Do you know how many people in the United States are killed by somebody they had a restraining order against?  How is a restraining order going to stop somebody who is able to keep all of their firearms during that time?  The same firearms that have been used as threats to those people. 

My family and friends are, and have been, directly affected by not only restraining orders and protection orders, but also by the tragedies that happen when all the effort to keep them safe, stopped at a piece of paper.  

It is too late when they make victims wait until the perpetrator acts.  Those mistakes destroy families. They change lives forever. The take away mothers, daughters, sisters, sons, husbands, fathers.... 

Anybody who has been proven enough to be a threat to others, should have to relinquish their firearms immediately upon a restraining order being granted against them.  A protection or restraining order alone, does little to stop a threat.  There needs to be effort made in every way to protect those who have finally gotten the courage to ask for help from law enforcement.  There needs to be effort made to get the point across to the abusers, that law enforcement will make it as difficult and inconvenient as possible for them to continue to abuse their victims while that order stands. 

About one-fifth of female IPH (intimate partner violence) victims who had a restraining order were killed within 2 days of the order being issued. 

About one-third were killed within a month. 

Nearly half of those with a restraining order had been protected by multiple orders. 

Gun homicide increased 70% from 2011 to 2020, respectively.

In New Mexico specifically- a judge has to determine if a person is enough of a threat to take their guns.  Is an order of protection not enough proof that they are an imminent threat?

“Under New Mexico law as well, there has to be basically an imminent threat. But, just because someone has a background of convictions or reports doesn't necessarily mean that they're an imminent threat in the eyes of court," Day said. "There has to be evidence presented to a judge that there is, in fact, an imminent threat. In New Mexico's relatively recent Red Flag Law — it's a law that allows a district court judge to order that someone give up their firearms. If it has been determined that there's a credible threat — that there's some sort of imminent danger."

The governor who signed this law said that she encourages all sheriffs who refuse to enforce this- to resign.  I say hell yes. How many more people have to die when they did everything right and nothing was done to protect them???

THIS HAS TO CHANGE.  It is time! 

Protection and restraining orders do no good if there is no attempt at protecting victims to the fullest extent; such as making sure any access to weapons is as limited as possible.

 How can anybody think that somebody is a danger enough to grant protection to their victim, but not dangerous enough to make sure they longer have the gun they've been threatening with?

 We need to act now to change this. No family should have go through the traumatic loss of their loved one, who did everything right.  

My family will never be the same because of red flag laws that were blown off.  My cousins death will not be in vain.