By: Kayleigh Hamilton
Gun owners are under attack across the country.
It can be very difficult owning guns in some places.
But in one of the most liberal states in America, gun owners are making a brave stand for freedom.
Stoneham, Massachusetts, is a small suburb about 20 minutes north of Boston. It is a middle-class community, with many residents who commute into the city, and others with more blue-collar careers.
Stoneham is also the home of Michael Day, the Massachusetts State Representative who was largely responsible for the draconian new gun bill that has severely restricted the Second Amendment in the state.
While Stoneham and other towns would certainly not be considered conservative by any reasonable estimation, there is a community of gun owners.
These are the people who are under attack by their own legislators, politicians who are seeking to deprive them of their rights.
Instead of quietly giving in, however, these gun owners in communities across the state are fighting to repeal these restrictions.
And by taking this brave action, they are putting the anti-gun politicians like Michael Day on their heels.
According to Bearing Arms, “The first lawsuits over Massachusetts’ sweeping new restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms have already been filed, and more are on the way. But gun owners aren’t just trying to overturn Chapter 35 in court. They’re also pushing for a referendum that would put the new law to a vote of the people.”
It should be noted that the referendum effort itself is probably a bad idea, as Massachusetts residents are generally anti-gun, and the freedoms of the minority should not be subject to the will of the majority.
However, the court battle is much more promising, as these new laws that have been passed by Rep. Day and others are blatantly unconstitutional, and should be struck down.
WBUR reports, “According to the governor’s office, the new law also updates the state’s assault weapons ban by expanding the definition of assault weapons to include ‘known assault weapons and other weapons that function like them with respect to certain features.’ It also prohibits possession, transfer, or sale of ‘assault-style’ firearms or a large capacity feeding devices, the governor’s office says.
“It also requires all firearms to be serialized and registered and prohibits unlicensed individuals from using 3-D printers to manufacture guns. The law also criminalizes the creation, sale or transfer of untraceable firearms, calling for sentences of 12 to 18 months.”
This law would clearly open Pandora’s box with respect to the definition of “assault weapon” and could lead to very ordinary guns being banned.
It also seeks harsh punishments for people who don’t register their guns with the state, which could lead to large numbers of gun owners going to prison.
This is why Second Amendment supporters in Massachusetts have been so passionate about fighting back against this law.
It will likely not be repealed at the ballot box, but the court system provides a great opportunity to defeat this gun grab.