Last Thursday, Gavin Newsom, the governor of the Kaliforniyskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika (California Socialist Republic), lashed out at a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after it upheld a federal district court’s ruling that California’s law requiring background checks for ammunition was unconstitutional.
In a press release, Newsom said: “Strong gun laws save lives – and today’s decision is a slap in the face to the progress California has made in recent years to keep its communities safer from gun violence. Californians voted to require background checks on ammunition and their voices should matter.”
Of course, there’s never been any evidence to show gun laws, strong or otherwise, are particularly good at saving lives. Based on the evidence we have, the defensive use of guns saves far more lives every year.
As far as any “progress,” Newsom really needs to read the stuff that lands on his desk. Despite having passed some of the most restrictive (and ridiculous) gun control laws in U.S. history, California’s own Department of Justice said the violent crime rate rose 31% in the ten years from 2014 to 2023. In addition, the murder rate rose 11 percent.
On the other side of ‘gun violence’, the state saw an approximately one percent decline in the overall suicide rate, which is good. However, suicides committed with firearms rose three percent, which is bad if you’ve been pushing red flag laws.
Neither of these sounds like California has made any progress in keeping “communities safer from gun violence.”
In fact, the only thing strong about those “strong gun laws” is the stench.
The ammunition law is not the only reason Newsom’s singing the Blue State Blues. Last month, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals tossed California’s one-gun-per-month law. A Biden-appointed federal district court judge has ruled a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff over lengthy delays in issuing concealed-carry licenses can proceed.
Newsom’s also looking over his shoulder because California’s assault weapons ban and its magazine restrictions have already been ruled unconstitutional – twice. Only the judicial creativity of the Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals stands between him and what the Second Amendment actually means. If the Supreme Court pays any attention to the amicus curiae brief flied by the Department of Justice last month, J.B. Pritzker isn’t going to be the only blue state governor to start sweating.
In his statement, Newsom also said: “Californians voted to require background checks on ammunition and their voices should matter.”
That doesn’t say a whole lot of good things about Californians and their votes, especially the coasties on the shaky side of the San Andreas Fault. After all, they elected him governor. Twice.
About Bill Cawthon
Bill Cawthon first became a gun owner 55 years ago. He has been an active advocate for Americans’ civil liberties for more than a decade. He is the information director for the Second Amendment Society of Texas.
