Media

Denver bans law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves

Written by: Kevin Lorusso

On May 16th, the Denver City Council voted to ban the concealed carry of handguns in all parks and all property owned by, leased by, or leased to the City or County of Denver. It will carry a $50 fine for the first offense, rising to $999 for every subsequent violation. This includes properties within the city limits and extends to parks owned or leased by the City of Denver, such as Winter Park Resort, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, Daniels Mountain Park, and Summit Lake Park. This is in addition to the many properties that aren’t associated with the city through official functions but contain restaurants and retail spaces. The full breadth of this bill will become apparent in the coming weeks and months.

The City of Denver has decided to address the rise in crime devastating the community in the worst way possible: prohibiting law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to self-defense. According to City Attorney Kristin Bronson, this legislation is “commonsense.” It would seem the City Attorney should look up the definition of “common sense” because nothing about this prohibition is sensical.

The inexcusable ineptitude of City officials at keeping their citizens safe has become abundantly clear. In her press conference, Kristin Bronson said, “We believe residents and visitors of Denver have an expectation that when visiting a Denver Park with friends, family, and children anywhere in our system, that each park is a gun-free zone.” Safety is clearly not the number one concern for the bureaucrats, and facts seem to come after ideology. There is no rational reason to explain why they would deprive law-abiding citizens of the protection the City refuses to provide. If she was genuinely equipped with “common sense,” how did the conclusion end up in disarming law-abiding citizens?

The progressive left has been vocal in its calls for defunding and disempowering law enforcement. Police are more disempowered than they’ve been in years, and the force is dwindling. The City has had no answers for the rise in crime that are effective, leading to Denver losing its status as one of the only safe metropolitans in America. In a time when even Los Angeles is making concealed carry more accessible, the City of Denver believes “gun-free zones” are the answer to the increased threat of violence.

Dudley Brown, President of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, joined KOA 850AM/94.1FM to comment on the new laws. He pointed out that Kristin Bronson’s desire for “gun-free parks” is more akin to a “letter to Santa Claus.” According to Dudley, the only people that will be gun-free in the parks are law-abiding citizens. I’m sure Bronson would disagree, as she believes criminals are known for their respect for the law, which they are not. This ordinance marks a significant step back from the work RMGO did in the early 2000s to eliminate “patchwork” gun control laws throughout the state. He pointed out that in Colorado, CCW holders have committed crimes at almost half the rate of the police, let alone the general population. In a time when the police have been hamstrung in their duties by political malfeasance, the people should be empowered to protect themselves. As he puts it, this is a “perfectly woke” piece of legislation, borne of a desire to blame the tool for the crime, rather than holding criminals accountable.

Taylor Rhodes, Executive Director of RMGO, tried desperately to sway the city council, engaging in campaigns to contact the lawmakers and organize against the proposed legislation. He attended every City Council meeting, in person or virtually, in an effort to sway the politicians, but to no avail. Additionally, RMGO Members sent nearly 1,200 emails to the city council urging them to reverse course and vote no. Our members made it abundantly clear that this ordinance is not about protecting the people; it’s about forwarding their own woke political agenda to disarm the population as much as possible.

The facts regarding Concealed Handgun Permit holders make it clear just how asinine this bill really is. CCW holders commit violent crimes at a rate of 128 per 100,000, as opposed to the general population at 710 per 100,000. Simply put, this means CCW holders are more than five times less likely to commit violent crimes than non-holders. According to the Florida Department of Justice, CCW holders have had a crime rate of .02% since right-to-carry was enacted in 1988. Considering that 77% of all violent crime is committed in public places (U.S. Department of Justice), prohibiting the concealed carry of firearms explicitly in public is anything but “common sense.” The list goes on, and the conclusion becomes clear: Concealed Handgun Permit holders are not the issue. In fact, they are the most law-abiding citizens in the country, committing firearms violations at 1/7th the rate of police.

Denver’s crime rate is skyrocketing. According to the Denver Post, the violent crime rate was the highest it has been since 1994, at 928 per 100,000. Colorado has become the number one state for vehicle theft in the country, and aggravated assault has climbed by over 20% since 2019. Denver was once the premier example of a safe, clean, metropolitan district. Now, it is following the same trends as all the other overwhelmingly blue cities in America – violent crime, homelessness, and a city in decay.

Time for a bit of logic: If crime rates are rising, and the police are understaffed, citizens are being victimized, and CCW holders are less likely to commit crime than any other population in America, then…? Well, the logical “common sense” conclusion would be to further empower law-abiding citizens to carry the tools for self-defense with them whenever possible. Instead, the City Council decided that their constituents could not be trusted to defend themselves. Unfortunately for the people of Denver, intelligence seems to be as hard to come by in their city council as baby formula is in grocery stores. Given the fact that ideology (not critical thought) dictates their decisions, this is hardly surprising.

The vote was 9-3, with Candi CdeBaca being the driving force behind the “no” votes. In a tweet Monday morning, she stated, “I am physically sick to my stomach. Council just approved a ban on CCW in parks that’ll justify racial profiling & responding guns drawn to allegations of a gun. No proof needed. No data backing this ban except that last year Black people had the highest rate of CCWs approved. Shame.”

She is absolutely correct. Denver Police can easily use the fact that someone is a CCW holder to generate probable cause for detainment. In a climate of increased violence from the criminal class, the City of Denver has taken aim at those who simply want to defend themselves from the consequences of an inept, morally bankrupt city legislature.

In the meantime, we are still waiting on decisions by the Supreme Court on the authority of local governments to restrict gun access; it seems that progressives will try to take as much ground as they can. While New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen is waiting to be ruled on, there is a significant threat that more cities in Colorado will attempt to restrict concealed carry. Denver may have always been a lost cause, but that doesn’t mean we cannot prevent further encroachments throughout the state. Hopefully, the Supreme Court does perform its duty to the people in its opinion on NYSRPA v Bruen, and establishes constitutional carry throughout the land. Until then, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners will continue to fight tooth and nail for your God-given right to bear arms.

Trending | Now

Confusion Surrounds Colorado’s “Assault Weapons” Ban Proposal

Confusion Surrounds Colorado’s “Assault Weapons” Ban Proposal

The 2023 Legislative Session has been a stampede of radical gun control, headlined by the ban on so-called “assault weapons” (HB23-1230). Last week, the AWB was scheduled to have its initial hearing with the House Judiciary Committee, and RMGO was rallying opposition....

The Gun Control Lobby Pushes Liability on Manufacturers

The Gun Control Lobby Pushes Liability on Manufacturers

The 2023 Colorado Legislative Session has been filled with bloviating by progressive anti-gunners about the wave of new gun control laws threatening to decimate the Second Amendment in the Centennial State. Weapons bans, Red Flag expansion, increasing the age to...

RMGO Clears the Air Over CD8 Rumors

RMGO Clears the Air Over CD8 Rumors

The 2022 Midterms have been nothing short of embarrassing for the Colorado GOP. With candidates falling short in races Republicans expected to win, many are trying to figure out what the heck happened. On Friday, speculation began that RMGO had spoiled Barb...

RMGO Takes Aim at Boulder County

RMGO Takes Aim at Boulder County

Executive Director Taylor Rhodes was interviewed by CBS Colorado’s Rick Sallinger on August 4th about the wave of lawsuits facing cities in Boulder County. With one lawsuit ongoing in Superior, RMGO was accused of “picking on” the small town with little resources. On...

You Can Die at 18 for Your Country, But You Can’t Defend Yourself

You Can Die at 18 for Your Country, But You Can’t Defend Yourself

Taylor Rhodes, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, joined Gabrielle Franklin of FOX 31 to discuss the upcoming proposal to increase the age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. Taylor points out that if we as a society acknowledge adulthood...

Taylor Rhodes Stands Firm Against Gun Grabbers on FOX31

Taylor Rhodes Stands Firm Against Gun Grabbers on FOX31

Rocky Mountain Gun Owner’s Executive Director, Taylor Rhodes, joined a panel on FOX31 for the May 29th edition of Colorado’s Very Own. He was joined by anti-gun Representative Tom Sullivan, where the two presented very different solutions to the issue of mass...

RMGO ALERT: The battle starts now!

RMGO ALERT: The battle starts now!

RMGO ACTION ALERTYour IMMEDIATE action is needed! I have warned you about the mandatory firearm storage requirements bill that would force law-abiding gun owners to place all of their firearms in a storage compartment when "not in use." Additionally, I have advised...

RMGO won BIG – 2020 Election

RMGO won BIG – 2020 Election

Dear Patriots, While the race for President is still being decided, we have several contests already called here in Colorado...including MANY BIG WINS for RMGO SuperPAC endorsed candidates! So, here is the rundown: US Congress -- Colorado's 3rd District Lauren Boebert...

REPORT: Firearms Sales Up 94% Since Last Year

REPORT: Firearms Sales Up 94% Since Last Year

By: Teresa Mull Firearms sales have skyrocketed an astounding 94 percent since last year, a new report reveals. The Washington Times reports: Firearms sales rose 94% for the March-to-July period from a year earlier, according to the National Shooting Sports...

UPDATE: Bill Elder caves to the pressure of RMGO Members

UPDATE: Bill Elder caves to the pressure of RMGO Members

PRO-GUN VICTORY!!! Merely 24 hours after RMGO brought to light the lies of El Paso County's anti-gun sheriff, Bill Elder, the agency released a statement declaring the EPC Sheriff's Office would resume accepting appointments for CHPs [Concealed Handgun Permits]...

Texas Hero Stops Armed Attacker in Fort Worth Church

Texas Hero Stops Armed Attacker in Fort Worth Church

December 30, 2019 As hundreds attended the Sunday service at West Freeway Church of Christ in Fort Worth, TX, a violent man burst into the church, intent on murdering scores of peaceful parishioners. As the attacker stormed in through a side door unleashing his...

Donate Now

Trending | RMGO Social Media