i have not actually found this info in hours of reading. Green, Red, and Black towns

bender73

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i know we have Green towns, red towns, and Black. i know Beantown is black. Worcester is red. I get it, to a point. I guess i am wondering the history behind such cities and towns. did prior chiefs set the bar and current chiefs follow? is it Boston is a big city and therefore more crime? hence, less guns to keep crime down (in theory)? do small towns just not worry as much? yet, some small towns are red! Ahhh!

why would 2 towns adjacent to each other be green and red? policy and politics? etc? i am interested.

...and i am addicted to this site! i am on page 93 of reading ;-)
 
Stop trying to explain it. There is no rhyme or reason. Some some chiefs understand the 2nd Amendment and some don't. Wayland is green. Sudbury next door isn't. Weston is green. Waltham next door isn't.
 
every day there are Noobs to the gun world and all of this MA chaos was unknown to me until i took a safety class and did some research. i am speechless. i had no idea and i am just trying to figure it all out.
 
As TYPE01313 implies, it can't be figured out. You are assuming there is logic to it. There isn't.

The law gives each chief almost total discretion over the issuance of LTCs. There are 351 towns and cities in MA. As a result, each one has its own unwritten standards for licensing. And since licensing is discretionary, that standard can (and does) change from day to day. If the licensing officer's wife had a headache the night before, or he doesn't like the shirt you are wearing, or it is a Tuesday after a full moon, that standard can change.
 
Believe it or not, there's a manual and a decoder ring used by the chiefs or their duly appointed agents of licensery.

Page 127, paragraph 3 that directs the chief or agent to:

1. Consult the Constitution of the United States of America.
2. Check to make sure your state or republik still abides by the aforementioned constitution.
3. If prior to 21 Dec, 2012, refer to Mayan Calendar for spiritual guidance.
4. Make sure applicant didn't check the "I'm a felon or otherwise prohibited by federal law" box.
5. Eye applicant up and down real good. Unsuitability comes in many colors, shapes and forms so take your time.
6. Wait 2 months or so.
7. Play with decoder ring. Send secret messages to your buddies.
8. Go with your gut.

Fortunately for me and my fellow townspeople, my chief's gut says "No restrictions". The luck of the draw was in my favor there.
 
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It's screwy, that's for sure. Broken system when the law varies from town to town in the same state.
 
There is rhyme and reason, at least in theory.

The CoP of your town should, in theory at least "know" the people in the town: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Since back in the day, if you were "known" the the police, but were never formally charged or arrested, this was a character issue that would go to suitability. The ol' "I know what you did last summer" thing.

This may have had a reasonable basis. But with much else, "creep" asserted itself. Instead of being used to keep the a-hole that was never actually caught, but everyone knew was guilty, from getting an LTC, it was used for more "philosophical" reasons....e.g. anyone that wants to carry a gun obviously is unsuitable to do so....

And, since Cheifs are generally accorded respect, their opinions hold sway. Now....if you're the deputy cheif, or in line to be, then your policies will likely be the same as the boss', and when you accede to the throne, your policies will likely be a continuation of his. So.....this, IMO, is how a town goes "red" or "green". Obviously, there are other factors, such as the Board of Selectmen, or Mayor, or whatever, but I think this is part of it.

Just as some towns are brutal on speed limits, or parking, the culture perpetuates itself.

The only thing "good" about red town consistency is that if you're moving, you know where to avoid. [rolleyes]
 
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