Supervisors look to Fathers in gun law opposition

2/20/2013

By David Avitabile

Supervisors look to Fathers in gun law opposition

Invoking the names of the founding fathers, Schoharie County supervisors Friday overwhelmingly and enthusiastically approved a resolution bashing New York State's new gun control law.
"This is probably the most important resolution to ever come before this body," Carlisle Supervisor Larry Bradt said Friday morning.
The resolution passed by a count of 15-1. Only Seward Supervisor Carl Barbic voted no.
Quoting Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Bradt urged supervisors and other counties in the fight against the New York Safe Act that was adopted by the state legislature earlier this year.
The residents of the county "have a history here fighting for our liberties. We are not extremists," he added.
The supervisors' resolution argued against many of the components of the new gun law, including requiring gun owners to verify ownership of certain types of firearms, prohibiting the sale of firearm magazines with a capacity larger than seven rounds, and requiring documentation of all ammunition sales in the state.
"The only persons who will comply with the new high-capacity magazine ban are law-abiding citizens, leaving the same high-capacity magazines in the hands of those who choose not to obey the law," the resolution states.
While creating problems and hardships for law-abiding citizens, the state law "fails to offer any meaningful solutions to gun violence and places increased burdens where they do not belong, squarely on the backs of law-abiding citizens; and...this legislation effectively turns New York State law-abiding gun owners into criminals."
Local counties should not have to pay for enforcement of the new law, Mr. Bradt argued.
"If they want to enforce it, let them fund it themselves," he said.
Supervisors also argued against the way the new state law was enacted.
"It is our understanding that many state legislators has less than one hour to read this legislation, which contained approximately 25,000 words, before being forced to vote on it," the resolution states. "It is our conclusion that there is no possible way any individual could have read the entire bill and understood its full implications prior to voting on it."
Jim Buzon of Middleburgh said he was opposed to the way the law was approved.
He called it "a real shortcut of our laws."
Earl VanWormer of Esperance wondered why the state law was "pushed through in record time."
He added, "If that doesn't make every New Yorker scared about what can happen in the future. . ."
Instead of spending time and money on these gun safety laws, the state should be more concerned with the mental health of potential shooters.
"You can't help them by restricting guns," Mr. VanWormer said. "They'll still get them."
At Friday's meeting was Paul Bonhote of Jefferson, whose stepson was dating Lauren Rousseau, one of the teachers kills in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
"It's not the guns. It's the people," Mr. Bonhote told supervisors.
The resolution asks members of the state legislature to hold public hearings to address the issue of gun violence "in a way that will produce meaningful results."
Besides opposing the state law, the resolution requests the repeal "of any legislation, including the sections within the New York Safe Act which infringe upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms."
In addition to passing their own resolution, supervisor also adopted a resolution supporting the second amendment from the National Sheriff's Association that was presented by Sheriff Tony Desmond.
Mr. Bradt said he hopes the resolution will spread to other counties and added that a "We the People" rally will be held on March 16 on the lawn in front of the DAR hall in Schoharie.
A copy of the county's resolution will be sent to the president, vice president, the governor, the two senators, Congressman Chris Gibson, State Senator James Seward, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblyman Peter Lopez.