To the editor:
We in Massachusetts are fortunate that our Commonwealth has one of the strongest set of gun safety regulations in the country, thanks to a law passed by our legislature in 2014. But one large loophole remains: it is impossible to prevent criminals and gun traffickers from buying or obtaining guns in other states with looser laws and bringing them over the state line to threaten our safety. That is why a group of concerned Lincoln residents have submitted Article 36 for your review at Town Meeting.
Article 36 does not include any specific gun or ammunition restrictions or other elements that might alarm responsible gun owners concerned about self-protection, hunting or sport. It simply asks our elected federal representatives to pass a federal law setting sensible gun safety standards for all states to prevent interstate gun trafficking and protect public health nationwide. Such a law would include elements from the Massachusetts law and/or similar laws passed recently in Connecticut and New York, which already have been judged constitutional by the courts.
I urge you to vote “yes” on Article 36 as one sensible step toward a safer and more civilized nation for us all.
Sincerely,
Joanna Hopkins
7 Linway Rd.
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