Gov. Newsom: Second Amendment a "Suicide Pact"

By Jackson Kincaid

In Brief:

California experienced a tragic shooting that left 11 people dead this weekend. Yet in the midst of pain and grief, California Governor Gavin Newsom used this opportunity to compare the Second Amendment to a “suicide pact.” 

The Background: 

Despite California having the strictest gun laws, they also have the highest number of mass shootings per statista. However, Gov. Newsom quickly blamed the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment, blaming gun rights instead of criminals for the rise in gun violence in his state.

Following the Monterey Park shooting which left 11 dead, Newson told CBS correspondent, Norah O’Donnel, "Nothing about this is surprising. Everything about this is infuriating." 

O’Donnell pushed back, “California has the strictest gun laws in the U.S. But there's many people in this country that support the Second Amendment and are lawful gun owners." 

Newsom retorted, "Yeah, I have great respect - I have no ideological opposition to someone who is reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained." 

For being the state with the strictest gun laws, California is proof that gun control is a farce, and soon enough, only criminals will have guns. 

Tragically, the Monterey Park shooting was not the only mass shooting California experienced in the last few days. Just 30 miles south of San Francisco in Half Moon Bay, a shooter left another seven dead. A suspect is in custody. 

Notable Quotes: 

“We will figure it out. This is going to happen. We enforce laws, but things get through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean you give up. I will submit that, regardless of the challenges as it relates to behavioral health, there is not a country in the world that doesn’t experience behavioral health issues.” – Gov. Newsom (D-CA)