Letter: Concealed Carry Bill Poses Threat From States With Weak Gun Laws

To the Editor:

Your article about Congressman Lee Zeldin’s appearance in Northhampton covered what he said about his support for a Concealed Carry Reciprocity gun law. As someone who attended this event, I wish you would have included the question he was responding to. 

While Zeldin acts as if this is merely a matter of simplifying confusing gun laws, the truth is that his proposed Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill would allow people with concealed guns to enter New York from states that have much weaker regulations on who can get a permit to conceal carry. In fact, in at least 12 states no permit is required at all. Permits can be obtained without any training, and without a background check. I doubt most us of are happy about people carrying concealed firearms into New York in those circumstances. 

New Yorkers need to understand that if this bill becomes law, it essentially makes New York, with our strong gun violence prevention laws, subject to the weakest gun laws in the country. Is Rep. Zeldin in favor of guns for anyone anywhere, with no regulations? Or is there anything he’s willing to do to keep guns out of dangerous hands, and begin to address the 93 gun deaths per day that America is currently faced with?

Mary Beth Greiner
Volunteer, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense

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