Governor Christie likes to say he is limited in what he can do to defend the second amendment in New Jersey. He’s got this Democrat legislature problem, and they aren’t going to do what he says he wants. But what if he could do something without the legislature that would ensure that every law abiding citizen in New Jersey who wanted to obtain a purchase permit of carry license in the Garden State could at least get their requests processed in a timely manner? What if he had the power all along to correct an institutional injustice that was running rampant across his state; a problem that was preventing law abiding citizen from exercising their second amendment rights?
And would his failure to address it speak to the seriousness of his claim as a defender of the second amendment?
Earlier today we interviewed Alexander Roubian from the New Jersey Second Amendment Society(NJ2AS), and Daniel Francisco – a friend of NJ2AS and the former Executive Director at Project Veritas. In our interview they explained the problem in New Jersey is not the laws themselves but that law enforcement and the courts ignore the law and act as gate keepers, discriminating arbitrarily against anyone they deem unsuitable. And nearly everyone is unsuitable.
With a population of 9 million NJ2AS informed us that there are only 2000 issued carry permits in the entire state. These are more often than not given to the rich and well connected. Regular citizens concerned for their property or their lives are deferred, delayed, and inevitably denied.
The problem is manifold but municipal police departments interpret the law however they see fit and ignore it to deny permits to purchase or carry a firearm. This is a problem the Chief Executive of the state, Governor Christie, could resolve easily as the person elected to ensure that the laws of the state are executed evenly and equally.
Law Enforcement in New Jersey answers directly to Gov. Chris Christie through his attorney general and Alex and Daniel know the governor is aware of the problem.
“We had a meeting at Governor Christie’s office in January of this year, saying that the laws that are on the books now, the way that the towns are applying the laws, people are dying because they are waiting for permission and they are waiting for their permits.
All he had to do was write a letter…saying, make sure everything gets done within law, and within a respectable time frame. And if he did that, if he did stand up for the second amendment, like other legislators have in the country, Carol Bowne and other women could be alive today.”
Carol Bowne was knifed to death by an ex boyfriend with a restraining order while she was waiting for the system to process her request for a carry license in New Jersey.
“Permitting authorities are notorious for violating state-mandated time frames,” said Bach, citing state criminal code that requires an application be granted within 30 days.
… According to reports, Bowne submitted her application for a gun license on April 21 and went to see where the process stood two days before her death. Reports also indicate the police department had not yet received the results of her fingerprinting.
Odds are very good that the reason they had not receive the results was because they never submitted them. A desire for self-defense is not a suitable reason to justify police chiefs or their departments processing purchase permits or accepting carry applications in New Jersey.
We see evidence of this in under cover video released by NJ2AS that shows a conversation with someone in law enforcement who is very open and frank about the rampant discrimination used to deny permits. And based on these videos delaying the process is both deliberate and institutional.
CAUGHT ON TAPE – NJ2AS EXCLUSIVE: Undercover video shows blatant and open discrimination in processing firearm’s applications at Orange Police Department in NJ. Detective Sergeant Chris Garey is documented discussing the various ways he has denied firearms permits for women, the elderly, and other groups.
A second video published a few days’ later shows… “PD Detective Sergeant Chris Garey again caught in misconduct – refusing to accept concealed carry applications, senselessly delaying another citizen from applying for purchase permits, and boasting how he carries all the time.
In Video just released today, “The saga continues with a visit to the Edison, NJ Police Department, where the concealed carry application process is littered with illegal requirements and police employees who don’t understand how it works. Furthermore, as the story progresses, we see departments are providing conflicting information on the concealed carry application process.”
Given what we know this problem appears neither new nor localized. It is a statewide problem. It is a problem that, as a prosecutor in New Jersey, Chris Christie must have known about it. So why, if he is a pro-second amendment Governor as he claims (now that he is running for President) did he not make it a priority to direct his attorney General to inform every chief in every department across the state, that the laws regarding purchase permits and carry applications were to be followed and that failure to do so would result in action by the AG and the governor’s office against the chiefs?
Why didn’t he inform his citizens up front that their rights may have been violated in the past but that they were a priority now and as Governor acts of discrimination with regard to purchase and carry requests would be investigated and legitimate claims addressed?
A leader with an interest in defending the second amendment rights of ordinary citizens would take action. Action we know it is well within Gov. Christie’s pro-second amendment toolbox. When Shaneen Allen was arrested in NJ with a firearm she was licensed to carry in her home state of Pennsylvania the Governor took exceptional action to ensure she did not go to jail.
But what about the people of New Jersey? What are you doing for them?
Vetoing new anti-gun laws? Law enforcement doesn’t need any new anti-gun laws if Chiefs and detectives are free to refuse applications or to delay processing without fear of retribution from their boss in the Governor’s mansion.
Whatever claims Gov. Christie is making about his 2A cred to attract pro-second amendment voters become meaningless in the light of this expose. Christie clearly has knowledge of this and has done nothing to resolve it. That makes him anti-gun, anti-second amendment, and anti-self-defense, period.
