Another big lie making a comeback in the Know-Nothing-Trump Zone-Fox Island-Disnfowar Universe is that the Biden/Harris Administration (like the Obama/Biden one before it) is going to gut the second amendment and take away law-abiding citizens’ guns.
Fringe reactionaries along with blow with the fringe wind local and state leaders and a gun industry looking to resurrect the second amendment scare of the Obama/Biden years, have launched drives to declare their cities or states second amendment sanctuary areas complete with protections for gun shows, shops, and manufacturers.
Arizona is one of these states where fringe big lies coming from activists, gun industry leaders looking to make profits again, and members of the state legislature about the President taking your guns away have partnered with Republican Governor Doug Ducey (who needs that same fringe base if he wants a chance to serve in higher political office)to enact two unnecessary pieces of legislation to protect gun rights that are not under any threat.
As if the Constitution and other federal measures and protections were not enough.
As if people really need a AR 15 to either hunt Bambi or protect themselves.
The first measure, signed by Governor Ducey in April was HB2111 which was called the Second Amendment Firearm Freedom Act which stated:
“…the state of Arizona and its political subdivisions are prohibited from utilizing any financial resources or state personnel to administer, cooperate with or enforce any law, act, order, rule, treaty or regulation of the federal government that is inconsistent with any law of this state regarding the regulation of firearms.”
At first glance, it seems doubtful, since states cannot pick or choose which federal laws to ignore (been there and done that with the nullification crisis in the 1800s) this law could pass the Constitutional smell test even with six conservative justices on the Supreme Court.
The second measure to signed by Mr. Ducey, SB1382, sponsored by the ultra-fringe Wendy Rogers would primarily protect gun store owners and manufacturers by:
“Prohibits (ing) a civil action from being brought against a manufacturer or seller of a firearm or ammunition or related trade association for damages resulting from the criminal misuse of the firearm or ammunition, except for: a) An action brought against a convicted transferor; b) An action brought against a seller for specified types of negligence; and c) An action where the manufacturer or seller knowingly violated an applicable law and that violation was a cause of harm. (Sec. 1)
Of course, Governor Ducey (the one that sent 250 Arizona National Guardsmen to help at the border once the logjam of unaccompanied children in Border Control custody sharply declined,) along with his like-minded friends in the State Legislature, is trying to paint another big lie picture of the federal government (Joe Biden and Kamala Harris) of coming after your guns. In signing SB 1382, Ducey said:
“With efforts currently underway in Washington to erode Second Amendment rights, Arizona is taking action to protect those rights. In Arizona, we’re safeguarding manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations. Bad actors need to be held accountable, and we will work to make sure they are. But we’re not going to allow lawsuit after lawsuit to slowly tear down the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens in our state. Senate Bill 1382 achieves this goal, and I’m grateful to Representative Quang Nguyen and Senator Wendy Rogers for leading on this important legislation.”
On the passage of the second bill, Arizona Legislative District 24 State House Representative Jennifer Longdon, a victim of gun violence which has resulted in her paralysis from the waist down, protested and stated:
“The reason I am sitting here explaining my vote is unfettered access to firearms…I, too, support the Second Amendment… Last year, gun sales in Arizona during this pandemic rose by 101%,” she said. “No one was denied lawful access to purchase a firearm. So why bother”
Her reactionary colleagues, in response, claim, in another big lie, despite the historical evidence, that the Democrats led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are coming after their gun owners, manufacturers, shows, and stores.
Later in an interview with Blog for Arizona, Representative Longdon called these bills “unnecessary” and a case where “activists are worshiping at the altar of the second amendment.”
Ms. Longdon also took issue with the product liability shields SB1382 provides from PLCAA (Protection of Lawful Commerce and Arms Act), saying:
“Product liability is how we make products safer. Gun manufacturers are exempt. They are not required, through litigation, to improve their product.”
Despite these moves by the cult for the second amendment, Longdon (and other Democrats) have not given up the fight to get common-sense gun control legislation, saying:
“It seems you are rolling a boulder up a hill, but we’ll get there. It will take time. We need to do this for the children.”
There is no reason for Arizona and other states to enact these redundant measures to protect the second amendment.
There is no movement on the part of the Biden/Harris Administration to gut it.
It does not need protecting no matter how many times Governor Ducey and Republican legislators lie and say it does.
It is time to pass measures that will protect victims from future gun violence be it an abusive relationship partner, children in a school, or people at a random mass gathering.
As Laurie Roberts alluded to in her opinion piece on HB2111, when will Republicans worry and enact legislation to help the victims of gun violence instead of measures to shield the third parties that enabled the ones that committed the crime.
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