New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Chris Lisinski
State House News Service
Groups that work with domestic violence survivors warned Friday that a federal judge’s order allowing gun retailers to reopen during the pandemic “may further jeopardize the personal safety of victims of abuse.”
In a joint statement, Jane Doe Inc. Executive Director Debra Robbin and Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Liam Lowney pointed to research in the American Journal of Public Health indicating that women face a 500 percent higher risk of homicide when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation. During the pandemic, with residents urged to remain at home whenever possible and thus facing isolation and stress, risks of domestic violence are higher, they said.
“While these concerns are not new, the compounding stressors brought on by coronavirus add fuel to those fires,” they said. “For people experiencing domestic violence or at risk for committing suicide, more guns in the home at a time of greater isolation and barriers to services can be especially dangerous.” Robbin and Lowney urged the public to be attentive to others’ mental health needs and to check in on friends, family and neighbors.
If we’re going to start restricting freedoms guaranteed under the constitution because of something that MIGHT happen, I would propose we stick to that same plan and restrict the freedom of speech of these groups…. Because they MIGHT be wrong and will have damaged the freedom and basic human rights guaranteed under the constitution in the advancement of their unfounded beliefs.
Gun shops are legitimate, legal businesses.
The only issue at hand is whether or not they can complete transaction in a way that doesn’t further the spread of Covid-19. And the obvious answer to that is Yes.
People talking about murder, violence and such are tacitly admitting that they are looking to single out gun shops because they don’t like gun.
Come on. Lets stop the stupidity.
p.s. In the interest of safety, the ATF has published revised guidelines that allow shops to complete transactions outside either in a parking lot or on the grounds to reduce the spread of Covid 19.