AMHERST — Amherst officials support measures by a national gun control organization that promotes efforts to stop illegal guns, extend background checks and have more information shared about gun laws.
But even though the Select Board voted 4-1 to endorse the seven principles of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, as requested by the Board of Health earlier this year, it opted against enrolling in Everytown for Gun Safety, a coalition between the mayors group and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
“Gun violence is a serious public health issue, which is why the Board of Health drew our attention to support the principles of the organization,” said Select Board member Andrew Steinberg, who voted in favor of the resolution.
The motion the Select Board favored was “to support the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a Program of Everytown for Gun Safety, statement of principles, and resolve to find ways to advance that statement of principles.”
These principles include to “punish, to the maximum extent of the law, criminals who possess, use and traffic in illegal guns; target and hold accountable irresponsible gun dealers who break the laws by knowingly selling guns to straw purchasers; and extend background check requirements to all gun sales, including the private sales that take place between strangers online and at gun shows.”
Steinberg was joined in support by board members Douglas Slaughter, James Wald and Constance Kruger. During a meeting in June, Kruger proposed joining the group and supporting the principles, but other members asked for more time to decide.
Select Board Chairwoman Alisa Brewer was the lone member to vote against the measure. Brewer said in an email that while she supports the principles and that the Board of Health can work with the Police Department on educating the public about gun safety, “I am not comfortable with having the Select Board join a political organization, particularly one that will not likely ask for our input before they make decisions.”
Steinberg said that the vote does not commit Amherst to joining the organization, though Brewer said it is unclear if that’s the case.
The measure drew both support and concern from Amherst residents, as well as opposition from a Hadley resident who owns a firearms training company.
Emails of support came from long-time resident Debra Wirth, who said there is a need for change in gun laws.
“Your making such a request or statement will certainly have broad support. People will be grateful to see some movement on change,” Wirth wrote.
But Amherst resident Joe Swartz told the board he worries the Mayors Against Illegal Guns will target law-abiding gun owners, rather than those selling illegal weapons.
Kirk Whatley, a Hadley resident who runs Whatley Training LLC, which provides firearms training, said the Select Board and Board of Health should be more worried about heroin, which is killing more people in Amherst than guns.
He added that simple education could be incorporated into schools related to gun safety, without having to sign onto the principles.
“What I observed is that concrete ideas weren’t discussed any further,” Whatley said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
