by Mike Bielawski
At Burlington’s second Public Safety Community Forum Tuesday evening, President Pro Tempore of the Senate Philip Baruth of Burlington, D/P-Chittenden-Central District, suggested that the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment is “insane”.
And he insinuated that the nation’s founding fathers were just OK with beating their wives.
“We happen to have a Supreme Court right now that is and was in part picked because of their views on guns, and they are in place to enact a regime around firearms that I find insane, to use a blunt term,” he told the crowd.
He expressed frustration with the Bruen decision (Bruen v. New York, 2022) which established that the Second Amendment is a fundamental Constitutional right. Baruth does not agree with that assessment.
“The Bruen decision puts a historical test in place and says if in X way in the founding era or up to the 19th century, then you can’t regulate them in the current moment,” he said.
He continued about another case.
“So there was a judge in, I believe an appellate judge, who found it unconstitutional to prevent someone who had been convicted of domestic violence from going out and buying weapons, and he upheld that man’s right to go out and buy weapons because in the founding era, there was no problem with beating your wife,” he said.
Multiple new gun laws?
Baruth’s response was to a preselected question for the community forum. The questioner was not identified.
“In countries such as New Zealand and Norway, leadership reduces the number of guns significantly after mass shootings and gun violence, and gun violence has gone way down. How can we do this in Burlington?”
It continues to suggest a gun-buy-back program among other gun-control initiatives.
“Is a gun buyback program a possibility? Can we increase permitting and training requirements for guns to be carried in Burlington? Can we restrict areas where guns are allowed such as bars, the marketplace, city parks, etc.? Can we keep better track of those who have domestic violence records and make sure they don’t have access to guns?”
It continues with more suggestions.
Continued staffing shortages
Another question was directed to Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad and it concerned the current ongoing staff shortages at their department.
“As everyone saw on that graph, no we are not fully staffed,” Murad said. “Building back and growing back from that cliff that we experienced over two years of attrition is going to take longer than that cliff took.
“We’re working hard, you saw the photograph of the new recruits. I don’t unfortunately think we are going to have that strong a class for our next class which is in February.”
Earlier in the evening he had talked more about this matter.
“What this translates to and I’ll show it on the next slide is a picture of a department that used to field as many as 52 non-supervisory sworn police officers on patrol and about 10-to-12 non-supervisory detective bureau and it can no longer do that,” he said.
He next showed a graph illustrating that only 21 officers are currently on patrol, despite massive rises in crime over the same period that these officers were lost.
More of the public asked questions to the panel. The whole hour and 12-minute video can be seen here.
The author is a reporter for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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Categories: Burlington, Gunrights, Uncategorized
Abject insanity. Does he not understand that when you “ban” guns, it’s only the bad guys who will have guns because they don’t care about your stupid rules? That history tells us that when a population was left unprotected because guns were taken away, that population was then slaughtered? That it wasn’t that 6 million Jews were just so stupid and passive as so many like to say, that they just willingly got onto those cattle cars? The NAZIS had guns and they didn’t. Baruth is an idiot but a dangerous idiot.
Don’t be fooled, they know exactly what they are doing, they are also following orders. Who is giving them orders? Would be good to know.
“Who is giving them orders?” Lobbists on Baldwin St.
A prime example of “projection.” The Master he serves is pulling the rug out from underneath his clay feet as his services are proving unsuccessful. Remember, desperation breeds contempt. The split tongues are spitting and hissing wildly – when they intend to spew lies, the Truth comes out instead. God’s hand is moving indeed!
The late Evan Huges used to track the money being spent by lobbyists on “gun control” and where it came from with his Vtguns blog. That out of state entities such as Bloomburg’s “Everytown” and the “Giffords” send as much money to these “guns for hire” (pun intended) on Baldwin St. to spend should make anybody question if lobbists should be allowed to accept out of state money.
VTIndependent, embrace the power of “and.” Baruth is an idiot AND a dangerous idiot.
When law abiding citizens are not allowed to carry weapons then only the citizens who care not about laws or civility will carry weapons, not a good situation.
Hey Baruth take a hike and do not return!!
Who elected this clown.
The people of Chittenden County. Doesn’t say much for their concept of the reality of politics does it ?
The voters of Vermont’s most populous county voted for this man, on more than one occasion. Sad, isn’t it?
Baruth didn’t just move to Vermont from New York; New York rode him out on a rail and refuses to take him back…
“Insane” only if you’re a cuck tyrant.
The insanity of the moment is from Baruth, the good ole carpetbagger hisself. How does he think that VT,was able survive until the epitome of the crazies arrived here, BARUTH himself? We had alot less problems across the board until those folks from where ever arrived here, including him. If he would agree to accepting a one way ticket to where ever, with the agreement that he never would return, I would buy that ticket.
Wow ! Great minds think alike Jim ! Really, I did not read your comment before I posted mine .
Look up self-righteous elitist demagogue without a moral compass and you are liable to find a picture of Baruth. His Progressive policies are some of the root causes for the violence and mayhem that plagues Vermont. Now he’s suggesting a gun buyback program? The response from the law abiding citizen must be “Sorry, I can’t sell my firearms to you since you don’t pass my background check and your Marxist/Maoist style of politics has a history of violence against law abiding citizens.” If only his constituents in Chittenden County would come to their senses and un-elect this source of mayhem in the State.
The sad part is that IMO most of the Chitenden County Senators, and Representatives are cut from the same cloth, that is to say disingenuous Socialists.
Seems like the old pearl bears repeating, ” in a democracy the people get what they deserve “
How can we do this in Burlington.
This is the game plan, what we can’t get done on a state level we’ll work toward getting done on a town or city level.
One by one.
If you think that these people don’t know what they are doing, you are a fool. They understand very, very well how to operate our little state. It’s a marxist training ground.
This is not a ground up organization. It is not operating as a democratically elected official defending our republic, in his own words he’s trying to tear down the republic and constitution, which should disqualify him from remaining in office.
Instead, he will get promoted for his sophisticated speech.
This is occuring for one reason and one reason only because disarmaent is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal.
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/advancing-disarmament-within-2030-agenda-sustainable-development
Yes, Mr.Baruth has an opinion and we don’t care what this pompous azz thinks !!
The Pro-Tem ” aka” carpetbagger, a rabid anti-gun clown, of course, he’s going to go against the SCOTUS decision, he must have a real judicial mind ?, as he is Vermont’s
” President Pro Tempore”, maybe he should have stuck with writing kiddie books, as
he’s no political or judicial leader that’s for sure…… But he thinks he is……pathetic.
Baruth, is just another cancer of Vermont politics.
mr. baruth has brought his liberal, humanistic ideals with him to Vermont and seeks power and control over his serfs. he and a majority of Vermont legislators reject the tenants of both the US and Vermont Constitutions as well as the rule of law. It is best we stop pretending that allowing these elitists to “rule” over us will improve Vermont citizens lives. We are living proof that the ideals ensconced in the leftist dogma do not work, will not work- and should be abandoned. Have conditions improved in burlington- or Vermont since 1982, when the people’s republic of burlington was founded? Nope. All of the social and economic ills that were present in 1982 are still present, with those affected growing exponentially.
It matters not what baruth pretends to think- only that we become his ‘subjects’. His words are lies, promises false. He and so many others that have demanded humanistic values replace the morals and ethics of our state are truly the threat to our Constitutional Republic. Until we hold these elitists to the rule of law as written in Vermont’s Constitution- Vermont will continue down this totalitarian, dystopian path. Until we citizens demand accountability and stop pretending, ourselves- these elitists will continue to prey on the uninformed, uncaring voter and continue the downward spiral to anarchy.
Fine. Now tell us how we hold elitist politicians accountable when the vast majority of recently landed Vermonters are hypnotized to vote D.
Rights are not up for negotiation. Rights cannot be voted away. Rights cannot be granted, and they cannot be taken away. You are born with rights, and they are given to you by your creator. 1. Need a DA that will enforce the highest laws of the land and start arresting the law breakers (politicians that vote away, or conspire to vote away your rights illegally). 2. Get the civil suits going and sue sue sue.
42 U.S. Code § 1983
There are a lot of laws already on the books against politicians doing these sorts of things. It’s time to enforce them.
That would be the conundrum. Vermont’s demographics make the swing back to the middle in the short term impossible. In addition, the elitist legislature with then SoS james condos changed (legally, but under the cover of covid) Vermont’s election laws to add to the challenge. More likely- is the left will eat it’s own in pursuit of power and money, implode the state budget and bankrupt Vermont. Perhaps that result will finally force the electorate to see the pretending for what it is and slowly vote our way to sanity.
Our current experiment with liberalism started in the 1970’s- 50 years ago. It will take more than a few election cycles to change things and politicians.
What’s “insane” is a politician who keeps clearly states his intention of limiting more and more of the people’s rights. The only thing more “insane” are that those very people keep reelecting Sen. Baruth.
Phil Baruth is a narcissistic boob believing himself to be superior to anybody, be they the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, our founding fathers, or Vermonters. His self promotion knows no bounds . He is the perfect example of why Vermont is now politically in the crapper . Until Vermonters in Chittenden County come to the obvious conclusion that he, and his ilk are the problem, and not our saviors, we are doomed to our descent into that crapper. The sooner all these disingenuuous refugees realize that we did not live in caves, and eat dirt before they showed up to “save us from ourselves”, the sooner we will be able to elect statesment to serve the people of Vermont.
Molon labe.
Baruth was democratically elected. He is, what he is. The point most of his detractors are missing is, the Vermont Republican committee is not fielding electable candidates! Pro Choice is far more divisive issue in Vermont than gun control. 77% of all voters are in favor. Arguably, 99% of women. For the love of Christ, no right to life senate candidate in Chittenden county will ever hold office. It’s that F’n simple. How much longer will Vermonters tolerate a loosing platform?
@ NEK
Exactly. Phil Scott has TRIED to tell the Republican Party this but they won’t listen; only diss him and call him a RINO. He doesn’t support most VT Republican candidates because many are an embarrassment and most are unelectable. And the VT Right just rejects him for saying this; I’ll get trashed for saying this. I already have. Scott is a fiscal conservative. He isn’t exactly a social conservative. I suspect he leans in that direction but to be a full blown social conservative in VT would make you unelectable. Why oh why can’t we field intelligent articulate conservatives who just stay away from the live rail of abortion. Leave it be. If you don’t we get nothing but the likes of Baruth and a Democratic super majority; is that helpful in any way?
Yes, Phil Scott is a RINO, but electing a real conservative is nowhere near realistic and the alternative…Gov. Baruth, is downright frightening.
I am sorry but Scott is a RINO. I have contacted that office multiple times as my post details about the woke progressive citizens spitting on and attacking people, including seniors. I also called his office to make a formal complaint about the state equity office. My complaint centered on the fact that when I called the state equity office to share my concern over the heavy handed implementation of the equity program at EWSD, which was emotionally upsetting to very young children. The equity state employee responded by saying “Don’t you think white children should feel the same pain as black children.” The governor never called me back. He could care less about anyone unless the individual is a member of the LGBTQ+ population or someone advocating for some woke agenda.
phil beruit wants criminals to be armed but not Law Abiding Vermonters…why is that?
Baruth is the insane one….
Baruch should not be pushing his own personal agenda . In fact he should be removed from office for that reason
The arrogance of Phil Baruth is beyond belief. What he is mad about is that because of the Bruen decision he knows he can’t implement the monkey see monkey do gun control legislation that was passed in CT, MA, NY and NJ in Vermont. Then he makes the statement, “We happen to have a Supreme Court right now that is and was in part picked because of their views on guns, and they are in place to enact a regime around firearms that I find insane, to use a blunt term”. Baruth and all of the politicians in VT that voted to strip away our rights under the Bill of Rights are not even honest enough to say what they really are and that’s that they are Communists. Baruth and the politicians like him are the “domestic enemies” that we veterans swore an oath to protect our Constitution against.
Under Vermont law these people are perjurers. These communists have violated their oaths of office.
VERMONT CONSTITUTION
Text of Section 56:
Oaths of Allegiance and Office
Every officer, whether judicial, executive, or military, in authority under this State, before entering upon the execution of office, shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation of allegiance to this State, (unless the officer shall produce evidence that the officer has before taken the same) and also the following oath or affirmation of office, except military officers, and such as shall be exempted by the Legislature.
The Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will be true and faithful to the State of Vermont and that you will not, directly or indirectly, do any act or thing injurious to the Constitution or Government thereof. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
The Oath or Affirmation of Office
You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that you will faithfully execute the office of ____ for the ____ of ____ and will therein do equal right and justice to all persons, to the best of your judgment and ability, according to law. (If an oath) So help you God. (If an affirmation) Under the pains and penalties of perjury.
His opinion of the Supreme Court is for the low information voter who doesn’t know that the last two decisions of the Supreme Court on guns, District of Columbia v. Heller 2008 and McDonald v Chicago 2010 made by the Supreme Court by justices who were not even sitting on this present-day court. Baruth’s complaint isn’t really with the Supreme Court it’s with the Supreme Court following the Constitution. Following the Constitution is a real problem for Communists.
We citizens of the United States do not have to follow unconstitutionally passed laws and the Supreme Court made those decisions in the Marbury vs Madison decision 1803, “All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void”. 5 US (2 Cranch) 137, 174, 176, and Norton vs Shelby County 1886
Unconstitutional Official Acts
16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256:
The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The US. Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute, to be valid, must be in agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. This is succinctly stated as follows:
The General rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose, since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would be had the statute not been enacted. Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it.… A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the lend, it is superseded thereby. No one Is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it. The Supreme Court’s decision is as follows; “An unconstitutional act is not law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; affords no protection; it creates no office; it in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it has never been passed”. Norton vs Shelby County 1886 – 118 US 425 p.442.
The Supreme Court has sided with the Constitution and the people time after time now the arrogant Mr. Baruth wants to tell us it’s the Supreme Courts fault that him and his fellow travelers can’t implement gun control. So, who are the real insurrectionists?
“A people who elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors are not victims but accomplices”. – George Orwell
Hey Baruth. Want to stop gun violence? Start by looking into the demographics. Then stop importing those folks. This isn’t a Vermonter problem.
@ S Lowry
Exactly. Given that many of the shootings involve people from other states, drug trafficking and the like, it’s an imported problem. And last year I believe all fatal shootings in Burlington were of blacks by blacks. Crickets………….
Baruth is living proof that it doesn’t take much intellect to get a job teaching at UVM or to get elected to the Vermont Legislature. Just be a left wing wacko with no respect for either the Vermont or U.S. Constitution and you’ll have a job for life. If this idiot had stayed in New York where he belongs, Vermont gun owners would still have most of their constitutional rights that have been taken away since 2018.
34 comments find out how many big pharma stocks phil the joker had when the other phil shut this state down these clowns all should have been arrested for murder and high treason result of the covid 19 killshot the bodies are piling up see life insurance data 25 persent increase deaths
I don’t know why I’m even going to attempt to respond to Baruth, because I’ve sat directly across from him at the statehouse giving my two minutes of public comment on previously proposed constitutional restrictions. I looked into his flaccid soulless gaze as he endured my “insane” comments, no doubt humming a mindless tune in his head to drown out anything I was saying. But hey, here goes! Hey Phil what caliber weapon did Michelle Gardner Quinn’s or Laura Winterbottom’s murderers use to kill these innocent women??? Do you remember? Do you even know their names? I DO! There were no guns involved, NO, they were murdered by the bare hands of the monsters! So was the possibility of those women having a safe uneventful night out in Burlington a “paranoid fantasy” to paraphrase your idiotic comment regarding the lawsuit against VT and your unconstitutional legislation.
I quote, “If anything is arbitrary, it’s the paranoid fantasy that if you leave your house and go to the grocery store, you’re going to be murdered unless you yourself are packing heat in your belt,” he said.
Hmmm, seems to me those events could have ended so differently had those young women been packing heat! Instead we’ve got two innocent women cold & dead six feet under and two dirtbags warm, dry with three squares a day! Phil Baruth, you are a traitor to your oath, our state and our constitution and you deserve to be treated with all the same care that traitors were given during our founding!
blackmail is a dirty game//// bribes are a dirty game////there has to be a
reason for how they act///
The puppet strings being pulled, which are attached to Baruth, are from Soros and Bloomberg. This is where the money is, just follow the trail. We will be hearing their clap-trap for the duration, probably more loudly than ever. The ultimate goal is confiscation; folks, that should not come as a surprise. The only way we can eliminate Baruth or any of his ilk, is to target him in the campaigne,
With unlimited amounts of money. That is what it will take, that is what our opposition does. We should think seriously of that approach, because in the long run it would cost less money to beat them at the ballot box than it will to continue fighting them in Courts. Beating them at the ballot box will provide for more longevity of our making than the court battles will.
@ jim
I don’t think spending any amount of money will beat the leftists of VT at the ballot box unless we back away from certain issues that are a total impediment to being elected such as abortion. A Republican candidate should just state that they view abortion as a private choice and leave it at that. Otherwise they will not be elected here in VT. No amount of money will overcome that. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.
O K, so what will be the response when confiscation day comes? Will the likes of Baruth et al, continue to be elected?
Right now is when this nonsense has to be stopped, it cannot wait until the doors are broken in by the jack-booted “Baruth” Gangs.
We got what we asked for electing fools like this. A democracy is not two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner.
“Fools like this” Okay. But I have to admit I take offense to idea that “we” elected this particular narcisist. The people of Chittenden County elected him. (and so many other lesser villians like him)That there are so many like him amongst the rest of the 180 under the “Golden Dome” that were elected throughout the rest of the state, speaks to the rest of the state’s complicity to the overall state of the state. I would however state that the Dillinger gang would not have been the same without John . It is my opinion that he, and a very few others are lot more responsible than the rest of that flock of sheep.
Patrick, at least Dillinger flipped the bank tellers he used for a human shield on his way out of town a $20 spot when he left them off (he had a soft spot in his heart for the common man)…what’s Baruth done for us???
Flipped us off ?
I am retired from the Military, and as such receive many publications and a lot of info on reunions of those who served. Several years ago I remember reading about one of those events that certainly the left wing media would never talk about as well as some of the Baruth types. That particular event was unusual, in that it included German soldiers and Allied soldiers as a renewal of souls from WW2. A lot of imteresting discussions took place. One in particular was headlined in the one I was reading, discussing the facts surrounding the patrol of the East Coast by German Sub Marines and whatever else they employed at that time. Of course our Atlantic Coast was lined with Artillery and all the supporting equipment of that time. This was very apparent and visible off the Coasts of Maine, NH, MA, CT in the NorthEast. In fact my family had a friend that served in the Coast Artillery in NH. At that reunion the question to the Germans came up as to why they did not come ashore and do battle on the hard surface. The German Officer replied ” Are you kidding, those people (meaning civilians) particularly in the North East were armed to the teeth, it would have been suicide to walk into that mess.”
So there is a history of protection of family, friends and neighbors. My Dad was on blackout patrol in the town I lived in at the time in Northern VT, I was 4 years old and scared to death most of the time then.
Albeit different conditions, the protection of family etc, never grows old, in spite what KING BARUTH says.
Thank you for your service.
Put a round into your AR-15 as someone might try to get into your house, but please don’t shoot Santa.
Baruth is what you get when people elect a lifelong resident of academia to a position of power. This guy is a fiction author, a dreamer, a teacher, who barely has a toehold in the real world. Reelecting this guy over and over demonstrates how, given the opportunity, people will vote themselves into serfdom, and cheer for the demise of their freedom in the process.
The most insane thing is Vermont voters voting for insane leadership like phil beruit, zuckerman, bolshevick becca balint, pete the ambulance chaser welch and mittens sanders continuously and getting NOTHING but oppression and higher taxation from everything the do.
Pd in full I’m sure Mr Baruth !
Politicians like this are the enemies of freedom, liberty, independence and America as a whole. Treat him as the enemy he is
Prior to Bayruth taking a leadership role we only had minor gun control problems from the legislature. Baruth has taken the rabid dog approach to gun control assuming we won’t seek federal injunctive relief in the courts. We will need to be more aggressive.
John Lyddy
I frequently wish that people would stop referring to fools like Baruth as leaders, because they are not leaders. They’re more like the scum that floats to the surface of polluted and stagnate ditchwater. It’s amazing how the sludge of the progressive, liberal democrats rises to the top of Vermont’s political pool…