A sensible democrat mayor in CT?

[KBCraig]

I don't know anything about the rest of his policies, but it sounds like the Democrat mayor of Stratford, CT, at least understands the right to defend himself. It's unusual to see any politician take a firm stance for personal responsibility.

His detractors seem like twits, though.

http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_4461129

Is Mayor Miron 'packing' in Stratford?
RICHARD WEIZEL rweizel@ctpost.com
Article Launched:10/08/2006 07:07:06 AM EDT

STRATFORD ? Mayor James R. Miron often talks of making Stratford a more peaceful community.

But some Town Hall employees, town residents and political leaders are upset that Miron, elected the town's first mayor in November, may be prepared to enforce the peace himself by carrying a gun to Town Hall and public meetings.

A Town Council leader and municipal employees say they have seen a handgun that Miron has taken to his Town Hall office as well as council meetings. Some, who say they have seen the mayor with a gun at both his hip and strapped to his ankle, say the weapons make them uncomfortable and worry the guns could pose a threat to public safety.

But Miron, while refusing to "confirm or deny" that he carries guns to Town Hall or meetings, defends his right to do so.

The mayor, a retired Marine, also pointed out that several council members carry guns, but declined to identify them.

"If I do carry guns to Town Hall, I would never admit that for personal safety reasons and my own right to privacy," Miron said.

"I don't want someone intent on firing a gun at me or anyone else knowing if I carry guns or not."

Miron, 41, a lawyer, concedes he has had a gun permit since 1999. Initially, he held a town permit that local police say expired in 2005. He said he now holds a state permit that allows him to carry guns anywhere in Connecticut. As part of the gun permit process in Connecticut, weapons must be concealed at all times, according to Lt. James Heffernan, commander of the Police Department's Records Division. While the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled during the 1990s that gun permits were accessible to the public, the state Legislature later reversed that decision, according to state law enforcement officials and an attorney for the Freedom of Information Commission.

"It is my right to carry guns, and it is also my right not to confirm when and where I carry them," Miron said when questioned about the allegations.

Town Council Chairman James Feehan, R-9, also a gun owner, said he saw the mayor carrying two guns at one time ? one handgun was strapped to his ankle, the other at his side under a suit jacket ? as he sat behind the council table during a meeting within the past few months.

"As a gun owner myself, I believe the mayor certainly has the right to carry a gun or guns as long as he has a legal permit," said Feehan.

"However, if his guns are making Town Hall employees and citizens uncomfortable, as I have been told, I would ask that he cease and desist immediately," said Feehan. "While I understand the mayor's personal safety concerns, I don't believe he should be carrying guns to Town Hall if they are posing a threat to anyone."

Feehan said while there have been threats by four or five residents against council members in recent years, "to the best of my recollection I have never carried one of my own guns into Town Hall during a council meeting."

Councilman Angelo Stavola, D-4, who also has a state gun permit, said he believes Miron has the right to carry guns "anywhere he wants, as long as they are legally registered.

"With all the violence we've had recently in society, and all the threats that are made, I think it is ridiculous for anyone to question whether the mayor has a right to carry guns to Town Hall," Stavola said.

Stavola, however, said he has never carried his gun into Town Hall or any council meeting. "I think we should be much more worried about all the criminals carrying illegal weapons and killing innocent people every day," he said.

But Sylvia Guberman, a long-time Miron critic, said, "It's an embarrassment and disgrace that we have a mayor who feels the need to protect himself by carrying guns to work and council meetings. "What is he afraid of anyway?" Guberman continued. "What kind of enemies has he made that he has the need to carry guns?"

Guberman suggested Miron instead consider hiring security guards or use police officers "to provide security at Town Hall.

"I don't think it would be in the town's best interests for the mayor or anyone else to be getting into a gun fight during a council meeting," she said.

***
(Except, apparently, security guards or police officers. --KBC)
***

About a half-dozen residents asked randomly throughout town were equally divided in their views on whether the mayor should carry a gun to either his Town Hall office or public meetings.

"Personally, as long as he has a license I believe the mayor has the legal right to carry a gun. I don't see anything wrong with it at all," said Rose Montreuil, who grew up in a small Wisconsin town where she said "it's pretty darn common for people to have guns and go hunting."

But Kelly Sheridan, a life-long Stratford resident, said she finds it "shocking that our mayor carries a gun.

"I can't believe in a town like Stratford the mayor would have to carry a gun, especially to Town Hall and council meetings," Sheridan said. "I don't think it's necessary and sends the wrong message to residents and young people."

Miron, however, steadfastly defends his right to carry guns.

"I am an American citizen, and I have a right to carry guns as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution," he said.

"The only reason I would ever fire a gun would be in self-defense or to save someone else's life," he said, adding he has "considerable experience with firearms and never take lightly my responsibility while carrying these weapons."

If Miron or any other citizen fired a gun in or near Town Hall it could violate a town ordinance.

While there are no local or state laws against carrying guns that are legally registered, a town ordinance prohibits discharging a firearm "within 300 feet of any structure used, zoned or occupied for residential, commercial or industrial purposes or within 300 feet from the property line of any structure, including but not limited to, any public school."

Stratford High School, across the street, is about 300 feet from Town Hall.

But Town Attorney Richard Buturla said the ordinance is "far too complex for me to be able to interpret at this time.

"I'm not going to speculate on a hypothetical situation involving the mayor that hasn't happened and will probably never happen," he said.

But Buturla pointed out that under the ordinance, which carries a $100 fine, law-enforcement officers, security guards or others "hired to protect the public or private property are exempt if a weapon is used in performing those duties."

Lisa Labella, co-executive director for Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said she has mixed feelings about a mayor carrying guns to Town Hall.

"It's not something I would personally do or support, but if he's got a pistol permit and he's a gun owner, he has a legal right to carry guns unless otherwise dictated by local law," Labella said. The Fairfield-based CAGV is an advocacy group that promotes gun safety education and legislation, and studies ways to reduce trafficking in illegal firearm.

Labella said if Stratford residents want to stop the mayor, or anyone else, from carrying guns into Town Hall, "they need to push for an ordinance that would prohibit guns in public places, as it is in some other municipalities."

Labella said because gun permits are not open to public access, her group has no way of knowing how many other mayors, first selectmen or council members in other communities are carrying guns.

Nicholas Peck, president of the Hartford Gun Club, the oldest gun club in the country with 350-members throughout New England and New York, said if elected officials carry weapons, "they must be concealed.

"There's no question that elected officials can be confronted by disgruntled taxpayers and other citizens and have the right to protect themselves," Peck said. But the most important thing is that the gun not pose a threat to anyone else, Peck added.

"We certainly defend the right of anyone with a legal permit to carry guns," Peck said. "But we discourage gun owners from carrying a handgun if it is not concealed and is perceived as a threat by another person."

[error]

The people who "feel uncomfortable" by the mayor and council members carrying guns should go find some other country to live in, and leave the rest of us peaceful Americans alone. Perhaps China or North Korea would be more to their liking. Or perhaps Cuba. They have strict gun control there.

[CNHT]

The people who "feel uncomfortable" by the mayor and council members carrying guns should go find some other country to live in, and leave the rest of us peaceful Americans alone. Perhaps China or North Korea would be more to their liking. Or perhaps Cuba. They have strict gun control there.

Yes Guberman is the real embarrassment! There is the angry left, once again trying to use political correctness against second amendment to control a person's thoughts and actions.

error! Stop protecting yourself willya? You're embarrassing me. 

[Spencer]

My favorite part is the anti-gun nut who suggests spending more tax dollars by hiring security guards and / or extra police officers.

[PinoX7]

You have probibly heard this saying before but
I think the country would be safer if criminals did not know who had, and didnt have guns.

[lildog]

My favorite part is the anti-gun nut who suggests spending more tax dollars by hiring security guards and / or extra police officers.

"Guberman suggested Miron instead consider hiring security guards or use police officers "to provide security at Town Hall."

I get a kick out of that part too.

I'd love to get a hold of that guy and ask him why he thinks paying a stranger to hold a gun makes you somehow safer then if you hold one yourself?  Maybe he just wanted to find some new way to spend other people's hard earned money?

[Spencer]

You have probibly heard this saying before but
I think the country would be safer if criminals did not know who had, and didnt have guns.

Agreed.  It means that criminals have to play the victim lottery.

However, the idea that anti-gun types should walk the talk by posting signs outside of their homes advertising their gun free homes is priceless.

[Rocketman]

However, the idea that anti-gun types should walk the talk by posting signs outside of their homes advertising their gun free homes is priceless.

I think we have a crew in NH who would enjoy such a project.  Find a list of people who belong to a gun control group, get a bunch of nice signs made, and deliver them to the houses.  Videotape the interactions.  Great summer stunt, could be very educational.   

[Spencer]

However, the idea that anti-gun types should walk the talk by posting signs outside of their homes advertising their gun free homes is priceless.

I think we have a crew in NH who would enjoy such a project.  Find a list of people who belong to a gun control group, get a bunch of nice signs made, and deliver them to the houses.  Videotape the interactions.  Great summer stunt, could be very educational.   

It could be like the Welcome Wagon.  Presenting gifts to your principled neighbors (they could even say: "Sponsored by NHFree.com").  I know that we'd all kick-in for the cost of producing these lovely signs.

[PinoX7]

Making the signed and even funding them would be the easy part, getting the list, passing them out, and acctually getting the people to put up the signs would be difficult

[CNHT]

However, the idea that anti-gun types should walk the talk by posting signs outside of their homes advertising their gun free homes is priceless.

I think we have a crew in NH who would enjoy such a project.  Find a list of people who belong to a gun control group, get a bunch of nice signs made, and deliver them to the houses.  Videotape the interactions.  Great summer stunt, could be very educational.   

Yes Rocketman you beat me to it, but that was my thought exactly. Just how many would be willing to advertise that fact?

[Spencer]

A good place to start would be based on campaign contributions reported at http://www.opensecrets.org:

I think we'd all agree that any New Hampshire resident who donated money to Charles Schumer is anti-gun:

CUSICK, JENNIFER K
BETHLEHEM,NH 03574   
CASCADES TISSUE GROUP    
6/30/2003   
$2,000   
Schumer, Charles E

MEELIN, JONATHAN B
NEW LONDON,NH 03257   
HILL HOLLIDAY    
11/20/2003   
$2,000   
Schumer, Charles E

SHULMAN, STEVEN
HAMPTON,NH 03842   
THE HAMPTON GROUP    
4/28/2003   
$1,000   
Schumer, Charles E

SOLITRO, ROBERT M
MANCHESTER,NH 03104   
SWISS RE LIFE & HEALTH    
11/22/2002   
$1,000   
Schumer, Charles E

SPELTZ, DAVID E
PORTSMOUTH,NH 03801   
ST VINCENT CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTE    
4/5/2004   
$1,000   
Schumer, Charles E

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=NH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=schumer&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

This is but one example, but I can think of a great source for other politicians' names to check in the database:

http://www.gunowners.org/109hrat.htm
http://www.gunowners.org/109srat.htm

Just off the top of my head, I can think of a couple more anti-gun zealots in Congress: Senator Frank Lautenber (author of the bill that bans anyone convicted of ANY crime of domestic violence -- including misdemeanors -- or against whom a restraining order has been taken out from possessing a gun EVER) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (the anti-gun NY Congresswoman who's husband was killed in a subway shooting in 1993; while I feel bad for her loss, she is probably the biggest anti-gun nut in Congress).

Here's the list of contributors to Carolyn McCarthy (since she is so single-issue and relatively obscure, chances are that anyone in NH donating to her shares her views on guns):

CLUETT, JEAN
HANOVER,NH 03755   
NONE/RETIRED    
7/15/2004   
$250   
McCarthy, Carolyn

CLUETT, JEAN
HANOVER,NH 03755   
NONE/RETIRED    
5/27/2003   
$250   
McCarthy, Carolyn

CLUETT, JEAN
HANOVER,NH 03755   
NONE/RETIRED    
6/25/2001   
$250   
McCarthy, Carolyn

CLUETT, JEAN
HANOVER,NH 03755   
NONE/RETIRED    
3/28/2002   
$250   
McCarthy, Carolyn

CLUETT, JEAN
HANOVER,NH 03755   
NONE/RETIRED    
4/25/2005   
$250   
McCarthy, Carolyn

HILL, CHARLOTTE
SILVER LAKE,NH 03875   
NONE/RETIRED    
3/26/2004   
$200   
McCarthy, Carolyn

MAYER, DAVID
HANOVER,NH 03755   
RETIRED    
8/15/2002   
$300   
McCarthy, Carolyn

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=NH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=mccarthy&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N