Letter: Bills neither punish criminals nor protect gun owners’ rights

Posted 2/22/21

To the editor:

A good law is one which punishes the perpetrator of a crime while scrupulously maintaining and protecting the freedom and civil rights of society at large. It is unbiased, based on …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Bills neither punish criminals nor protect gun owners’ rights

Posted

To the editor:

A good law is one which punishes the perpetrator of a crime while scrupulously maintaining and protecting the freedom and civil rights of society at large. It is unbiased, based on facts, logic and absolute need, with the full knowledge that each law passed results in a shift of power from the individual to government. Good law is the product of competent legislators.

The anti-Second Amendment bills submitted by newly empowered, “progressives” in the Rhode Island legislature fail this definition in every respect.

• S0073/H5555 — Prevents legal concealed carry by parents, teachers and staff in schools, removing the possibility of an immediate response to a would-be mass murderer. Law enforcement studies indicate one life lost every 14 seconds during such an event. The best police response is 10 minutes. Do the math to see how many lives your representatives are willing to sacrifice for their twisted ideology.

• S0179 — Destroys your right to self-defense by ending “shall issue” concealed carry permits by local police chiefs. It also denies permits to retired police officers.

• H5554 — Bans possession, sale or transfer (confiscation) of magazines over 10 rounds, despite the fact such bans have never reduced crime and limit your ability to defend yourself and family. It also bans any magazine with a removable base plate. This, in effect, turns all semi-automatic pistols and rifles into single shot firearms, since modern magazines all have removable base plates for the purpose of cleaning. Ban the magazine and you ban the firearm.

• H5556 — Bans the possession, sale or transfer (confiscation) of “assault weapons,” loosely defined as any firearm with cosmetics that offend “progressive” sensibilities, especially the AR-15. Again, a useless law. According to FBI statistics, rifles of all kinds are involved in only about 2 percent of violent crimes.

• H5381 — Requires any firearm purchaser to execute a release of his or her medical records to the state for five years.

These bills represent a humiliating slap in the face for you and tens of thousands of fellow citizens who choose to exercise a civil right, delivered by representatives who no longer represent you. Call them, e-mail them, write them. Hold them responsible. Don't accept “thank you for your opinion” or a parade of “progressive” fantasies. Demand to know how they're going to vote and advise them that their vote determines how you vote in the next election. Delivering your children's children into political slavery is not an option.

Scott McCarthy

84 Blueberry Lane

Tiverton

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.