New York’s attempt to self-immolate in the same manner as California ran into a minor problem last week. Gov. Hochul and his company have been expanding gun-free zones. They refer to these as “sensitive areas”, where firearms are not allowed. Houses of worship were made sensitive places. This meant clergy and congregants could not carry firearms and that they became easy targets for criminals.
Last month, I reported that the NY State Jewish Gun Club sued over the provision. They claimed that worshippers could be put at risk and that their rights under the first amendment would be curtailed. Fear of being shot or wounded by a gunman could lead to people avoiding services. 25 churches representing the Empire State filed a lawsuit on Oct. 4 challenging the Concealed Carry Improvement act. American Military News reports that Kevin Bruen, the head of state police, and the county district attorneys representing each church are the defendants in this case. The case is expected to begin on November 3.
According to Syracuse.com, U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr. stopped enforcement of the law by issuing a temporary restraining or. Sinatra stated that the state couldn’t show that the restriction was compatible with the Supreme Court’s June ruling and that allowing churchgoers to carry guns at worship places would encourage self-defense, which is in the public good. Sinatra stated that the law as it stands currently “creates an insecure population at places of worship, left to the willful of potentially armed wrongdoers and uninterested by following the law in any case.”
The state had cited similar laws in Texas, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Georgia dating back to the late 19th century. This spans from 1800-1899. The nation was clearly a different place back then. Sinatra called these precedents “outliers”, which did not reflect a “tradition of accepted prohibitions.”
New York Democrats, and Democrats in general, will return even if the temporary ban on the restriction is made permanent. They may not be able to ban concealed weapons from houses of worship but they can find ways that citizens can keep guns out of their hands. The ban on guns in churches is practically solved if you can solve this problem.
The ruling class doesn’t have a problem with guns as such. The ruling class views guns in the same way that it views power and money — so long as it has enough money, power, and guns, everything is fine. These things can only be problematic if they are in the control of a citizenry.
