Westford Had Over 1,000 Active Gun Permits Last Year
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety reports that Westford had an increase of 68 Class A licenses from 2011 to 2012.
Gun control remains as a topic on the national stage, with yesterday alone providing the unveiling a $500 million dollar gun violence package from President Obama and a new statement from the NRA saying that attacking firearms and ignoring children is "not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation."
Here in Westford, the topic remains in the news as well, most recently during last week's Board of Selectmen's meeting during a discussion over a proposed town level assault weapons ban that led Selectman Bob Jefferies adding that the bylaw should be joined by an additional bylaw requiring that gun owners join a militia.
Today, we want to hear your thoughts on the issue here in Westford.
Patch has obtained the following statistics from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety regarding overall gun statistics in town from 2008 to 2012.
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | |
| Firearms Identification Card | 153 | 169 | 165 | 172 | 165 |
| Firearms Identification Card Restricted Chemical Propellant Only | 53 | 57 | 62 | 68 | 71 |
| Resident Class A Large Capacity License to Carry Firearms | 778 | 860 | 915 | 1012 | 1080 |
| Resident Class B Non-Large Capacity License to Carry Firearms | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Resident License to Possess a Machine Gun | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
In 2012, Westford ranked 76th in the Commonwealth in active Class A licenses issued, 52nd in the Commonwealth in active Chemical Propellant Only licenses and 51st in active firearms identification cards issued.
Alex Cannella
10:08 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Unless and until all able bodied adult residents of Westford are required to join and serve the town milita, forcing current gun owner residents to be identified and segregated into a "militia" is just a means at gun registration and the equivalent if internment. Afterall, isn't protecting the place we live and keeping it safe the duty of ALL its citizens?
Dan D.
1:09 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Back years ago, a Vermont legislator did some research on both the US and the VT constitution and claimed it was not just a right, but a duty for citizens to own firearms. He filed a bill that would identify and fine those who refused to own a firearm $500. I thought it was hilarious. It died, of course, but did serve to point out that far left, liberal Vermont has basically no gun laws. You can own and carry any firearm allowed by the Feds (i.e., no machine guns) without a permit or license of any kind, apparently. Vermont has a crime rate in the lowest 3 or 4 states in the US.
Maybe we can amend the article to fine those in Westford who do not have a firearm. If passed with the amendment, it would have just as much chance of standing as the current one. Think of the great press it would bring, too!
TK
7:00 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Alex,
under current conditions, when most shootings are done with legally purchased guns (not guns smuggled from Mexico), "protecting the place we live" I understand as protecting us safe from undisciplined gun owners who do not take good care of their firearms. So... do you still want non-owners join the militia and take care of the above mentioned problem? What’s wrong with gathering every other month and asking each other:” Is your son OK? Do you keep your guns locked while he is working out his issues with psychiatrist?” What’s wrong with educating fellow gun owners about safety? Why would I do this? And why would I pay for all of it (police officers at schools, safety locks on school doors, etc.)? And before you mention Second Amendment, remember “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, and some of us give up not only Happiness, but the Life itself to accommodate second amendment right. Gathering couple times a year for a chat and refresh course on gun safety is not such a big deal when if you at least pretend that you respect basic rights of others.
Randy Winslow
7:07 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
TK, that is from the Declaration of Independence, it was the grievance we used to desperate ourselves from England. It is not a part of our constitution. It is not law. And those unalienable rights can only be taken through due process.
R.B. Phillips
8:39 am on Friday, January 18, 2013
First, let's not call it gun control. It's gun prohibition. Authoritarians who rant for gun prohibition almost universally do it out of a need to look down on and control others. It's therefore not surprising that concomitant xenophilia, deception, and the vilest of demagoguery follow naturally. Most recently, the NY and MA governors have pushed legislation that deliberately places existing gun owners in legal jeopardy and seeks to humiliate them and maximize inconvenience to them. Gun prohibition can only flourish when authoritarians in positions of power are enabled by a disengaged and ignorant electorate. A look around the U.S. supports my point.
TK
12:53 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
(P.S. I cannot believe how whiny gun owners are – either too many rules, or rules are too harsh. First they pushed for easy licensing – now they complain that crazy people can get guns. They do not want gvnmt oversight, and also do not want to organize themselves. They want us to meet them in the middle – where is that middle? Cross-section of “do not change anything” and “entertainment industry is at falt”? )
Randy Winslow
7:08 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Separate *
Randy Winslow
12:53 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Not to mention this list does not include any law enforcement or guards who work in other towns.
Randy Winslow
7:11 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Not to mention, this does not include an of the law enforcement officials, and guards that live in town but work elsewhere.
BS
11:53 am on Sunday, January 27, 2013
My comment "Vote these selectmen who are willing to take away your rights, out of office." If they are willing to take your right to keep and bear arms, what will they take next. Remember who they are, and vote them out of office. Guns are not pulling their own triggers, people are. I emplore everyone interested in this subject to read a book by an FBI profiler "Mind Hunter." It is society's problem to identify these sick, loner, problem people and incorporate them into society, and they are easily identifiable in their early years at school. Taking firearms away from law abiding citizens, who may enjoy shooting, hunting, or just collecting will not solve this problem. I feel bad actually for any youngster or adult who has not had the experience and saitsfaction of getting a bullseye with a BB gun or 22 etc. Join the NRA, become an expert marksman, join a local gun club, and widen your horizons....
BS
Andrew Sylvia
9:57 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Hi,
Please change your user name. It violates the terms of use.
Dan D.
1:05 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
And, now a brief statement from the Massachusetts Constitution:
Article XVII. The people have a right to keep and to bear arms for the common defence. And as, in time of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the civil authority, and be governed by it.
Three of the Selectmen, Ross, Jefferies, and Peraner-Sweet apparently think it is the Selectmen's job to stimulate contentious debate about a proposed law that will be tossed out, according to them. I'm not sure where they got the idea that pointless debate stimulation falls into the job we elected them to do. I'm not sure how that has any influence on how the town is run, what is spent, and what taxes are thrust upon us. Here's to LOTS of new candidates, time to change the guard!
Sam
1:13 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
Agreed. Vote these retreads out!
BS
9:49 pm on Sunday, January 27, 2013
My wife spent much of her time, years back, fighting against bussing issues. Don Earle, a selectman at the time, told the school board, "if you can't find the money for bussing in your bidget, I'll go in and find it." Suddenly there was money for bussing. All these years later, now the townspeople have to pay for bussing. This town, it's selectman, and school board are corrupt, it is time to vote them ALL out of office. Please do.........
BS