New York Democrat Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday praised California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent move to allow residents to sue gunmakers, saying New York should follow his lead.
James said: “We need to follow his lead. And the reason why that is, is because gun manufacturers and gun distributors in this country are immunized. No liability whatsoever. They are the only industry that is protected in this country, and given the carnage, and given the fact that this is the anniversary of Sandy Hook, I am sick and tired of prayers and individuals whose hearts go out to all of those who have lost their lives,” she said. “We can do something about it.”
Sound familiar? It is eerily similar to the “red flag” legislation called for by President Biden and others nationwide. Actually New York passed its own such bill in 2019. It allows NY citizens to contact authorities and declare an acquaintance incapable of owning or possessing firearms.
Thus began a new assault on the rights of gun owners in the face of the ever progressive agenda of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s past regime making it more than well known that gun owners in New York State are not only unwanted, but they are on a list of targets and as he has said in the past if people don’t like his rules, then they are free to leave.
Fortunately Mr. Cuomo departed yet left us to still face a majority of like-minded legislators who are willing to continue his legacy. A major goal is for us to ‘win back’ the state senate by electing Republican candidates on whose vote we can depend. Recall that one of the most recent attempts (in 2020) was to pass a bill requiring that each time a gun owner wants to buy a gun, no matter what, they would have to seek out an approved mental health professional to have an evaluation performed. This bill did not reach a full legislative vote but it continues to have many legislative supporters. The question should be when do ALL elected officials get their mental health evaluation ?
Lawmakers in the Empire State last year approved what they call the toughest ban on so-called “Ghost Guns” in the country. The measure aims to create tough new statewide laws on firearms without serial numbers such as those commonly built by hobbyists in the comfort of their own home. It would also make the simple act of fitting together the component parts of a firearm a crime for anyone who is not a licensed gunsmith. The bill, like others, has been floating around Albany for almost a decade in one form or another but was consistently foiled while Republicans held narrow control of the senate.
These bills may seem harmless to many gun owners. They feel no pressure if it does not appear to affect them personally. The question to ask is when does such encroachment on our personal liberties stop? Certainly a requirement for a mental health evaluation should be the last straw for all of us. Yet it’s failure to become law this past year will lull many to sleep again.
