California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his hair gel are fed up with the fact that lawful Americans are able to keep and bear arms thanks to the Constitution. The governor, who is still trying to remain relevant, recently proposed a 28th Amendment that would severely restrict gun rights nationwide.
It’s a long shot idea, but if the anti-gunner lobby continues to successfully push for more restrictions on firearms, it could become a reality. Newsom proposed the amendment on Thursday:
While leaving the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition, the Governor’s proposal guarantees common sense constitutional protections and gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, independent voters, and gun owners overwhelmingly support – including universal background checks, raising the firearm purchase age to 21, instituting a firearm purchase waiting period, and barring the civilian purchase of assault weapons.
“Our ability to make a more perfect union is literally written into the Constitution,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “So today, I’m proposing the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to do just that. The 28th Amendment will enshrine in the Constitution common sense gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and gun owners overwhelmingly support – while leaving the 2nd Amendment unchanged and respecting America’s gun-owning tradition.”
The governor’s boneheaded proposal comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen resulted in the elimination of a slew of gun control laws across the country. Apparently, Newsom and his hair gel cannot abide the reality that more Americans are exercising their Second Amendment rights without the state being further empowered to stop them.
As is always the case, there are serious problems with Newsom’s idea.
Let’s start with what the governor cares about the least: The Constitution. While he claims that the amendment would respect America’s gun-owning tradition, the fact remains that it introduces new restrictions on the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment was established to protect individual citizens’ rights to self-defense and ensure a check on government power. Any attempt to limit these rights would erode the foundation of constitutional liberties, which is precisely what Newsom and his ilk want.
The proposed amendment includes measures such as raising the minimum age to purchase firearms, implementing universal background checks, imposing waiting periods, and banning “assault weapons.” However, it is important to note that these restrictions have often proven to be ineffective in preventing criminals from obtaining firearms. Criminals do not typically abide by legal channels when acquiring weapons, and strict gun control measures primarily impact law-abiding citizens who wish to exercise their constitutional rights, leaving them more vulnerable to the bad guys.
Newsom claims that his proposed amendment has bipartisan support, but a quick glance at the political landscape calls this into question. With Republicans currently controlling the House and the Senate narrowly controlled by Democrats, passing a constitutional amendment restricting gun rights through Congress is highly unlikely even with the squishiest of GOP lawmakers.
Amending the United States Constitution is a challenging process. To add a new amendment, three-fourths of the states must ratify it–an accomplishment that has only been achieved 27 times in the nation’s history. Newsom’s plan to convene an Article V Convention of States requires two-thirds of the state legislatures to pass a resolution in favor of such a convention. The complexity and rarity of this process raise concerns about the feasibility and legitimacy of pushing through such a restrictive amendment. To put it simply, it ain’t gonna work, Gav.
Of course, Newsom knows his idea is about as realistic as Nancy Pelosi remaining sober for more than five minutes. He’s clearly doing this to get his name out there. While he may not be running for president just yet, it is clear the governor wants to remind people that he still exists. What better way to accomplish this than by coming up with one of the most low-IQ ideas possible?