I am writing as a call for new candidates to run in the state senate election in 2018 for the Second Hampden and Hampshire district. I do not want Don Humason as my representative in the state senate and here’s why:
Tomorrow, Thursday, in Boston, there is a Joint Committee Hearing on firearms access. State senator Don Humason is presenting nine bills for the committee, most of which would loosen gun regulations in Massachusetts. Why is my representative spending so much time on issues like deregulating silencers (also called suppressors, see Bill S.1317) and legalizing assault weapons (under the euphemism “modern sporting rifles”, see Bill S.1325)? Why is he spending time trying to strip the attorney general’s power to regulate firearms like other consumer products (S.1326) instead of working to protect my child and others from mass shootings in public places? Why is he working against the legislation that is meant to protect us from tragedies like Sandy Hook, Orlando, and Las Vegas? And he cannot tell me it is because less gun restrictions will help arm the ‘good guys with guns.’ Indeed, what has kept Massachusetts firearms deaths so low compared to other states is our stricter gun regulations, not the other way around. If more guns made us safer, the United States would be the safest developed country on the planet, and it is just the opposite when it comes to gun violence.
Humason is proposing more bills at this hearing than any of the other senators. Maybe part of why he makes it a priority to decrease gun regulations is because he gets some “donations” from a gun rights group. I don’t know for sure, but that’s just a guess.
I am not saying I want to do away with guns. I am saying that I would like my state senator to be in favor of the common sense gun control legislation that makes Massachusetts a leader. Where is the viable candidate to run against Humason in 2018? Are you out there? Are you thinking about running for public office? I am interested in hearing about you!
Mary Coleman
Easthampton, MA
