Vermont's Gun Laws

[powderkegg]

I received an email from an old friend and the following was part of the context. I thought it was interesting but HAVE NOT confirmed the validity. I think it's a good spin on the anti's for sure.... read away and feel free to relocate the thread as necessary....

Vermont's Gun Laws

Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the 2nd Amendment to the U.S.. Constitution as well as Vermont's own Constitution very carefully, & his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England & elsewhere.

Maslack recently proposed a bill to register non-gun-owners & require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the 1st state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed & assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.

Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the 2nd Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government as well as criminals.

Vermont's constitution states explicitly that "the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves & the State" & those persons who "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent." Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise".

Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security #, & driver's license # w/the state. "There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says.

Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along w/the least restrictive laws of any state - it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm w/out a permit. This combination of plenty of guns & few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the 3rd lowest in the nation.

[mrjam2jab]

I googled "Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack" and found over 1000 hits all based on "Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the 2nd Amendment to the U.S.. Constitution as well as Vermont's own Constitution very carefully,"...

seems all of those hits are on various gun forums....but at least one of them date back to February 2000.

[rwilson452]

This must be old as Alaska eliminated the need for a permit. You can still get one for out of state carry but you don't need one in Alaska.

[mrjam2jab]

VT Bill introduced 1999-2000

however, Mr. Maslack is no longer a state rep...

[Steve_NEPhila]

Vermont has kick ass skiing and the best gun laws in the Lower 48, what else could a man ask for??? I love Vermont and go every year...

[max384]

I don't think anyone should be forced to pay not to own a gun. If they don't want to own a gun, fine. There are some people that don't want to own a gun and probably shouldn't... therefore, I could not support making these people pay not to... that would just come back in our (gun owners') faces when one of these people bought a gun to save money (bought a used hi-point rather than pay $500) and had an accident with it... of course I don't think that bill ever had a snowball's chance in hell of being enacted in the first place.

[PocketProtector]

Seems like a good place to move.

[snakeman21]

I lived in Vermont most of my life. I was born and raised there, and only left about 8 months ago. I miss the skiing, I miss the beautiful countryside, I miss the people, I miss the quaint little villages, and I miss the freedom. No matter where I move, Vermont will always be my home.