On October 19, 2023 California Gavin Newsom declared in an X post that the judge who threw out California’s “assault weapons” prohibition is “an absolute disgrace.”
Newsom declared that US District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez is an “NRA puppet.”
Newsom added by noting that “Today … Judge Roger Benitez … tried to strip away CA’s three-decade-old assault weapon ban — comparing an assault rifle to a knife.”
Newsom took exception with the part of Benitez’s opinion in which the judge wrote on how many more people are killed by criminals using knives than criminals using semi-automatic weapons, which California lawmakers have categorized as “assault weapons.”
Benitez noted the following below with respect to knife vs. gun statistics:
In California, while modern semiautomatics are not rare, they are rarely the problem. For example, in 2022, only three “assault weapons” were used in violent California crimes, according to the Attorney General’s annual report, “Firearms Used in the Commission of Crimes.” For the preceding year, the report announced that only two assault weapons were used in violent crimes, while the 2020 report identified zero “assault weapons” used. Other government homicide statistics do not track “assault rifles,” but they do show that killing by knife attack is far more common than homicide by any kind of rifle.
The California Governor is clearly triggered here. One of the cornerstones of his administration has been the advocacy of a 28th amendment that would enshrine gun control in the US constitution.
Such an idea would never fly at the moment due to how red states have become staunchly pro-gun in the past decade.
Nevertheless, the anti-gun Left does not rest. Even in defeat, leftists will continue clamoring for more power grabs.
Hence, Newsom’s petulant attitude in this instance. For the time being, courts can deliver short-term victories. However, pro-gunners must build a robust offensive plan to ensure that our gun rights are fully restored and protected.