New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has made a name for himself in gun control circles for his anti-gun policies.
After the horrendous Sandy Hook shooting, Cuomo capitalized on the fallout of this tragedy by promoting and eventually signing the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act into law in 2013.
Under the SAFE act, New York instituted universal background checks for all gun purchases broadened the definition of assault weapons, established a database for handguns, and prohibited selling or purchasing magazines holding more than seven rounds of ammunition.
Through this law and New York’s plethora of gun control, New York has established itself as one of the most anti-gun states in the country. It is currently ranked 51st in Guns & Ammo’s 2019 rankings for the Best States for Guns Owners. Fast forward to 2019, and Cuomo is still not satisfied with the gun control he has signed into law during his gubernatorial term.
This motivated him to unveil his gun control plan — “Make America Safer” campaign — to take the issue federally. Cuomo’s campaign will focus on social media engagement to spread the issue of gun control. And Cuomo has plenty of gun control muscle behind him with groups such as Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and March for Our Lives endorsing his campaign.
“As the federal government continues to abdicate its responsibility to protect the people in this country, by failing to take action on meaningful, common-sense gun control, it is now more important than ever to have a leader in Washington that has a plan to tackle these issues and end this violence once and for all,” Cuomo declared in a statement. “That is why I’m asking all Democrats running for president to make a simple, clear choice for the American people and sign the ‘Make America Safer Pledge.”
Cuomo’s gun control plan consists of so-called “assault weapons” and high-capacity magazines, a national version of red flag gun confiscation laws, universal background checks for gun purchases, and the enactment of a mental health database.
Gun control has been Cuomo’s pet issue since passing the SAFE Act. Although the intentions of some gun control advocates are in the right place, they ignore how countless other states have passed less restrictive gun laws during the last three decades without any negative fallout. Crime rates continue to fall, while gun ownership and even carry rates are on the rise in America.
For the sake of New Yorkers and millions of other Americans stuck in states with stringent gun controls, Cuomo should use his platform to open up more discussion on gun policy.
It would behoove the New York Governor to listen to the perspective of groups like Black Guns Matters and hear out the benefits of pro-gun policies. When countless states with laws like Constitutional Carry are not turning into shooting galleries, it’s time to rethink some of the mainstream media’s fears about gun liberalization.
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