New York State law makes it next to impossible for Jews and others legally to arm themselves for protection.
“No, her real crime is of being stupid enough to be a Jew in 2023 New York City. Remember, the smart Jews in 1930’s Germany saw the writing on the wall when Hitler came to power and fled with whatever they could quickly gather. Most of them survived the war. The Jews who stayed in Germany? We all know what happened to them. There are LOTS of parallels between 1933 Germany and 2023 NYC.”
Last week, Inna Vernikov, a New York City councilwoman representing southern Brooklyn, was charged with criminal possession of a firearm. The story flared briefly, then faded amid graver breaking developments, but it’s worth retelling, because the story of Vernikov’s plight is the story of why Jews aren’t and cannot be safe in New York or any other major American city. It’s the story of bad laws happening to good people.
Why was Vernikov arrested? Let’s review the evidence: she has a concealed-carry permit, and at the time of her arrest, she was making sure that her handgun was, well, concealed. An official statement by the New York Police Department informed anyone interested that “at no point in time was anyone menaced or injured as a result of [Vernikov] possessing the firearm.”
So what law did she break? To answer the question, you would have to wade into the strange and wonderful world of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, a landmark 2022 Supreme Court decision that struck down previous restrictions and ruled that the Second Amendment to the Constitution protects the ability to carry a pistol in public.
By Liel Leibovitz
