Just sent Patrick an email as well:
Governor Patrick, as a resident of this state, you are doing a great disservice-nay,violating the rights of-the law abiding citizens of this state by suggesting that your gun control bill would have prevented the tragedy of a 14 year old boy being murdered by 2 criminals. I HIGHLY doubt that EITHER of them were lawfully carrying a firearm. Therefore, I would hazard to guess that they werent too concerned about ANY laws-much less the one you are trying to pass.
We, the LAW ABIDING gun owners in this state, are NOT the criminals here. This continued assault on our Constitutional rights does NOTHING to deter crime. There has yet to be ONE statistic published, to date, that shows where the precious draconian gun control laws that the left want to push through so desperately has reduced crime. Crimes are committed by CRIMINALS. NOT by your law abiding constituents.
We, the lawful, LICENSED, gun owners of this state are tired of the rhetoric from the left, preaching that strict gun control laws reduce crime. As stated above, the numbers dont reflect that. On the contrary, some of the lowest violent crime rates in this country are in states with virtually NO regulations. Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire-all are states with little or no regulation-and low gun crime rates.
Please reconsider your stand on this. The laws do nothing but further tighten already questionable restraints on our constitutional rights-and do absolutely nothing to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again. Punish the criminals-dont pass laws that make your law abiding consituents into them.
Thank you for your time.