Staff Reports
This week, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has taken home the prestigious award for coming up with the most unconstitutional idea possible. She issued an emergency order suspending the right to carry guns in public across Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for 30 days. Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, that’s unconstitutional!” give yourself a pat on the back, because you’re absolutely correct!
Even some Democrats are uneasy about Grisham’s power grab, recognizing that she has no leg to stand on. The only person openly supporting Grisham’s unconstitutional move is none other than noted racist Richard Spencer. It’s no surprise, considering that gun control measures have a deeply racist past. If you hate a certain minority group, disarming them seems to be a top priority.
Unsurprisingly, there’s already a lawsuit to undo this abuse of power, and public officials in New Mexico have no intention of enforcing the order. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who once served as a Democratic party leader, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, and Police Chief Harold Medina all stated that they wouldn’t enforce the order. It seems like even those who should be loyal to Grisham can see the blatant abuse of power.
It’s important to note that there is no broad exemption to the US Constitution that Grisham is trying to push. A governor cannot simply declare an emergency and override constitutional protections. The whole purpose of a written constitution is to prevent this exact scenario by holding everyone accountable to an agreed-upon set of rules.
Fortunately, most people have come to their senses and realized that this is indeed an abuse of power. Democrats have been losing ground on the issue of gun control for years, and the number and diversity of gun owners have only grown. After the challenges we faced during the pandemic, it’s hard to argue against the need for self-defense tools.
However, Grisham’s power grab should make us reflect on the larger issue at hand. The formula for this unconstitutional move is clear: declare a public emergency, use emergency powers to take actions not approved by Congress or the voters, and dare anyone to challenge you for the “public good.”
We have seen this play out under the current administration as well. President Biden attempted to forgive all student loans unilaterally, despite everyone acknowledging that he didn’t have the power to do so. But it made him look good to a specific constituency, so he made the power grab and left it for the Supreme Court to clean up the mess.
Democrats have also discussed taking similar steps regarding climate change. Biden has mentioned declaring a “climate public emergency” and using those emergency powers to enforce change. But just like with student loans and firearms, these attempts are not about saving the world. They are about circumventing the US Constitution to push their own agenda.
Congress exists to ensure that everyone agrees on the necessary actions and forces compromise. It prevents majorities from trampling over everyone else and safeguards against minority position groups seizing illegal power. The American system is designed to prevent tyranny from multiple avenues.
JUST IN: NM lawmakers call for the impeachment of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham..
"Our governor called for open season on law-abiding citizens by subverting the state and federal Constitutions. That needs to be remedied immediately."..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) September 10, 2023
We are witnessing a troubling trend of politicians declaring emergencies to bypass the Constitution. Don’t like an election result? Try to overrule the constitutional process. Don’t like the Second Amendment? Declare an emergency to override it. This is not how our system works, and we must push back against this tendency. Grisham deserves to be investigated for impeachment in her state for attempting to override people’s rights for her own partisan reasons. Congress needs to stand up to President Biden as well.
Preserving the American constitutional order is of utmost importance. Politicians who fail to defend this fundamental line, a line they vow to uphold when taking office, should be held accountable and removed from power.
Furthermore, governing through constant public emergencies is no way to sustain a cohesive society. It only serves to destroy our sense of commonality, as each group prioritizes its own emergencies. Politicians resort to this tactic because they lack the basic skillset to pass legislation into law. If you can’t convince people in Congress to support your agenda, you can’t simply declare a public emergency to get what you want.
This is not how constitutional systems operate, and no one wants to live under a rule by edict. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico is a public disgrace and deserves to be ridiculed, shamed, and impeached. Unfortunately, she is not the only politician engaging in such unconstitutional behavior. It’s time for the American people to demand that our elected officials uphold the principles of our Constitution and respect the rights of all citizens.
