Town Supervisor Renews Call to Ban Gun Shows at Westchester County Center

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is again calling on County Executive Rob Astorino to ban gun shows at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

Astorino temporarily stopped such shows following the fatal 2012 mass school shooting in Newtown, Conn., but gun shows returned to the county-owned facility the following year, according to Feiner.

In light of this week’s fatal mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, Feiner is reiterating his request.

“The easy availability of guns could be a factor in the recent Oregon tragedy and in gun violence incidents around the nation,” Feiner wrote in a statement. “People have a right to purchase guns and to own guns but government should not be encouraging gun ownership. Using a government building to sell guns should not be allowed.

“I have been pushing for a ban on gun shows at the County Center for many years,” he added.

Patch sent a request for comment to a spokesman for Astorino but did not immediately receive a reply. Feiner put his request in writing to Astorino this morning, Oct. 3:

Dear County Executive Astorino:

The tragedy in Oregon highlights the need to ban gun shows at government buildings. Although people have the right to purchase and own guns - the easy availability of guns may be a contributing factor to the recent tragedy in Oregon and the violence taking place around the country.

Shortly after the massacre in Connecticut you courageously cancelled the gun show at the Westchester County Center (see article below). However, the gun shows resumed at the County Center the following year. I checked the websites. Doesn’t seem like any gun shows are currently scheduled for 2016 at the County Center (see below)--although the gunshowtrader.com site leads one to believe that a gun show will be scheduled at the center next year. Since no gun show is currently scheduled, there would be no inconvenience to anyone if the gun show is banned.

I am calling on the county to ban all gun shows at the County Center. Gun shows were banned by former County Executive Andrew Spano in 1999 in the wake of Columbine. It’s not the place of government to encourage gun ownership.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/18/county-cancels-gun-show-after-massacre/1777105/

https://gunshowtrader.com/gunshows/new-york-city/ No gun show at county center currently scheduled!

Photo: Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner.