Gavin Newsom Has a Radical Idea for Tackling Gun Violence: Amend the U.S. Constitution
Vanity FairJun 08, 2023
In a statement released on Thursday, Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a proposal to amend the US Constitution in order to enshrine four gun control measures.
The proposal, which would be America's 28th Amendment to the Constitution if passed, would raise the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21, mandate universal background checks, ban assault rifles, and institute a waiting period for all gun purchases. Newsom says this can be done while still leaving the 2nd Amendment intact.
While a new amendment is a longshot bid, Newsom should be applauded for trying to shift the national conversation toward finding solutions for gun violence. In the midst of this explosion of gun violence, it's time we are proactive and finally take a real step to end the despair and gridlock surrounding gun violence. Too many people have died waiting for an answer to this crisis; it's time to fight back.
An attention-hungry Newsom is launching a doomed campaign for proposals that are going to do little to actually stop gun violence. The empirical evidence suggests that just about every one of the proposals will do nothing to reduce violence, and will only serve to frustrate law-abiding citizens in exercising their right to self-defense. We ought to be looking for real solutions to gun crime, not rehashing discredited ideas. Newsom would be better served focused on governing his home state rather than chasing woke national fantasies.
There is a 0.5% chance that the Second Amendment, as written and in force on December 13th, 2018, will be successfully amended or repealed before Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.