JUMPMASTER
Regular Member
imported post
Here is a copy of the letter I wrote that was published in the November issue of my local community newspaper.
Dear Editor,
During the Public Hearing on the Blight Ordinance on October 20[suP]th[/suP], Mayor Festa said something that got my attention. He said, “There is nothing in any particular law whether it be state, local, or national that constitutes anyone taking the Rights of any individuals away from them.” Unfortunately he did just that in February of this year when posted a sign on the doors of the Town Hall banning anyone but the Police from carrying a firearm into Town Hall. Until he ordered the sign to be posted it had always been legal to carry a weapon into Town Hall and to my knowledge there has never been a problem. The Mayor posted this sign without the approval of the legislative body of the town, the Town Council. He explained to me that his ban on firearms was equivalent to his ban on bringing dogs into the Town Hall, in my opinion this is equivalent to comparing apples to pinecones. The Mayor’s goal is to ban the private carrying of firearms by civilians in order to establish a safer Town Hall. How can banning an individual (who is legally and lawfully carrying a weapon for self defense) from carrying his or her weapon make the Town Hall any safer? How can allowing only police officers from carrying a firearm make the Town Hall any safer? Criminals and those who have decided to take drastic measures are not going to stop at the door and read the Mayors sign and then suddenly decide, “Oh. The sign says no firearms or weapons. I better not go in and shoot anyone.” Police Officers have no greater Right then a Citizen from carrying a weapon to defend himself. The only difference in Connecticut Law between a Police Officer and a Civilians use of deadly force (when justified) to defend himself is that a Police Officer does not have the duty to retreat if possible as a civilian does outside of his house. The US Supreme Court under Castle Rock vs. Gonzales ruled to the effect that a police department has no duty to protect an individual. There have been a few instances within the past two years in our Town Hall where a police officer has had to standby at a Planning and Zoning meeting because of a perceived threat from a citizen. What if no officer was available? What if the threat was unknown and I happened to be at the meeting unarmed and unable to defend myself or others because I was following the Mayors sign and the person decided to start shooting? What if a woman had a protective order against someone and he lied in wait outside the doors of the Town Hall for her because he knew she couldn’t carry a weapon inside? There was also another instance last year in which a couple of workers in the building department received a death threat from a man at the counter.
Last year in the quite town of Kirkwood Missouri a man shot and killed a police officer outside of its town hall and then proceeded to go inside and kill another police officer. He then shot and killed three city council members as well as wounding two others. Some might argue that it was too bad people weren’t banned from carrying weapons into its town hall as they are in ours, surely that would have stopped the criminal. However, the City Council had done just that. They had recently banned anyone other than a council member from carrying a weapon into the City Hall. Unfortunately the killer didn’t abide by that rule and the public in attendance had to resort to throwing chairs at the shooter until police could arrive. I certainly hope that an event like this will never occur in our Town Hall but we certainly have had our share of violent crimes, murders, and shootings occur in our neighborhoods.
We all have the basic Right to self defense and there are over 900 citizens in Plymouth that have recognized that right and have obtained a State Permit to carry pistols or revolvers. As of March there are over 2750 permits issued in Bristol, 563 in Thomaston, and 491 in Harwinton. Somehow we don’t hear stories about these people shooting each other in the grocery store because they bumped shoulders or acting like it’s the Wild West, yet this was a concern the Mayor told me he had.
It is our responsibility to protect ourselves and the lawful carrying of a firearm is one way to do it. You may hear some people say, “Along with Rights comes Responsibilities.” I agree with that, but the responsibility that comes with carrying a firearm isn’t to have to leave it in the car when you enter the Town Hall. The Connecticut Constitution states that “Every Citizen has to Right to bear arms in defense of himself or the State.” It doesn’t say that right ends at the door to the Plymouth Town Hall. When will our Local and State Leaders and Law Enforcement Officers start to obey this document that they have sworn an oath to uphold and protect?
Sincerely,
Keith G. Golnik
46 Orchard St
Terryville, CT 06786
Here is a copy of the letter I wrote that was published in the November issue of my local community newspaper.
Dear Editor,
During the Public Hearing on the Blight Ordinance on October 20[suP]th[/suP], Mayor Festa said something that got my attention. He said, “There is nothing in any particular law whether it be state, local, or national that constitutes anyone taking the Rights of any individuals away from them.” Unfortunately he did just that in February of this year when posted a sign on the doors of the Town Hall banning anyone but the Police from carrying a firearm into Town Hall. Until he ordered the sign to be posted it had always been legal to carry a weapon into Town Hall and to my knowledge there has never been a problem. The Mayor posted this sign without the approval of the legislative body of the town, the Town Council. He explained to me that his ban on firearms was equivalent to his ban on bringing dogs into the Town Hall, in my opinion this is equivalent to comparing apples to pinecones. The Mayor’s goal is to ban the private carrying of firearms by civilians in order to establish a safer Town Hall. How can banning an individual (who is legally and lawfully carrying a weapon for self defense) from carrying his or her weapon make the Town Hall any safer? How can allowing only police officers from carrying a firearm make the Town Hall any safer? Criminals and those who have decided to take drastic measures are not going to stop at the door and read the Mayors sign and then suddenly decide, “Oh. The sign says no firearms or weapons. I better not go in and shoot anyone.” Police Officers have no greater Right then a Citizen from carrying a weapon to defend himself. The only difference in Connecticut Law between a Police Officer and a Civilians use of deadly force (when justified) to defend himself is that a Police Officer does not have the duty to retreat if possible as a civilian does outside of his house. The US Supreme Court under Castle Rock vs. Gonzales ruled to the effect that a police department has no duty to protect an individual. There have been a few instances within the past two years in our Town Hall where a police officer has had to standby at a Planning and Zoning meeting because of a perceived threat from a citizen. What if no officer was available? What if the threat was unknown and I happened to be at the meeting unarmed and unable to defend myself or others because I was following the Mayors sign and the person decided to start shooting? What if a woman had a protective order against someone and he lied in wait outside the doors of the Town Hall for her because he knew she couldn’t carry a weapon inside? There was also another instance last year in which a couple of workers in the building department received a death threat from a man at the counter.
Last year in the quite town of Kirkwood Missouri a man shot and killed a police officer outside of its town hall and then proceeded to go inside and kill another police officer. He then shot and killed three city council members as well as wounding two others. Some might argue that it was too bad people weren’t banned from carrying weapons into its town hall as they are in ours, surely that would have stopped the criminal. However, the City Council had done just that. They had recently banned anyone other than a council member from carrying a weapon into the City Hall. Unfortunately the killer didn’t abide by that rule and the public in attendance had to resort to throwing chairs at the shooter until police could arrive. I certainly hope that an event like this will never occur in our Town Hall but we certainly have had our share of violent crimes, murders, and shootings occur in our neighborhoods.
We all have the basic Right to self defense and there are over 900 citizens in Plymouth that have recognized that right and have obtained a State Permit to carry pistols or revolvers. As of March there are over 2750 permits issued in Bristol, 563 in Thomaston, and 491 in Harwinton. Somehow we don’t hear stories about these people shooting each other in the grocery store because they bumped shoulders or acting like it’s the Wild West, yet this was a concern the Mayor told me he had.
It is our responsibility to protect ourselves and the lawful carrying of a firearm is one way to do it. You may hear some people say, “Along with Rights comes Responsibilities.” I agree with that, but the responsibility that comes with carrying a firearm isn’t to have to leave it in the car when you enter the Town Hall. The Connecticut Constitution states that “Every Citizen has to Right to bear arms in defense of himself or the State.” It doesn’t say that right ends at the door to the Plymouth Town Hall. When will our Local and State Leaders and Law Enforcement Officers start to obey this document that they have sworn an oath to uphold and protect?
Sincerely,
Keith G. Golnik
46 Orchard St
Terryville, CT 06786
