By Gregory Thayer
Governor Scott has taken the correct action by vetoing S-30. The answer is not to place more restrictions on firearm ownership. This bill as written does nothing for people’s safety. Criminals will get guns illegally whenever they want them from all around Vermont. The Progressive Marxists continue to assault law abiding citizens of our great State and our Constitution.
Vermont Constitution Chapter 1 Article 16 reads: “[Right to Bear Arms; standing armies; military powers subordinate to civil]; That the People have a right to bear arms for the defenses of themselves and the State – and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.
Our U.S. Constitution reads: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
These guarantees in our law of laws are what legislatures ought to be following. With the Progressive’s; policies of defunding the police, taking away police’s qualified immunity, and Prosecutors and the Courts not holding criminals accountable, now more than ever, people need to be able to exercise their Constitutional right to protect themselves, their family, and their property from the bad people in our population.
The public safety of the people is the most important responsibility of government, some would argue it is the government’s only responsibility. Our laws must reflect appropriate penalties for the criminal element around us. We have laws for deterrence and to stop criminal activities, the Progressives are working to abort all common-sense and respect for our laws and the people in general.
As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will work tirelessly for public safety and to uphold our Constitutions. We are a state of laws, police must have every tool to provide for our safety, and prosecutors must hold every criminal to be sentenced and held accountable accordingly. If that means building more prisons, then build them!