Posted on 01/08/2013 9:06:42 AM PST by 101stAirborneVet
BURLINGTON, Vt. -
A passionate crowd - many in blaze orange - packed City Hall Monday night. Most of whom were there to voice concern and contest the proposed change to the city charter.
"It's not really good to pass feel good legislations," said one gun rights advocate to the city council.
The proposed amendment banning semi-automatic assault weapons and multiple ammunition clips came from Norm Blais, (D-Burlington City Council) in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
"To those people who say we don't need this legislation in Burlington because nothing like this has ever happened here before, well the people of Newtown, Conn. could have said that before Dec. 15th," Blais said.
But at least one crowd member says emotions shouldn't cloud lawmaking judgment.
"I think it's a dangerous course to let emotions get into the driver's seat when writing legislation that could potentially infringe on constitutional rights," said Matt Storer, a member of the public in attendance.
And he wasn't the only one concerned with the Constitution. Applause echoed almost every speaker who mentioned the 2nd amendment.
Renee Robyor, another resident who spoke during public comment added, "This council has failed to recognize the right to keep arms omitting this right from the proposed charter change."
Another common theme among the dozens who addressed the council -- the need not to take away the guns -- but to focus on the mental health of those who may potentially pull a trigger.
Speaking of his training as a school teacher, Morgan Lamphere said, "We have come to understand that better mental health programs for children thru adult services will be the only way to help our society."
Still, Vermont is one of the most lenient states when it comes to gun laws -- some council members say it's better to look at what they can do in the short term like increase school safety, rather than try to challenge state law.
"To pass a law or to send a charter change that's ultimately probably going to do nothing, that Montpelier will not sign off on is a futile exercise," added Paul Decelles, (R-Burlington City Council.)
The amendment passed 10-3, but still has a long way to go before it could possibly go into effect. It must go into committee, eventually be voted on by the public, and then sent before the legislature in Montpelier.
I thought that Vermont had state pre-emption and that local governments could not pass laws that were more restrictive than the state level laws.
Good Work Burlington!
Now... whose job is it to go get the guns away from the criminals?
Be sure to ask nicely and tell them “IT’S THE LAW”
The amendment passed 10-3, but still has a long way to go before it could possibly go into effect. It must go into committee, eventually be voted on by the public, and then sent before the legislature in Montpelier.
IOW, this really is not much of a story, unless you live there.
It appears the councilmen have infringed the right to keep and bear arms andd thereby breached their oath of office to protect and defendd the Constitution; and they should therefore be removed from office in disgrace.
Feel good laws do not reduce crime, they increase crime.
That’s the way it is here in Michigan. Lord knows plenty of city councils have tried only to have the state supreme court toss attempts at gun bans out.
I can walk right down the main drag in Ann Arbor with a rifle over my shoulder if I want and its entirely legal. I would probably be arrested due to the hundreds of calls to police that would come in but I would win in a very expensive court battle.
It passed 10-3 because the council is soooooooooo much smarter than their constituents. (And actually it’s a step in the LEFT direction!) Obviously the citizens don’t have a clue and at least the council “did something”. Even if it doesn’t make any difference at all. Which it won’t. Maybe they can get mark kelly and his wife (who won’t take his last name because they are sooooooo progressive)gabby giffords to pay a visit to ‘splain to them what’s at stake. They’re are so dumb, them gun clingers.
Say no to the BORV’s!!! (Bill Of Rights Violators)
How come we never hear about left wing extremists? I guess only the right can be described that way.
Molon labe!
Except that we must each be vigilant in our own communities against local infringement attempts such as this. That they ignore the state preemption, in a Second Amendment respecting state such as Vermont, and vote in favor of these illegal restrictions, reveals how far the termites have spread.
Everyone of the people who have engaged in these murders have been RECOGNIZEABLY nutso...and were ignored in one way or another.
In the case of Ft. Hood....it was pure "MUSLIM PC" that got those people killed.
Here in Webster, we lost two fireman because the COURT WAS WRONG, the attorneys were wrong, the judge was wrong and the parole board was wrong.
Read up on Hinckley...they were recently considering freeing him until they found out he was lying...Things like lying about being at a movie when he was in the library looking up articles about the shooting of Reagan.
Nice work, Burlington. STRICTLY illegal, but VERY nice work. Now send all your cops to black neighborhoods and confiscate their guns!
What’s that? Police are busy breaking down doors in white, middle class neighborhoods?
You SURPRISE me!
And remember, in the Middle East...stoning is "in".
Except that we must each be vigilant in our own communities against local infringement attempts such as this.
I agree, but I live in KY. This is a low risk here. Heck, I can go to the online classifieds here to buy a gun from any private party, just like buying a used car stereo. :-)
“IOW, this really is not much of a story, unless you live there.”
Have you ever been to Burlington? It’s a dump! Most of Vermont ( though liberal to the core) is beautiful, but Burlington looks as though all the welfare recipients and druggies in the state live there. Just a dreary place that looks al little like East Germany before the wall came down! Reminds you of the East Texas towns that are drying up and blowing away!
“IOW, this really is not much of a story, unless you live there.”
Have you ever been to Burlington? It’s a dump! Most of Vermont ( though liberal to the core) is beautiful, but Burlington looks as though all the welfare recipients and druggies in the state live there. Just a dreary place that looks al little like East Germany before the wall came down! Reminds you of the East Texas towns that are drying up and blowing away!
Anti-gunners never stop. They may wait for a while, but then when the moment is propitious for them dive right back in (never let a good crisis go to waste). They cannot be reasoned with because their antipathy to freedom is not based on reason. They cannot be bargained with because they have nothing to give. Likewise they feel no fear because they have nothing to lose, and their mouthy whining to the contrary, they know gun owners are too law abiding to do the right thing. They feel no pity for those whose rights they would trample, because they worship the state, and the state wants powerless serfs, not citizens. And they never stop and they're NEVER satisfied. Every new regulation is a "good first step" on the way to their frequently stated goal - "A society where only the police and military are armed."
There are only three possible final outcomes
They should also pass a law banning African Lions from roaming the streets. Sure, they've never had one before, but a law will make certain it never happens......
The sad thing is that Connecticut actually HAS an assault weapons ban on the books. So in arguing that they passed the bill because of Sandy Hook, they are saying that they should make their laws exactly like Sandy Hook’s laws, in order to prevent a Sandy Hook-type shooting.
That is what passes for logic, I guess.
So they passed it.
Who is going to enforce it?
How many of them will be on the council next year.
They have to live in Burlington and many of them just screwed over people who used to be their friends.
Shun the like the Amish do. See how they like that.
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