By Sarah Leete Tsitso
Correspondent
LONGMEADOW – One by one, the three proposed bylaws brought by citizen petition related to guns in Longmeadow were shot down by a majority of the 1,000 voters who attended the town meeting May 10.
Article 29 would have accepted a bylaw that disallows firearms, rifles and shotguns in any building owned by the town. The bylaw would not apply to federal, state or local law enforcement personnel. Alex Grant, the citizen who added these three petitions to the town meeting warrant, asked voters whether they believed guns belong in the library, in the Greenwood Community Center or Town Hall. If not, he encouraged residents to vote for the article.
Alex Grant speaks during the Annual Town Meeting Tuesday night in Longmeadow. (Photo by William Eagan)
A number of voters spoke out against the measure, stating that it does nothing to keep residents safe and instead penalizes law-abiding citizens. Henry Lanouette stated that Longmeadow does not have a firearm problem and the bylaw would do nothing but pose a discriminatory burden on people who have done nothing wrong.
James Frank disagreed, noting that as a surgeon, he has seen the impact guns can have on people. He said it is time the citizens of Longmeadow take a stand against the proliferation of gun violence.
One resident in favor of the bylaw likened opinions on this issue to religion and politics.
“I’m personally against guns,” she said. “But I’m not going to convince you and you’re not going to convince me.”
Article 30 asked voters to accept a bylaw for gun licensing requirements whereby each person seeking a license or renewal to carry a firearm shall be required to describe their firearms in writing including make, model, caliber and serial number, and register those firearms with the police department. It would also require license holders to certify that the owner understands and complies with the state’s safe storage requirements.
A number of voters believed this article was redundant as the state already requires that firearms be registered. However, proponents of the article noted that this state law does not apply to guns that have been lost or stolen, and does not allow the state to track the movement of firearms if the owner moves to a new town. Those against the measure noted the potential cost to create and maintain a database of Longmeadow gun owners, as well as an invasion of privacy for those who legally own firearms.
The final gun-related article, Article 31, asked voters to accept a bylaw for a ban on assault weapons or large capacity feeding devices, disallowing a federal exemption that still allows these weapons that were lawfully possessed before 1994. Proponents of the bylaw note that high capacity weapons are not needed in this community, and should not be allowed as the vast majority of the mass shootings that have been perpetrated in the country have been done with these types of weapons. Opponents argued that more violent acts are committed with knives, handguns and other weapons, noting that very few acts of violence are perpetrated with assault or high capacity weapons.
