By Bill Robinson
I'm writing in response to Anne Bordonaro's, in My View piece in the January 7 issue of The Valley Reporter. First let me say, Anne, while I disagree with you on this topic I do respect your opinions!
Issue 1: You suggest mandatory gun locks on all guns sold in Vermont. Well believe it or not all new guns sold in the U.S. do come with a locking device! Not like the ones I think you are talking about which recognize your fingerprint. I personally feel those kind of safety features are not needed and actually dangerous to the user. I have talked to people who have this feature on their smartphones who tell me they quite often do not recognize their own fingerprints and won't unlock that way.
Granted if you are just going target shooting, that's not a big deal you just punch in your code and you are ready to go. But in a self-defense setting it becomes more serious if you cannot fire your gun.
Issue 2: You suggest mandatory liability insurance on all firearms with the rates based on age of the owner, the type of weapon and such. Thereby, hopefully deterring the purchase of certain weapons which are used in some of the most violent and deadly crimes. By that logic we may want to consider requiring liability insurance on hammers, clubs and fists since according to FBI data more people are killed each year in our country by these weapons then rifles. So maybe it's just not right to require insurance on firearms if we don't require it on the more deadly weapons. Source: http://nation.foxnews.com/gun-rights/2013/01/03/fbi-more-people-killed-hammers-clubs-each-year-rifles.
Issue 3: Restrictions on possession of a firearm by those who have been found guilty of a violent offense or have a restraining order for domestic violence. Well, that is already in place. Well, actually it is for all felonies not just violent ones. So no new law is needed there, unless it was to change the law to only apply to those convicted of violent felonies and or domestic abuse and not all felons or all people who have restraining orders since we are supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty in this country.
Issue 4. Mandatory stamping of all ammo sold in Vermont! First off what good would this possibly have unless you plan on blaming the retailer who sold the ammo used in a crime. That would be like going after a car dealer because a car they sold was used in a hit and run, speeding, DUI or any other motor vehicle crime. Sorry, but in my opinion that's not realistic or fair.
Issue 5. Requirements that health and public safety agencies collaborate to track gun deaths and injuries and develop a process for evaluating the effectiveness of gun safety measures. I would be OK with this if it goes beyond gun violence and they look at all violence and work to evaluate ways to reduce violence! Because, in reality, there is no such thing as a violent gun. But there are violent people and that is where we really should be looking, in my opinion.
Robinson lives in Warren.
