LETTER from PATRICIA BROCKWAY

Guns Needed

To Protect Families

To the Editor:

The 2AS (Second Amendment Sanctuary) group has provided to the Otsego County Board of Representatives a resolution for its approval, along with petitions signed by 3,295 local residents. The resolution should be seen as a commitment of the county board to stand by their oath of office.

When an elected official takes an oath, we, as residents, should want them to uphold that oath. Asking them to vote this resolution is asking them to violate that oath.

That is what The League of Women Voters asked them to do: not to support the Constitution. I am not sure exactly what the League stands for, if not the Constitution of the United States.

The League never opposed sanctuary status for illegal immigrants in the Village of Cooperstown in April 2017, but it will not stand up for legal citizens of Otsego County.

With that said, I have to ask if any League members have even seen this resolution that has been presented to the county board. If they had, they would know it’s more about protecting the rights of county citizens to keep and bear arms, a right given to us in the Second Amendment.

New York has always been listed among the most anti-gun states in the nation. This alone makes the fight even more of an uphill battle. Those of us who believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights feel strongly about fighting to keep these from being changed, eliminated or infringed upon by those who find them offensive.

With the uptick of crime in this country, we all need to protect our families from criminal activity. That does not mean only men should protect themselves and their families. As some of you might already be aware, there is a local woman’s gun group forming in the county to teach safe use of firearms, and it is seeking members.

As a woman and gun owner who holds a FFL and has sold many guns, this is a great opportunity for local women to learn about guns and not be afraid of them. I am sure these women would love to see the 2AS resolution pass in the county. I know I would.

Everyone should know, but I will remind you, that a 2AS resolution does not mean there will no longer be federal background checks or criminals will be given guns. It means law-abiding residents’ rights will not be infringed upon when it comes to their legally obtained firearms.

It will not make it more dangerous for law enforcement; federal and state laws will still apply. The only reason it’s more dangerous for police now is because criminals can obtain illegal guns. No state or federal law can protect any of us from criminal activity.

If the governor were to rethink his position on bail reform and allow for criminals to be prosecuted for their crimes and not released right back into our communities, we would all be much safer.

I support the 2AS resolution which the county board will soon be considering.

I would also like to give my support to Peter Oberacker as our state senator for the 51st district. He will stand with us.

We are not the ones you should fear!

PATRICIA BROCKWAY
West Oneonta