Printed as a Letter to the Editor in The Independent, Oct. 3, 2018

More Guns?

Thank you for printing “Zeldin and Gershon Square Off,” so that voters know where each candidate stands on various topics. One important issue that was not covered in the article, however, is gun safety. Lee Zeldin co-sponsored and voted for the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would 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, since more guns on the streets means more lives at risk. In fact, an association representing 18,000 police departments across the country sent a letter to Congress asking them to reject this legislation, noting it would “hamper law enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence.”

Perry Gershon supports common sense gun measures, and that includes upholding New York’s strong gun laws, rather than undermining them.

Sincerely,

Carol Deistler