New York’s SAFE Act was submitted for a vote less than a month after the Sandy Hook spree killing. Empire State legislators passed the package of gun control measures (e.g., limited ammunition magazine capacity, ban on “assault weapons”) some 20 minutes after its introduction. Governor Cuomo signed the measure half an hour later (as an emergency provision). In short, the SAFE Act was a sucker punch to New Yorkers’ gun rights. Over at thedailynewsonline.com anti-gun activists for NYAGV (New Yorkers Against Gun Violence) offer An open letter to lawmakers regarding the SAFE Act. Paul McQuillen and Gary Pudup try to take lawmakers set on SAFE Act repeal to the proverbial woodshed. Here’s their conclusion . . .
We at NYAGV appreciate that gun ownership is a right guaranteed under our Constitution and upheld by our courts. But, as with any right comes responsibilities. Those responsibilities are particularly grave when we are discussing the right to possess lethal weapons.
The corporate gun lobby has opposed any sensible gun regulations because their only interest is in selling more guns to more people, not caring if their weapons fall into dangerous, or young, hands.
It’s the responsibility of governments, including the Genesee County Legislature, to protect the public safety by promulgating and supporting laws that, for example, protect citizens from gun violence. That’s done by keeping guns out of the wrong hands — those of terrorists, criminals, domestic abusers, the seriously mentally ill and children. The SAFE Act goes a long way toward that goal.
NY State has the third-lowest gun death rate in the nation because we have smart gun laws that keep guns out of dangerous hands. The rest of the country should follow our lead to save lives.
It’s standard-issue anti-gun agitprop. Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms can be infringed because guns are dangerous. The evil gun lobby is evil. Public safety trumps individual rights. It’s the last ‘graph – a sanctimonious statistical citation – that stuck in the craw of commentator demnsco. Here’s his reply:
You people are unreal… NY has the third lowest rate of gun deaths PER CAPITA. Using that lame stat Alaska, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Montana all have the highest rates of gun homicides. Alaska is the most dangerous state to live in according to you, how many died of gun homicide? 17, yup, 17 yet you claim they are living in the most unsafe gun state in the country behind Illinois which has how many shootings? NY has some 350 gun homicides a year which, based on gross shootings, puts it as one of the worst states in terms of gun safety.
You can’t win unless you cheat, period. Don’t tell us you support gun ownership, only your proposals are sane and reasonable (you hate guns), or that the SAFE Act is loved by all, most don’t understand it because, as you point out, only 18% of NYers own guns and are unaffected by the law. However the 4,000,000 NY gun owners disagree with much, not all, of the law.
You banned “assault weapons” which were used in less than 2% of all gun homicides. You tightened gun ownership yet shootings are up in NY. You actively quote outdated and discredited data and info as fact when they are garbage data points and no one ever calls you out on them except by people like me who you ignore. You lie and its wrong. If you can’t win honestly then you don’t have a winning argument.
Your hard close about per capita gun homicide rates proves it, Alaska with 17 gun homicides is worse than NYs 350+ or Chicago’s how many? Please. You can keep background checks and mental health checks, those are fine, but your magazine limits and gun bans are garbage and haven’t saved one life, period. Stop lying about the data, data is what I do.
People who support civilian disarmament can’t tell the truth about guns. The truth doesn’t support their position. So they lie. Luckily, America’s tradition of free speech remains robust; even the anti-gun press makes room for gun rights advocates’ counter-arguments. (On Facebook? Not so much.) Which leaves an important question on the table. Do gun rights protect free speech or does free speech protect gun rights? I say yes. You?