California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to take his state’s draconian gun laws and enshrine them in the U.S. Constitution. On Thursday, he unveiled his proposal of a 28th Amendment to do just that.
His Twitter announcement outlined the sweeping measures he proposes — most of which are already the law in California.
Among the actions he would impose on the nation are raising the minimum age for purchasing firearms to 21, universal background checks, a mandatory waiting period to purchase a weapon, and a ban on so-called “assault weapons.”
In California, licensed hunters, military members, and law enforcement are able to buy or possess certain weapons if over 18.
Newsom laughably claimed his proposal would leave the Second Amendment “unchanged.” He said, “the 28th Amendment will enshrine in the Constitution common sense gun safety measures that Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and gun owners overwhelmingly support.”
Newsom introduces a 28th amendment to infringe on our 2A rights!?!?
THOUSANDS have died for that freedom and it will NOT CHANGE.
Now they want this watered down version??? NO.
I will NOT comply. pic.twitter.com/dvgzYbzhEw
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) June 8, 2023
It is difficult to know where to start breaking down the fallacies in Newsom’s statement. He predictably fell back on the term “common sense,” which has become leftspeak for any gun control measure they propose, no matter how much it runs afoul of the Constitution.
And while he’s undoubtedly correct that Democrats fall in line behind his proposed amendment, the same can hardly be said for the other groups of Americans.
Does he truly believe that Republicans, gun owners, and even most independents would throw their support behind his 28th Amendment?
The national momentum is headed in the exact opposite direction. While a few blue states are in California’s corner, the nation is now a majority constitutional carry country as one state after another expands gun rights.
And following last year’s landmark Bruen decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, a string of federal court decisions have handed victories to Second Amendment supporters.
On another ominous note, the proposed amendment would also guarantee that Congress along with state and local governments may enact even tougher gun control measures. And that leads to yet another reason why this proposal is doomed to fail.
Despite obligatory lip service paid to the Second Amendment, gun owners are not fooled. The left wants nothing less than to disarm the American public, with the possible exception of a few licensed hunters.
The right to self-defense would fly out of the window under this 28th Amendment, and tens of millions of Americans would instantly become felons. Gun rights advocates know all too well that this is Newsom’s end game.
