Submitted by Monica Prihoda
To the Editor:
In response to my Letter to the Editor (LETTER: Republican Candidates, What are Your Positions on Background Checks, Ghost Guns, Semiautomatic Rifles, Raising the Age to Purchase?), I received this response from Senator Ryan Fazio:
Monica, You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I do want to address some factual matters in your open letter before you perpetuate them:
- Mandatory background checks already exist for all commercial and private transactions in CT.
- Ghost guns are already banned in CT.
- AR’s are banned in CT. (Banning all semi-auto’s has not been proposed by any Democrat in the Congress or state legislature. Semi-auto only means 1 trigger=1 shot. Handgun or rifle)
- I have and will continue to propose new ideas to reduce shootings.
Homicides rose by 80% in major CT cities since 2019. I can only influence CT state laws, but I have been one of a few senators very vocal about that rise of homicides and lives lost in that time. I will continue to do so until the violence falls and we save lives.
Senator Fazio’s response confirmed the gun laws enacted in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre 10 years ago, but he did not say he supported or would uphold those laws.
I understand his Republican colleague Representative Kimberly Fiorello was one of four in our State Congress who voted against:
1. An act allowing the use of federal money to track illegally sold or used firearms in the state.
2. The establishment of a community gun violence and prevention program.
3. A red flag law that would allow family members or doctors to apply for extreme risk protection orders which allow a judge to temporarily remove firearms from a person who presents an imminent threat to themselves or others.
Where does Senator Fazio stand on the above?
I’ve read Senator Fazio’s letter several times over and while he accurately describes current CT laws, he refused to state whether he supports these gun laws or if he would vote to uphold them, which is the same non-specific position he has taken on Roe vs. Wade regarding a woman’s agency over her own body. After all, how many laws are there regarding a man’s agency over his own body? That’s right: zero.
With the Supreme Court now threatening to reverse the law protecting a woman’s right to choose for her own body it will fall to each state, many of whom are trigger ready to also reverse this woman’s right now protected by law.
If Senator Fazio and others expect to be supported in the November Election they need to be clear on the above as well as:
1. A woman’s right to choose.
2. Raising the age limit on assault weapons – and better yet –
3. Banning assault weapons – limiting them to the fields of war where they were intended.
Each of these points are both state and national positions affecting all Greenwich residents.
Senator Fazio and all Candidates running for office need to be clear and specific on their positions.
Our children’s lives are at stake – and ours.
Respectfully,
Monica Prihoida