Vermont gets an "F" from the Brady Bunch

[OLDHandgunner]

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090205/NEWS02/902050381/

This is one time we are proud to get an "F".

By DANIEL BARLOW VERMONT PRESS BUREAU - Published: February 5, 2009


MONTPELIER – Vermont gets a big fat F in the area of gun control, according to a state-by-state ranking by the Brady Campaign.

The Brady Campaign, a national gun control organization formed after the 1981 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, gave Vermont only nine points out of a possible 100 on its scorecard for gun control laws this week.

According to the report, Vermont lacks common sense gun control laws compared with many other states, rivaling perhaps only Alaska as one of the easiest places to obtain or buy a weapon with little oversight.

"Vermont is one of the few states without any real regulations to control the sale of handguns," said Chad Ramsey, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign.

Chief among their concerns is that while Vermont does require background checks for gun sales for licensed dealers, private sales between individuals and at gun shows do not require that level of checks and balances.

The Brady Campaign suggests Vermont close the so-called gun show loophole and require background checks for all new gun purchases. The organization also suggests the state set up a permit system for gun ownership.

"Vermont follows the federal law, which requires background checks when buying from licensed dealers," Ramsey said. "But with private sales, there is no background check, no permitting."

The state also scored poorly for not requiring that guns have childproof locks on them, has not regulated assault weapons and allows gun owners to walk around with a concealed weapon without authorization.

"Vermont is at the bottom of the list," said Cathie Whittenburg, the director of the New England Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. "When compared to some of their other New England neighbors, especially Massachusetts, it is like night and day."

While Vermont is a low-crime state with a long history of supporting the rights of responsible hunters, Whittenburg said her concern is that guns sold privately in the state later end up in the hands of urban criminals in states such as New York and Connecticut.

Just as illegal drugs flow into Vermont due to a high demand, guns can flow out of the state due to demand elsewhere, she explained.

"We are concerned that Vermont is contributing to illegal gun trafficking," she said.

Hogwash, said Ed Cutler of Westminster, the president of the organization Gun Owners of Vermont.

"These people are talking out of their hats," he said.

Cutler said Vermont has been respectful of gun ownership for more than 200 years – and this approach has lead to the state having relatively low crime, even compared with other neighboring states with tougher gun control laws.

"Vermont is one of the safest states in the country," Cutler said. "We haven't had any problems, despite the rhetoric from the Brady Campaign."

daniel.barlow@rutlandherald.com

[jlchucker]

Yeah, but it gets an A+ for every other liberal socialist category that every antiAmerican protest group can dream up.  Right now, a fly fishing museum (a private museum at that) wants to give an award to former Vice President Cheney.  The libtards in Brattleboro are lining up their protests now, in case he shows up. The lefties in that area have voted to swear out a warrant for his arrest for him based upon his alleged crimes while serving as VP.  They are already spouting off in the libtard Vermont newspapers about it.  I'm no Cheney fan, but am a native Vermonter who's seen his State turn into another Kalifornia, only more so.  Yes, the gun laws here fly in the face of the libs, and always have...but only because libs are cowards who know that among gunowners there are those who would in all probablility react violently if someone tried to actually come after their guns. Protesting and singing Kumbaya would't cut it when it comes to gun confiscation here. There are those who have lived here all of our lives who have learned the hard way that just voting based on the gun issue is a good way to lose everything else.  We once had a congressman who cut a deal on an assault rifle bill, back in the '70's.  Guess what we got!  Bernie Sanders in Congress, and socialism all across the State, that's what.  And How many gun bills has ol' Baghdad Bernie supported since  election?  He votes in lockstep with every liberal cause that comes his way. A gay marriage bill is on the docket here as I write this--even with an economy in the toilet, gay marriage and social spending are now the top priorities of our socialist legislature.

[EsoxLucius]

The crime rate is about 31% lower than the national average in Vermont.  Vermont has little gun control, while Washington D.C. has about the strictest gun laws in the country.  In Vermont, there are 124 violent crimes and 1.9 murders per 100,000 people, and in Washington D.C. there are 1,414 violent crimes and 30.8 murders per 100,000 people.  In 2007, there were 12 murders in Vermont and 181 in Washington D.C., while the population of Vermont is 621,254 and is 588,292 for Washington D.C.

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/vtcrime.htm
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/dccrime.htm

Here is a quote from the Boston police that is essentially contradicted by the ATF:
"According to Boston Police Superintendent Paul Joyce, criminals now favor older guns that have passed discreetly from owner to owner for many years before they ended up as crime guns. The ability to trace those firearms is very, very difficult when they're being purchased at flea markets and kitchen table markets," Joyce says. "It's in some cases impossible to trace them. Massachusetts requires all gun sales to be recorded and all sellers to be licensed. But according to Joyce, it's easy to get a gun in nearby Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where private sales are virtually unregulated. It is a challenge when individuals can drive 45 minutes north from Massachusetts to buy firearms."

"...a 2000 ATF report on gun trafficking in Boston shows that Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are not the major sources of illegal guns. Instead, it is Alabama, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida that are the main sources. Nearly half of the illegal guns used in crimes in Boston in 2000 came from Massachusetts".
http://www.vermontguardian.com/local/122006/Guns.shtml

http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/kopel.traces.html

The Brady Bunch is delusional.