Town of Claverack resolution opposing the SAFE Act

March 14, 2013 7:00 PM

RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE PROCESS OF ENACTMENT OF AND CERTAIN PROVISIONS CONTAINED WITHIN THE NEW YORK SAFE ACT

WHEREAS the December tragedy in Newton, CT have left us heartbroken and angry and this is a frightening addition to a growing list of mass violent acts; and

WHEREAS one of our fundamental rights and needs is to feel safe and there is compelling evidence for and against increased gun regulations in order to achieve that safety, which, at a minimum, indicates the complexity of the issue; and

WHEREAS our forefathers secured our right to protect ourselves and our country with the second amendment and the right to bear arms; and

WHEREAS within the town of Claverack reside four gun clubs and many of the residents of Claverack, regardless of political affiliation, are law abiding gun owners and;

WHEREAS many of these owners have worked hard to understand and obey the gun laws within the state of New York, which are some of the strongest in the United States, to enable them to continue to enjoy the traditions of our rural community with opportunities to feed their families, enjoy our natural beauty, occupy their time with recreational options that they can share and feel they are protecting themselves, their families and their communities; and

WHEREAS, gun regulation can be a polarizing issue, and has a direct effect on some individuals and their property and livelihood and therefore our community; and

WHEREAS the enactment of the NY SAFE Act (Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2013) has engendered significant controversy over both the process by which it was enacted and certain provisions contained within it; and

WHEREAS some of the controversy of the NY SAFE Act stems from the way in which the bill was introduced and considered,  giving state legislators very little time to review the legislation, , much less fully understand the details of the bill and receive the input of their constituents or experts regarding the complexity of this legislation; and

WHEREAS we believe our constituents, including lawful gun owners, would support legislation that they felt would have an effective impact on our recent tragedies of mass violence; and

WHEREAS, instead, aspects of this legislation could significantly penalize current law abiding gun owners; escalate the divide between “rural” and “urban” residents;  increase barriers to access mental health; increase the financial burden to tax payers for county and state residents as well as increase the burdens of many businesses; and

WHEREAS there is not any report on how the most controversial aspects of the act will not only produce meaningful results for the reduction of gun violence, but also the full impact on law abiding residents, businesses, taxpayers and mentally ill; and

WHEREAS, we, as Legislators, are charged with, and value, thoughtful debate and effective results, on behalf of our constituents, now, therefore be it

RESOLVED that the Claverack Town Board asks members of the New York State Legislature to reexamine the enactment of the NY SAFE Act (Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2013) with public and expert opinion and debate to help better achieve our mutual goals for effective outcome and consequences, especially in light of the impact on those who are current law abiding citizens that own firearms; and further be it

RESOLVED that the members of the Claverack Town Board ask all members of the State and Federal legislature to commit to the challenging and time‐consuming responsibility of looking to the roots of these acts of violence as they consider legislation; and further be it

RESOLVED that Claverack Town Board supports, and strongly encourages others to support, education and the demystification of the current technical attributes of firearms in order to help unify our communities; and further be it

RESOLVED that Claverack Town Board supports the use of Mental Health First Aid, or similar program, for education on the identification of mental health issues within our community to support the prevention of violent tragedies; and
further be it

RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the NY State Governor, State Senator Marchione, Assembly Member Didi Barrett, NY Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congressman Gibson.