National group gives Vermont F for gun laws
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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.
The Brady Campaign, a national gun control organization formed after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Regan in 1981, 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 spokesperson for the Brady Campaign.
Chief among their concerns is that while Vermont requires background checks for gun sales for licensed through dealers, private sales between individuals and at gun shows do not require that level of scrutiny
The Brady Campaign suggests Vermont close the so-called gun show loophole and require background checks for all new gun purchases. They also suggest 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."
Similar sentiments were expressed by Henry Parro, the owner of Parro's Gun Shop in Waterbury. He rapped the Brady Campaign for a lack of specifics – such as statistics or studies – to show that guns sold privately here end up in dangerous hands elsewhere.
"When I go off to the Barre Gun Show this weekend, I still have to follow all the federal regulations that I do in my store," Parro said. "I do the background checks and check the identity of the person I'm selling to. It's a myth that there is a gun show loophole."
Contact Daniel Barlow at Daniel.Barlow@timesargus.com.
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