Here's the article taken from this morning's paper:
OPEN SEASON: Tragedy bringing another attack on gunowners' rights
MARC FOLCO Open Season
Mayor Scott F. Lang's plan to propose a state-wide ban on the sale and possession of AR-15 and other military-style semiautomatic rifles, following the recent shooting tragedy at the Foxy Lady strip club, has met opposition from law-abiding gun owners and competition shooters. And rightfully so.
The Mayor met Thursday night with a select group of respected gun-rights advocates, including David Junier, president of the Rod and Gun Club of New Bedford; John Beaumont, member of the Copicut High Power Rifle Team; Marty Casey, Copicut Team Captain and national high-power rifle champion; Kurt Palmer, Copicut Team member and national champion; and Mike McCormick of Homeland Security Concepts. The Copicut Rifle Team has won several state championships and individual members hold national championship titles.
"I have no problem with Second Amendment rights, but at some point, a line has to be drawn as to what firearms civilians are allowed to have in their possession," Mayor Lang said in his opening remarks. "I see no need for civilians to own anything with the firepower of an AR-15 or similar weapon. Scott Medeiros fired 137 rounds with that gun and the police were out-gunned. They are very lucky to be alive."
Because of an isolated incident, the Mayor and others — including editorial board members at The Standard-Times — are advocating a ban on these types of firearms, which some feel is an infringement upon Second Amendment rights.
John Beaumont pointed out 2004 statistics showing that of all firearms-related deaths in the U.S., only 4.2 percent are due to rifles. Of all the shootings, only five percent involve multiple victims.
Beaumont and Marty Casey explained the AR-15 is not the weapon of mass destruction it's purported to be by some. It's the premier center-fire target rifle used in high-power rifle competitions on the local, state, national and Olympic levels. Beaumont showed the mayor a scrapbook filled with three decades of photos and articles about such competitions, with most of the shooters handling target rifles built on the AR-15.
The Mayor seemed moved by this display, admitting he was not aware that the rifle, and others of its type, were used by civilians in competition. But he then asked for another reason a civilian would want to own an AR-15.
People, he was told, own guns for three basic reasons — hunting, target shooting and home protection. The AR-15 is used mostly by target shooters. It's not a good choice for hunting or personal protection, but it doesn't need to be. There's no law that says a gun must fit at least two out of the three criteria in order to possess it.
The mayor said he would try and word his proposal so that, instead of an all-out ban, only those involved in competitions would be able to obtain and own them.
"You have to start somewhere ... People who get involved in competition don't buy a rifle and go directly into a match," Palmer said, trying to explain why such a clause wouldn't work. "They buy a gun, and if they like it and become proficiently accurate with it, then they try their hand at competition, or join a league."
David Junier also explained Massachusetts already has an extensive licensing system in place to weed out almost all the bad apples.
"The Class A License for large capacity rifles, such as the AR-15, is the license you need," he said. "To get one, you must undergo an extensive background check with the Dept. of Public Safety, the Dept. of Mental Health, and you have to take a safety course. We don't need another tier of licenses for these guns. The Class A covers it."
Unfortunately, Scott Medeiros had a Class A license, making him able to buy and possess an AR-15. It's one of those extremely rare instances where a licensed individual commits a crime with a gun.
It was one of those tragedies where somebody snapped. No amount of licensing or background checks can prevent it. Medeiros lost control and became irrational. Temporarily insane. No amount of laws could, or would, stop the violence he had in store for the two men at the Foxy Lady. Sources say the bouncer had 'removed' Medeiros from the strip joint two weeks prior — Medeiros received a good beating, while the manager looked on.
They had added injury to insult, and Medeiros was out for revenge. The incident also involved a female bartender whom Medeiros had been dating, but she had begun dating the bouncer. Everything points to a crime of passion.
There are laws in place that punish Medeiros's actions, but no laws to prevent them. It's like waving a stop sign at a runaway train. Medeiros will receive no punishment because he paid for his actions with his own life. So why punish law-abiding, licensed citizens who own AR-15s or other guns for recreational shooting, competitions, hunting or home protection?
Personally, AR-15s and other military-looking guns aren't my style. I prefer vintage field guns and muzzleloaders and don't enter high-power competitions, but just because I don't compete in highpower matches or like the AR-15's cosmetics doesn't mean I would favor banning them. Different strokes, you know. Mayor Lang, however, insisted something must be done to protect the police and limit the caliber that a civilian can own. In recent articles, Mayor Lang described the AR-15 as a cannon.
Again, the experienced gun advocates explained the AR-15, which is chambered for the .223 caliber, is at the low end of the high-powered rifle scale. It's not commonly used for hunting deer or larger big game animals because it's too small, and doesn't have the range or knockdown power of bigger calibers. The famous and favorite big game caliber is 30-06, which celebrated its 100th birthday this year, and on average has three times the effective range of the .223. So, to ban .223s and larger would ban every hunting rifle cartridge made in modern times.
It was also explained that if Medeiros used a more powerful big-game rifle, the two police officers that were wounded might have been killed. If he used a shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot, the officers would probably be dead. A 12-gauge, three-inch shotshell, loaded with 00 buck holds 15 pellets. Each round pellet is wider than .223 caliber.
At the 200-foot range Mayor Lang said the police were fired upon, a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with 00 buck would send a fatal volley of 15 pellets with every pull of the trigger. One pull of the trigger would pepper a police cruiser with 15 holes in the time it would've taken Medeiros to inflict only one bullet hole with an AR-15.
Imagine if Medeiros got drunk, then rammed the strip joint entrance with a Ford F-250 or Hummer equipped with a heavy duty brush bar. Imagine if he killed the bouncer and manager, maybe a patron or two, then backed out and ran over the two police officers responding to the scene. Would there be a proposal to ban all Hummers or F-250s and alcohol? No.
After another madman entered Puzzles Nightclub a year ago, shot up the place with a handgun, and hacked patrons with a hatchet and machete, was there a push to ban all handguns, machetes, hatchets or other sharp objects? No.
Any firearm can become a weapon to inflict death or serious bodily injury in the wrong hands, just like a bat or a golf club or a vehicle. But are the respectable, law-abiding gun owners willing to give up their guns and other inanimate objects because of one man who went berzerk?
If Mayor Lang and others see no need for anyone to own a gun with the "firepower of an AR-15," then they should ban the deadliest killers first — fast motor vehicles. I see no need for anyone to own a vehicle that has the ability to go faster than 65 mph. As soon as it crosses 65, it becomes illegal, and the accident and death rate increases sharply. There's no need for it.
While the Mayor is genuinely concerned about the safety of the police officers, Beaumont said he is attempting to micro-manage a free society, and that we can't go around banning everything that's involved in a tragedy.
"A free society is not peril-free," Beaumont said. "Freedom comes with risks."
Mayor Lang seemed enlightened by the meeting. He promised to allow one delegate selected by the group to attend the Statehouse with him to represent sportsmen and gun owners when he proposes the action to the Legislature.
When he asked those present who thought a Class A license was adequate for the ownership of AR-15s and similar firearms, the response was "yes" unanimously.
The law-abiding gun owners are sticking to their guns. And rightfully so.
Marc Folco is The Standard-Times' outdoor writer. Contact him at
[email protected]
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