people in the “average” category would do as well. Also Chesapeake territory or more towards inland? MD was always fun for camping.

  16. Once again it is shown what a Nazi Grisham is. She’s like an older version of AOC with her ‘O’ mouth open. She has no place being a Governor. She’s merely a puppet.

  18. I live in SW Colorado(getting a house ready to sell next year) and shoot matches in NM, including ABQ, regularly. The most local club is filled with fake patriots who will complain but are unwilling to act. You get the government you deserve, people.

    • And what do you believe they should do to “act”? What have you done to “act”? There are many ways to “act”. If you think you’re a leader with no followers, perhaps you should reconsider where you’re trying to lead.

  19. Expect similar proclaimations and self-congratulations at the Giffords/Tim Walz fundraiser on November 1st. These authoritarians dont care about individual civil rights.

  20. You never hear about all the ayleans crossing into NM. Even THEY don’t like that shithole state. Too much like Vennyzwayla.

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