West Orange Residents Sound Off On Guns, 2nd Amendment

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following letters to the editor come courtesy of West Orange residents Nicole Ruffo and Elizabeth Redwine. Want to offer a dissenting opinion? Send letters to the editor and local news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com

“TREAT GUNS LIKE CARS”

Today is Saturday. I am thankful I don’t have to worry about sending my children to school today. I have four young children in elementary school. Whenever I hear a siren near my house, I wonder if there is an active shooter situation happening at their school. The grownups at the table haven’t done anything to protect our children. We have regulations on chocolate that are brought in from other countries. The accessibility of guns is appalling. The leniency of gun safety in our country is unacceptable.

The Second Amendment says:

“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Let’s embrace the Second Amendment. Let’s fight hard for exactly how it was written. The words “well regulated” are the first words and a gift from our forefathers. Let’s demand our constitutional rights be enacted with proper regulation.

You want to drive a car, here is what you have to do:

1. Drivers Education - There should be a Gun Education class required before you buy a gun.

2. Drivers License Test - There should be a test for getting your gun license. Written test and performance test for the gun ownership. If you want to have one, you better know how to take care of it.

3. Insurance - You can’t drive a car without insurance. Same should be for gun ownership. A monthly payment. Money will used for maintaining the gun registry and gun safety enforcement.

4. Registration - Your car must be registered. If it is stolen, the original owner can be traced. A national registry for guns that can be searched by anyone. There is nothing in the 2nd amendment about privacy. You should be able to look up any name and see what guns they own.

5. Inspections - Our cars have to inspected. We must create a national gun inspection agency who will come into the homes of gun owners and check on storage safety and registration for each gun on a yearly basis. Paid for by gun ownership registration dues and insurance.

6. Police patrol our streets to make sure people are driving safely. They give tickets. They impound cars. We should have a special gun safety task force to check on gun owners to ensure they are following safe practices.

My grandmother was killed by a drunk driver. We all understand how dangerous cars can be. Let’s have the same protections for our citizens with relation to guns.

Courtesy of Nicole Ruffo, West Orange resident

GUN LAWS, FRELINGHUYSEN AND WEBBER

In the wake of seventeen dead in Florida, and as a mother sending four children to school this week in fear, I thought it would be worth taking a look at how Congressman Frelinghuysen has voted against gun safety. The Republican running to fill his seat, Jay Webber, has agreed with these decisions and, like Frelinghuysen, enjoys an A rating from the NRA.

1. Congressman Frelinghuysen voted to repeal the Obama era law passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy that would limit assault weapon sales to individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses.

2. Congressman Frelinghuysen also voted for The Conceal and Carry Reciprocity Act, a law that allows licensed gun owners from out of state to carry concealed guns in New Jersey, even in school zones and public places against laws passed in New Jersey.

I hope and pray that now that he has decided to retire, Congressman Frelinghuysen will listen to his conscience and use his last months in office to pass a ban on assault weapons, AR-15s in particular, the guns used in all of the past mass shootings.

I also hope and pray that New Jersey CD11 voters will vote for a Democratic candidate in November as Webber, the current Republican candidate, will not support any bill for gun safety or to limit assault weapons.

I would like to be able to send my children to school without fear that an out of state gun owner can legally enter a playground at the school. Because of Frelinghuysen’s votes, I experience that fear every day, and more so this week.

Courtesy of Elizabeth Redwine, West Orange resident

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here.

Photo: ATF.gov