Opinion

Perloe op-ed: Standing ground on tough gun laws

In 2013, in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School shooting, a bipartisan majority of the Connecticut General Assembly passed common-sense gun safety reforms. Last year the constitutionality of the law was upheld in U.S. District Court.

Connecticut voters showed they support tough gun laws by re-electing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy over Tom Foley, who welcomed the endorsement of the extremist gun rights organization, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League. And voters returned to office more than 90 percent of the legislators who voted in favor of universal background checks and banning the large capacity magazines that let the Sandy Hook shooter fire 154 rounds in less than five minutes.

But we cannot be lulled into a false sense of security. Every year state lawmakers try to weaken the regulations that rank our state as one of the safest from gun deaths. This year is no different. At the beginning of the current Connecticut General Assembly session, NRA-friendly legislators introduced at least one dozen bills that would weaken Connecticut gun safety laws.

One bill would let people carry guns in state parks. Another would introduce "stand your ground," letting gun owners shoot to kill whenever and wherever they feel threatened. Another would bypass our own permit process for allowing concealed carry by establishing reciprocity with other states, including from many that don't require universal background checks that keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers and the seriously mental ill. People would be allowed to bring assault weapons and large capacity magazines when they move to Connecticut under another proposed bill.

State Rep. Rob Sampson, R-Walcott, proposed repealing the 2013 gun bill in its entirety, believing it to be "clearly unconstitutional" and going "too far in its infringement on the rights of law-abiding gun owners."

Fortunately, these bills were blocked from further consideration, but that doesn't mean these legislators will stop trying to weaken our laws or prevent new measures to protect the public from passing.

At a recent public hearing before the Connecticut General Assembly Judiciary Committee on whether subjects of temporary restraining orders should be prohibited from possessing firearms, pro-gun rights lawmakers professed to really care about victims of domestic abuse. But their questioning and commentary focused more on men losing their guns due to false accusation by women than it did about the thousands of women each year who truly fear for their lives at the hands of their abusive partners.

It's no better at the federal level. Despite overwhelming public support (more than 90 percent), Congress still hasn't expanded Brady background checks to cover private sales at gun shows and over the internet. Last year no action was taken on U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal's federal bill to restrict domestic abusers under temporary restraining orders from possessing guns.

To the contrary, right now Congress is considering legislation that would force every state to allow virtually anyone to carry a loaded, concealed gun in public. That would mean convicted felons, domestic abusers and other dangerous people from Florida and other states with lax gun laws could legally and secretly carry their guns anywhere in the country, including in Connecticut.

If this assault on measures that have been proven to reduce gun deaths concerns you, you need to make your voice heard. Lawmakers -- state and federal -- need to feel safe in supporting smart gun safety laws. In Greenwich and Stamford we are fortunate to have elected officials who are advocates of common-sense gun laws. But we need to reassure them they have our support; that there are more advocates for gun safety than there are gun rights extremists.

A great opportunity to show your support is at the upcoming Greenwich Rally for the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington, at Greenwich Town Hall on March 28, 12:30-2 p.m. For the third year, Team 26 cyclists will ride 400 miles from Newtown to Washington, D.C., to honor victims of gun violence and raise awareness for common-sense gun safety laws.

This year's rally is hosted by the local grassroots advocacy group the Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence in partnership with Stamford-based The ENOUGH Campaign, the Brady Campaign Southwestern Connecticut Chapter and the leading statewide gun safety advocacy organization, Connecticut Against Gun Violence. Congressman Jim Himes, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, State Rep. William Tong and Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei will be speaking, along with local advocates for domestic violence prevention.

The message we want to send is clear: Connecticut continues to lead the nation in making our communities safe from gun violence. In fact, we have the fourth lowest rate of gun deaths in the country. Now it's time for Washington to do its part.

Jonathan Perloe of Cos Cob leads the Greenwich Council Against Gun Violence and serves on the board of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, although the views expressed here are his own.