New York is one of the most anti-gun states in the nation. Gov. Kathy Hochul is a prime example of one of those lawmakers in an anti-gun state that's pro-gun until it's inconvenient to be so, and now she's as anti-gun as they come. Such a missed opportunity for the state.
Anyway, anti-gunners love her and the state. They're making all the "right" moves, but there's also only so much they can get away with going forward. A lot of what they've tried in the past has been smacked down by the courts for going too far, which means they don't have a lot of wiggle room left.
But the fact that they're celebrating the latest move by Hochul shows just how little it takes to make them happy.
On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrated the codification of the state Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a decrease in shootings statewide.
Of course, the office hasn't done anything to impact that decrease in shootings statewide--and this doesn't mention the decrease is nationwide, so it's not a gun control thing--but it's not just Hochul celebrating. Oh no, the gun control advocates are also thrilled.
Yet, what is an office like this really going to do?
Again, the state has tons of gun control laws on the books. Why do they need an office that will aim to reduce "gun violence" if gun control is the answer they've been needing?
I think that, on some level, everyone knows this office will be nothing but a state jobs program for anti-gun activists, and that's really why they're celebrating. They can't really make a lot of new gun control laws that won't get slapped down by the courts, and they know it, so this is really kind of just throwing them a bone that makes it clear they have the power in the state and not those who actually give a damn about our civil liberties.
Everyone knows this is just a gesture, at best, with a paycheck for some of the loudest voices at the end, and they're giddy about it. They're thrilled to see it.
Why?
The answer is simple. They don't care about effectiveness. They care about sending a signal that the right to keep and bear arms isn't really a right anymore, at least in their view. It's a privilege that the state can restrict like any other privilege. It doesn't matter if it actually accomplishes anything at all.
At least with the federal office, while it existed, it was about coordinating efforts between states, offering sample legislation that could be shared, etc. It had a function. It was a blatantly unconstitutional function, and I'm glad it was abolished, but I could at least see what it was supposed to do.
State offices aren't in a position to do any of this.
Plus, the name just pisses me off. It's not about preventing "gun violence." It's about gun control. It's always been about gun control. We know what Hochul backs these days, and it has nothing to do with violence.
Luckily for criminals, "knife violence" and "bat violence" are still left unaffected, so they're free to do whatever they want.
Then again, "gun violence" will be unaffected, too, so whatever.
And the anti-gunners know it. They just want everyone to be reminded that they control the state and want to control the nation.
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