Printed as Letter to the Editor in The East Hampton Star, September 20, 2018

Gun Laws

To the Editor:

Lee Zeldin receives an A rating from the National Rifle Association, and to give him his due, he has certainly earned it. In December 2015, Zeldin was part of a G.O.P. effort to block debate about legislation that would prevent people on the “no fly list” for suspicion of terrorism from buying guns. In 2017 he voted for H.R. 1181, which would allow veterans deemed mentally incompetent to continue to own firearms, and in that same year he co-sponsored H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill.

The C.C.R. Act would override the sensible gun laws that New York legislators have worked hard to put in place and allow any person with a concealed-carry permit from another state (with weaker gun laws that don’t require a background check or safety training, for example) to carry their weapon in New York.

Law enforcement is overwhelmingly opposed to this bill for the simple reason that more guns on the streets means more danger for police officers, as well as for civilians. Even Zeldin’s fellow Long Island Republican, Peter King, voted against C.C.R. Why is Zeldin for it? Could it be because doing the N.R.A.’s bidding helps fill his campaign coffers? I would ask him, but since he no longer holds town hall meetings with his constituents, I can’t.

Perry Gershon, running against Lee Zeldin in November, supports requiring background checks at the national level when buying a gun, among other common-sense measures. A vote for Perry Gershon on Nov. 6 is a vote for responsible gun laws.

Sincerely,

CAROL DEISTLER