Dan Stec was a respected supervisor in Queensbury for many years, and if he was going to oppose legislation designed to protect children, I hoped he would give it more thought.

The National Rifle Association might as well have written the statement for him.

It turns out that a survey done by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that almost 50 percent of gun owners already secure their weapons in a gun safe, cabinet or with a trigger lock — because, I suspect, it is the pragmatic thing to do to keep their children safe.

The new law does not infringe on anyone’s right to purchase or use a firearm, as Stec’s statement implies. It is another example of a politician retreating to tried and tested talking points they believe will make them more popular.

This ridiculous notion that there is an assault on the Second Amendment has got to end.

We are better than that.

There are an estimated 4.6 million children who live in homes with unsecured guns.

An investigation by USA Today and the Associated Press found that 113 children and teens were killed by unintentional firearm discharges in 2014. It happened just down the road in Wilton not too long ago.