'Gilbert Goons' case shows what brass knuckles have in common with assault weapons

Attacks by the street thugs known as the “Gilbert Goons” led the Arizona Senate Judiciary committee to unanimously advance a bill that would make possession and transfer of brass knuckles a misdemeanor.

The bill, crafted from a “strike everything” amendment to Senate Bill 1183, was introduced by Republican committee member Sen. John Kavanagh.

The senators were moved to advance the bill after hearing testimony from 17-year-old Connor Jarnagan, who was attacked by a brass knuckles-wearing assailant in December, 2022, in a Gilbert In-N-Out Burger parking lot.

“There’s no useful purpose for brass knuckles,” Jarnagan said. “They add nothing to our communities in Arizona besides contributing to violent crime and providing to serve teens and adults with a weapon that can kill someone.”

Brass knuckles can be used for self-defense

This is true.

It is also true, however, that brass knuckles could be used by a smaller person as a defense against a larger, more powerful attacker.

That argument was made as well during the hearing, and led Republicans Anthony Kern and Justine Wadsack to say they may vote against the bill when it reaches the Senate floor.

Which leaves us with an interesting question: If a weapon like brass knuckles can be used both to do harm and to afford protection, is it justified to ban it?

Yes. Absolutely.

There are many other options for protection

Brass knuckles should be banned for the same reasons that the possession and transfer of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines should be banned.

There are times when the protection afforded by a weapon is not worth the convenience. Particularly when there are other options available to protect yourself.

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This is true of brass knuckles and of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

Banning brass knuckles still leaves individuals looking for self-defense options with tasers and batons and pepper spray and personal alarms and any number of other possibilities.

That's also the case against assault weapons

Likewise, banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines does not prevent individuals from owning any number of other available firearms.

And don’t fool yourself. Lawmakers like Kern and Wadsack know this. Every Republican politician who wants to stay in good graces with the gun lobby knows this.

If they vote against the brass knuckles bill they will do so because they know the exact same logic applies to assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

They know that brass knuckles are not particularly anyone’s first self-defense weapon of choice.

They know there are plenty of other options. Just as there are innumerable alternatives to assault weapons.

They know that young Connor Jarnagan was correct when he said brass knuckles add nothing to our communities other than offering “teens and adults with a weapon that can kill someone.”

What makes assault weapons different

But politicians like Kern and Wadsack — like many Republicans — know the exact same argument could be made to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. With one very important difference.

Assault weapons with high-capacity magazines are not used to “kill someone.”

They are used to kill many, many, many someones.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How 'Gilbert Goons' brass knuckles case scares the gun lobby