I am writing as a father raising my sons in California. I believe in defending all constitutional amendments, including the fundamental right to self-defense, something AB 1333 directly undermines.
This bill imposes a duty to retreat, criminalizing those who protect their families and homes. It violates Supreme Court rulings in Heller (2008) and Bruen (2022), which affirmed self-defense as a core Second Amendment right. A government that forces citizens to flee rather than defend themselves has abandoned its duty to protect.
AB 1333 also contradicts Marbury v. Madison (1803), which holds that unconstitutional laws are void. The Second Amendment and California law have long recognized the right to self-defense. This bill guts those protections, making it legally ambiguous or outright illegal to defend one’s home.
This legislation emboldens criminals, who already take advantage of soft-on-crime policies. Under AB 1333, home invaders will know homeowners must legally retreat rather than fight back. It sacrifices public safety for political activism.
If legislators want a safer California, they should enforce laws against violent criminals instead of stripping responsible citizens of their rights. I urge you to reject AB 1333. It will not survive constitutional scrutiny, and those who support it will be accountable to the people they endanger.
The government does not grant the right to self-defense. It is inherent. Any attempt to erode it is unconstitutional and unjust.