Within the last few years, San Diego has become the model of infringing upon the Second Amendment rights of its citizens. California already some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but San Diego is now entering the spotlight with City Attorney Mara Elliott leading the charge.
After the tragedies of Parkland and other shootings across the country, Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVRO), also known as “red flag laws,” started gaining national attention. The true intention of the policies is to confiscate firearms from a person should they display a threat to themselves or others.
In light of the recent shootings in California, Texas, and Ohio, numerous states started adopting their own GVROs to help combat the issue. However, some states have not enforced their GVROs in any meaningful way. San Diego is certainly an exception.
GVROs in California state that the court has the ability to prohibit someone from buying and owning firearms for over a year. Furthermore, the court can extend the order for another year if they feel the person is still a threat. Since 2017, San Diego County has distributed 300 GVROs—the most of any county in California. So, why is the number so high in San Diego? The answer lies with City Attorney Mara Elliot.
Attempting to appeal to families affected by mass shootings, Elliott commented on how her children were the same age as the Sandy Hook victims. After the tragedy struck, she articulated how she felt obligated to take action on gun control. For Elliott, the grand solution to reducing shootings is by issuing GVROs.
Yet the City Attorney’s Office did analysis on the first 100 GVROs distributed, revealing that 40 percent of the orders consisted in family violence or stalking incidents, both of which are completely unrelated to preventing mass shootings or suicide. Furthermore, out of the hundreds of GVROs issued from 2016 to 2018, only 21 involved potential mass shooters. This highlights the fact that Elliott supports unnecessary GVROs and the unjustified infringement of the Second Amendment rights of San Diegans.
Furthermore, Mara Elliott has no policies in place to stop the abuse of GVROs. In December 2018, a bill was introduced that would allow school workers, employers, and coworkers to file GVROs. However, if no policies are in place to prohibit abuse, how can GVROs truly be used to enhance public safety?
It is evident that Elliott’s motive is not about public safety, but bolstering her national platform, undermining Second Amendment rights, and furthering her political agenda. Lastly, her GVRO campaign is a tactic to reassure her position as City Attorney since new competition has presented itself.
