Shelton Alderman Jack Finn’s proposed weapons-free zone ordinance died Thursday following a barrage of negative comments from Republican aldermen, including one that compared gun control measures to tactics used by World War II dictators.
On the motion to reject the ordinance, the Board of Aldermen’s seven Republicans aldermen voted in favor, with only Finn, the lone Democrat, dissenting.
Many of the comments made by aldermen speaking against the proposal would be familiar to anyone who has followed the gun control debate since the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.
But for the most part they did not address the specifics of Finn’s ordinance — which would have prohibited carrying firearms, crossbows and a variety of other weapons in municipal buildings, parks, schools, community centers and open space areas — and instead criticized gun control measures in general.
For instance, Board of Aldermen President John Anglace said he didn’t think a federal background check bill that was blocked last month by a filibuster in the U.S. Senate would have stopped the Newtown shooting.
He and Alderman Eric McPherson disapproved of what McPherson called federal politicians “parading” shooting victims around Congress trying to drum up support for gun control measures.
McPherson and Alderman Stanley Kudej blamed violent movies and video games for shocking mass murders like Newtown, the attack that wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed several others, and an attack at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater.
“We’re always quick to blame gun owners whenever a tragedy happens like in Newtown or in Colorado,” Kudej said.
Finn Responds
But the statement that drew a response from Finn was one by Alderman Anthony Simonetti, who likened gun control efforts to steps taken by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini to disarm political opponents of their dictatorships in Germany and Italy prior to World War II.
Finn said he took exception to that statement in particular, and also noted that there was nothing in his ordinance that would prohibit anyone from buying or carrying a gun anywhere other than on city property.
Before his colleagues had their say, Finn read a statement addressing some of the claims by gun advocates at a public hearing April 23 with which he disagreed.
Click here to read more about the hearing.
He noted that although Shelton was listed recently as the fifth safest city in Connecticut, the gun advocates at the public hearing said they feared being attacked by criminals, deranged killers and wild animals while hiking in city open space areas or while visiting City Hall.
Finn said opponents of his ordinance subjected him to a stream of abuse in telephone calls and emails and made comments at the public hearing that misrepresented his position as anti-gun and as opposed to gun safety courses.
He said he only opposed holding gun safety courses at the public library, and believes the police station would be a more acceptable location.
“It’s been said that I’m trying to take away your Second Amendment rights. Well, I went to Vietnam and fought for your Second Amendment rights,” said Finn, a Navy veteran.
