What are anti-gun politicians to do when the restrictive carry laws their state passed following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision keeps being whittled away by the courts? If you’re New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin and Gov. Phil Murphy, the answer is to find other people to do your dirty work of creating additional “gun-free” zones for you.
For some background, following the Bruen ruling, which struck down New York’s restrictive carry law, New Jersey officials realized their laws were equally unconstitutional. But instead of following the intent ruling, they passed more unconstitutional laws banning carry of firearms at entertainment venues, public gatherings, schools, healthcare facilities, government buildings and any establishment that serves alcohol.
Still, as we reported last week, following the Bruen ruling, New Jersey citizens have been taking advantage of the opportunity to apply for permits. In fact, more than 41,000 New Jerseyans applied for carry permits in the two years since the court decision. That number is more than 25-times the number of citizens—1,588—who applied for a permit in the two years prior to the ruling.
Apparently that hasn’t set well with Murphy and Platkin, who are encouraging business and property owners to post no-gun signs on their property since the government is having little success at limiting concealed carry by lawful New Jerseyans.
On August 9, Platkin posted on X, formerly Twitter, “No matter what you’ve heard, here’s a fact: You CAN display signs prohibiting guns in and around your establishment. For those who wish to declare their property a ‘gun-free zone’ by downloading a decal or requesting one for free, visit njoag.gov/gunfreezone.”
Doubling down to get citizens to restrict carry opportunities instead of the government doing so, Platkin has also posted the information on the AG website. “No matter what you’ve heard,” reads the notice, “owners of public establishments CAN display signs prohibiting guns on and around their property.”
The AG has also announced that his office is making gun-free zones stickers available to anyone who wants them.
“The decals can help ensure the increase in people carrying guns doesn’t lead to a higher rate of shootings and gun deaths like those experienced in states with less-protective gun laws than New Jersey,” Platkin said, “New Jerseyans should be able to go about their daily lives without the risk of senseless gun violence. The simple placement of these decals can offer some sense of security to customers and give business owners a means to clearly state their policy.”
As we have reported before, so-called “gun-free” zones aren’t really free of guns. Only law-abiding citizens follow such laws, leaving violent criminals to carry whatever guns they want wherever they want to carry them.
In fact, research shows that 98% of mass murders from 2014 to 2022 occurred in such “gun-free” zones. Consequently, they would be better referred to as “kill anyone you want with no chance of being stopped” zones.
In the end, Platkin’s and Murphy’s attempt to curb carry by having private property owners do their bidding might be successful since it is legal for those property owners to ban carry on their premises. Still, it’s hard to think of a more blatant backdoor attempt to circumvent an important court ruling to restrict the carry of firearms for self-defense purposes.
While Murphy and Platkin should be ashamed for such a ploy, it’s likely they’re not—and that’s a shame in itself.
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