No guns at City Hall
As if the wacky municipal election season could not turn any stranger, citizens of Santa Fe were treated Wednesday to the sight of a potential City Council candidate arriving at the regular council meeting all holstered up.
Roger Rael, who says he is considering a run against incumbent District 1 Councilor Signe Lindell, had his handgun in the holster because, well, he could. New Mexico allows open carrying of weapons in many public places, including in many government buildings and meetings. The state constitution, in fact, states that, “no municipality or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident of the right to keep and bear arms.”
Courts, however, have ruled that regulations related to public safety and welfare do not necessarily violate that provision. Smart lawyers should be able to figure out a way for Santa Fe to forbid open carrying of guns during public meetings. As property owners, the city should be able to post that guns aren’t allowed, which would keep concealed license holders from bringing them in legally. That doesn’t help with open carrying — yet — but it’s a start. The only weapons needed to discuss policy are words.
Guns, accompanied by statements like, “I’m here to make sure there’s accountability,” tend to intimidate. Before civil discourse disintegrates further, involved parties should step back and remember that we are all Santa Fesinos together.
From longtime families to the folks just off the bus, citizens want many of the same things — a safe city, a robust economy, strong public infrastructure and, of course, fewer weeds and potholes. (In true Santa Fe style, as the armed citizen showed up, other Santa Fe residents were holding a rally against racism outside the meeting. They are called Shoulder2Shoulder Santa Fe, a less harsh name than Santa Fe Power, the initial back-to-basics citizens group that started the name-calling.)
Carrying a gun and grandstanding during public comments — Rael turned his back to the council to speak to the people who “mattered” in the audience — does nothing to advance our common goals.
There should be no guns at City Hall, except for officers on the job. Now, let’s get back to governing.