VT: Challenge Vinton's Slur to Dem Leadership

[WAGCEVP]

-----Original Message-----
From: VTGUNS@aol.com <VTGUNS@aol.com>
To: VTGUNS@aol.com <VTGUNS@aol.com>
Date: Sunday, February 04, 2001 12:24 AM
Subject: Challengel Vinton's Slur to Dem Leadership


>Folks: It is hard to believe that a Vermont legislator, the Vice-Chair of
>the House Judiciary Committee, would utter the statement below in a committee
>meeting, but it happened. Rep. Michael Vinton (D) Colchester, Vice-Chair of
>the House Judiciary Committee before his committee on February 2, 2001.
>
>"I do believe and I have no problem going on the record with this, about
>this, that I have always felt this, I felt this since I resigned from the
>National Rifle Association 20 some odd years ago, that they are an enemy of
>law enforcement. I believe that to this day."
>
>
>Call House Democratic Party Leader
>John Tracy at 1-800-322-5616 and tell him
>
>
> You Strongly Oppose
>Rep. Vinton's Bigotry!
>
>What type of legislator would think a national organization with a membership
>of over four million honest citizens should not protect the constitutional
>rights of its members?
>
>I have provided a handbill for you to print and circulate among your fellow
>gun owners and particularly NRA members. We cannot let such a highly
>inaccurate statement "on record" in a state house committee proceeding go
>without being challenged.
>The NRA members of Vermont are not the enemies of anyone and this statement
>is so ugly that a retraction and apology is necessary.
>
>Evan

 

[WAGCEVP]

A Letter to the Editor BY VTguns

Please consider for publication in The Letters To The Editor Section and
please print this letter in its entirety. I may be contacted at (802)
479-1489.
Evan Hughes
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Rep. Michael Vinton (D) Colchester, Vice-Chair of the House Judiciary
Committee made the statement below in a House Judiciary Committee meeting on
February 2, 2001.

"I do believe and I have no problem going on the record with this, about
this, that I have always felt this, I felt this since I resigned from the
National Rifle Association 20 some odd years ago, that they are an enemy of
law enforcement. I believe that to this day."

On Saturday, February 3rd The Burlington Free Press story by Ross Snead on
the gun control bill H.97 inaccurately related that this bill was limited
only to barring violent felons from possessing firearms. But, more
importantly Mr. Snead failed to report the highly bigoted statement of Rep.
Vinton and the reason is that the intolerance of the quote would call in to
question Vinton's objectivity and accuracy in describing the bill. Nor did
The Free Press did not solicit any comment from the NRA on the bill.

Rep. Vinton is a retired command level officer of the Vermont State Police.
Rep. Vinton uttered an ugly condemnation of the approximately twelve thousand
Vermont members of the National Rifle Association. The time period that Rep.
Vinton cites covers a large portion of his career in the Vermont State Police
and certainly the command level years of his service.

In the past I have read the outlandish anti-firearms rights comments of Lt.
O'Leary of the Middlesex Barracks of Vermont State Police in The Times Argus,
but this "on the record" statement of a legislator in a state house committee
meeting, regarding an entire group of honest and law-abiding citizens, is an
insult to all Vermonters.

Some NRA members might think it wise to remove their NRA stickers from their
vehicle, as a Libertarian I will display mine proudly. State Police
Commissioner James Walton owes Vermonters an explanation as to how a retired
command level trooper can so clearly and proudly cite such a bigoted
statement about his prejudices during his state police career.

The Burlington Free Press owes its readers an apology for so willingly
parroting the inaccurate claims of the extent of H.97, while letting this
narrow-minded statement by a legislator, the Vice-Chair of the House
Judiciary Committee, go unreported.

Evan Hughes
Barre, Vermont