BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms agrees with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy that the aftermath of Sunday’s shooting incident in Trenton is a great time to “talk about gun policy,” especially how it has disastrously failed to protect his state’s law abiding citizens.

“Yes, let’s talk about New Jersey’s abysmal gun policy,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Let’s hear Murphy explain how keeping honest citizens disarmed while criminals like Tahaji Wells, who just got out of prison in February and should not have had a firearm at all under existing law, are released early where they can prey upon innocent, and defenseless, Garden State residents.

“Let’s hear from Murphy,” he continued, “about how citizen disarmament laws, that are anti-self-defense, aren’t strong enough. Maybe the governor can explain why local police agencies are allowed to sit on gun purchase applications while innocent people like Carol Bowne are murdered in the driveway of her Berlin Township home.

“And then maybe Murphy can expound on the right of self-defense, and defense of others, as happened over the weekend in far distant Washington State,” Gottlieb added. “Out in the Evergreen State Sunday afternoon, an armed citizen stopped a crazed gunman in a Walmart parking lot, possibly saving several lives because – unlike in New Jersey – Evergreen State residents can carry sidearms for personal protection against such criminals.”

The Sunday Walmart shooting made national headlines, and illustrates a sharp contrast between Draconian gun laws that leave people defenseless, and common sense laws that not only allow but enable citizens to fight back.

“Yes, Phil,” Gottlieb stated, “now is a very good time to have this conversation, so you can argue in favor of releasing dangerous felons from prison while pushing gun control laws that give criminals a risk-free working environment. We should have this discussion every time an innocent person is victimized when they could have defended themselves, except for restrictive gun control laws like you want to perpetuate in New Jersey.”