I am writing in response to Governor Murphy’s gun banning proposals article from March 23, 2021. Anything that makes it harder and more expensive for law-abiding citizens to practice their Second amendment rights is tantamount to a gun ban, if the average citizen can’t afford it. It will do absolutely nothing to stop gun crime in New Jersey, as criminals don’t follow gun laws. The 2018 New Jersey law reducing the magazine from 15 to 10 already makes it harder for a law-abiding citizen to defend themselves.
From ammunition databases, microstamping ammunition, banning certain weapons, and holding gun manufacturers liable for gun crimes in New Jersey, it would make it virtually impossible for a law-abiding citizen to buy guns or ammunition at a reasonable market price. It would basically end the ability for law-abiding citizens to buy ammunition and guns on the internet, as it would be too much of a hassle for out of state gun sellers or ammo dealers to ship to New Jersey.
Currently, a New Jersey Firearms ID card is needed in order to purchase ammunition via the internet, and each gun purchase through the internet requires that it be shipped to a licensed Federal Firearms Dealer in New Jersey, who then runs an FBI background check before the gun can be released to the New Jersey gun buyer. Gun shows require a similar process.
We don’t have a gun problem in New Jersey or in America, we have a Democrat party problem. In New Jersey, most of the gun crime and homicides are from six cities, Atlantic City, Camden, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson and Trenton. In America, according to FBI statistics, of the 20 cities with the highest gun homicides, only Tulsa, Oklahoma at number twenty, is Republican run.
According to Major Cities Chiefs Association, for non-homicide gun violence, only Jacksonville, Florida at number twenty, is Republican run.
At a minimum, these other cities have been run by Democrat politicians for decades. It is the policies of Democrat administrations that has caused/allowed the crime to rise and decline to happen. When you subtract out the numbers from the Democrat-run cities and suicides, then both the United States and New Jersey have low gun crime and gun homicides.
We also don’t have a mass shooter problem in America, as most of the most recent shooters were already reported to local and federal law enforcement before the shooter went on a rampage. New laws won’t work either when there is a breakdown in enforcement or record keeping that would prevent a potential mass shooter from attaining weapons. We need to get serious about addressing mental health issues in America, which is the real problem creating mass shooters.
Since 1996, as states have allowed more citizens to own and carry guns, crime has gone down precipitously. New Jersey basically doesn’t allow citizens to carry guns, it’s a may issue state and it is virtually impossible for a citizen to get a concealed carry permit. Only law enforcement [active or retired], certain security jobs, and criminals carry guns in New Jersey. It’s time to place the blame where it belongs, not with the law-abiding gun owner and the gun industry, but with poorly run Democrat cities run by Democrat party fiefdoms.
One of the reasons the suburbs around the country remained unharmed by the months-long leftist riots by Antifa and BLM, is because suburbia is armed. Without firing a shot, metro area suburbs remained largely safe from anarchy.
More unConstitutional gun legislation in New Jersey, written by legislators and lobbyists who have little understanding of guns or the gun industry, is just more feel good, accomplish nothing, but prevent law-abiding citizens from availing themselves of their second amendment rights. Perhaps that is the actual goal of Governor Murphy’s proposals.
Tom Wilson
West Milford, NJ 07480