Opposition To Albuquerque Gun Ban From Unlikely Allies

The typical pro-gun crowd and Black Lives Matter have almost nothing in common, with the possible exception of basic biological similarities. That’s about it. They’ll probably disagree on pretty much any issue you set between them as a matter of course.

Advertisement

Such is politics in 2020.

Of course, that just tells you how badly Albuquerque city officials have managed to screw the pooch with their attempted gun ban.

Three unlikely groups are pushing back against the city of Albuquerque’s ordinance that bans weapons in city parks, citing that the rule was not actually passed by the city council.

Questions were raised about the ordinance after Black Lives Matter protester Frankie Grady was arrested for having a gun on Civic Plaza during a demonstration last month, but police charged him with carrying a firearm on school grounds. On Sunday, those charges were dismissed.

“I think the city is taking a position that they can apply this law to any public ground, and city property, where a school event may have once taken place or has once taken place, but obviously the district attorney’s office and I don’t agree,” said Ryan Villa, Grady’s attorney.

Court documents for Grady reveal that the district attorney’s office dropped the charges because they were concerned about the “constitutionality and the legal basis for the charge.”

District Attorney Raul Torrez reached out to the attorney general for guidance. A spokesperson from Torrez’s office sent KOB 4 the following statement:

“Before pursuing any criminal prosecution under the City’s recent administrative order banning firearms on Civic Plaza, we have asked the attorney general for a formal opinion on the constitutionality of that measure. As we await the attorney general’s opinion, we will continue to work with our public safety partners to ensure the proper balance between the right to peaceful assembly and the right to keep and bear arms.”

Meanwhile, the city of Albuquerque said they’re going to continue using the state-wide ban on weapons at schools to cite people who bring weapons to city parks.

Advertisement

They can cite people, but if the DA isn’t going to prosecute people, all they’re doing is wasting their time. That’s why the Oregon State Police pulled out of Portland, after all.

Yet the fact that members of Black Lives Matter, the DA, and the NRA all seem to stand in opposition to this measure should serve as a wakeup call for the city. If all of these people think you’re wrong, you might want to rethink what you’re doing.

Especially since the moment some kid gets hurt at one of these public grounds, some parent is going to decide to sue the city. Declaring them educational facilities or whatever implies some degree of adult supervision. The moment a kid gets hurt, even if it’s by doing something stupid, the city is opened up for a lawsuit.

Which means the city would then have to admit that no, they aren’t educational sites and their gun ban is unconstitutional, or they’ll have to shell out for the kid’s injuries…which will just invite more lawsuits.

Honestly, they’re not getting out of this one easy, nor should they…unless they stop this nonsense right away.

Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Advertisement
Advertisement