It is not a good idea to allow New Jersey's Legislature and hundreds of state and municipal judges to carry firearms.
State Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) wants to allow all 120 members of the New Jersey Legislature and hundreds of state and municipal judges to carry firearms. But having the statehouse and our courtrooms bristling with guns is not a very good idea.
It is Cardinale's contention that lawmakers and judges face a greater risk of being attacked.
"This measure will ensure that public servants have the means to protect themselves from those who might violently disagree with their viewpoints or decisions," he said in a statement. "A judge should feel safe returning home each night no matter how they ruled or what they ruled on that day."
Bill S1982 would exempt legislators and judges from showing a "justifiable" need to protect themselves and that the danger to their life cannot be avoided by means other than the firearm. However, they still would be required to complete at least eight hours of firearms training.
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The outcry to arm civilians often comes on the heels of mass shooting incidents. For example, after 20 children and six staff members were killed by a young gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012, the National Rifle Association called for armed security at schools around the country. And some school districts in Missouri resorted to training teachers to carry concealed weapons in classrooms.
It is foolhardy to think that if the "good guys" are better armed trained than the "bad guys," it will put a stop to armed violence.
The simple fact is that the proliferation of guns in public places only increases the chances of something going terribly wrong.
It is ironic that Cardinale's bill has drawn fire from the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, a gun rights group.
Alexander Roubian, president of the organization, said he was "dumbfounded and insulted by the senator's logic."
"New Jersey legislators truly operate as a fiefdom," Roubian said. "Their mentality of 'good for thee but not for me' radiates in this proposed bill. Why are the politicians and judges more important than regular citizens?"
It is even more ironic that one of the reasons Cardinale cites for arming public servants was the shooting of Gabby Giffords, the Democratic representative from Arizona who was severely wounded in 2011 during a mass shooting at a public event in Tucson. Since then, Gifford has become a very vocal advocate for tighter gun laws.
During a visit to Trenton last year she lobbied for a bill that would have strengthened a New Jersey law banning convicted domestic violence offenders and those subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a firearm. The bill was ultimately scuttled by Gov. Chris Christie, who vetoed it at a time when he was trying to garner support for his presidential ambitions.
Arming lawmakers and law upholders is a lot different from arming law enforcers. The emphasis should not be on arming more people; it should be on reducing guns in the hands of criminals and those prone to violence.