New Mexico governor's gun suspension defies 2nd Amendment. And it doesn't make us any safer.

An 11-year-old was shot and killed outside of a baseball game in Albuquerque on Sept. 6, the most recent incident in a string of horrific gun-related crimes. In response, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham declared gun violence a public safety emergency and announced she would suspend concealed and open carry permits for 30 days in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

The governor's order won’t prevent more killing, but it does violate the Constitution and would disarm law-abiding citizens. On Wednesday, a federal judge issued an order temporarily blocking the temporary ban.

As an Albuquerque resident, I can tell you this city is no stranger to crime. Last year, a person was killed in the park in front of my house. A few months ago, police found a body in that same park. Even since the governor’s gun suspension, there has been another shooting close to my home.

Clearly, legislative action must be taken to prevent violent crime, but the governor’s plan is doomed.

Governor admits that criminals won't follow her gun ban

Shortly after her announcement, the governor admitted the 30-day gun ban would not stop criminals, but she said it would instead send "a resounding message" to everyone else to report crime by firearms.

If a lack of reporting on gun crime were the problem, maybe Lujan Grisham's order would be useful. But given how laws surrounding illegal carry are enforced, even convicted criminals are unlikely to face repercussions. Rather than disarming responsible gun owners, we ought to penalize criminals who illegally carry firearms.

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The governor has not made significant legislative attempts to combat crime and has instead insisted on preserving the state’s unsuccessful pretrial release program. The program gives discretion for the right to bail to governor-appointed judges − many of whom have proved to be soft on crime.

Meanwhile, Albuquerque Police Department’s response times have been increasingly slow in recent years, and the state prison population is in decline. This has led Albuquerque residents, regardless of their political affiliation, to feel that the only way to ensure their safety is to arm themselves for self-protection.

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Based on the governor's failure to enact meaningful legislation to put more criminals in jail, it seems that the only thing Lujan Grisham is concerned about is keeping her progressive base happy. By suspending legal carry during the state’s crime crisis, she makes it clear that safety is not her top priority and that even constitutional law won’t stand in her way.

Shooting victim says New Mexico gun suspension is unconstitutional

Even Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and David Hogg, co-founder of March for Our Lives, have said that the 30-day ban is unconstitutional.

By making a statement with a clearly unconstitutional declaration, Lujan Grisham gains attention and partisan support without improving anything at all.

The governor’s disregard for her oath to the Constitution should not be tolerated. Despite what some may say or believe, democracy isn’t justifying the ends with the means.

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We need effective leaders who will work within the constitutional order to protect the people. In New Mexico, the opposition party, Republicans, must work hard to persuade voters with good candidates and a commonsense message to push back on progressive overreach. Gun violence and crime are among top issues that our politicians should address.

The governor has resorted to a temporary gun ban that she should know is ineffective and unconstitutional. Citizens deserve better.

Hunter Thomas, a Brigham Young University political science graduate and a law student, is a Young Voices contributor. 

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Mexico governor's gun ban is unconstitutional – and doomed to fail