Letter to the Editor: Giarrusso on Guns

by | Sep 30, 2018

Last May I went to the Rhode Island State House to lobby for legislation that I believed might help to protect our school children from the atrocities of gun violence plaguing our nation’s schools. One piece of legislation that I supported was the repeal of concealed weapon carry on school grounds by those with a permit. I was able to contact my local state representative for District 30, Mr. Anthony Giarrusso, who met me with a congenial manner.  

When I explained my objection to Rhode Island’s then being among the few states which allowed concealed weapons carry into schools, he responded that none of these states had so far experienced a school shooting incident. I was surprised at what I considered an illogical application of cause-and-effect relationships.

He went on to say (as I paraphrase) that some of the finest people he knows in this building (referring to the State House) carry concealed weapons.  I must admit that my response now went beyond surprise to mild shock.

I believe it is my duty to inform voters about Mr. Giarrusso’s perspective concerning gun safety and to remind them that his opponent Justine Caldwell’s stance on gun safety in schools strongly supports recommendations of the Rhode Island Coalition against Gun Violence.

John Hennedy
Emeritus Professor of English, Providence College, and USMC veteran

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John
John
October 1, 2018 2:13 pm

Pretty cheesy of you to put this on the front page the morning of your “objective” forum. You really showed your colors…

Martha Reynolds
October 1, 2018 5:50 pm

Thank you, Dr. Hennedy.

Martha Reynolds, PC ‘80

Tracie Truesdell
Tracie Truesdell
October 3, 2018 1:04 am

Posting a LTE doesn’t make this forum biased. I’m sure you could write your own LTE. A LTE was submitted by a resident, not written by the editor herself. Knowing the difference isn’t hard.

EG News, thank you for everything you do for EG. Keep up the good work. Many people in EG would have zero idea what is going on if it weren’t for EG News.

Dean
Dean
October 3, 2018 4:38 pm

Prof Hennedy was “surprised” that Rep Giarrusso forms a correlation between concealed carry and less school violence. “Illogical.” Even so Rep Giarrusso’s observation is true. No school shooting has ever been committed by a person who legally obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm, but there are instances where permit-holders have thwarted situations which might have escalated horrifically. That is not to say all concealed-carry permit-holders are blameless of violent crimes, but the balance of evidence weighs heavily in their favor. Prof Hennedy goes on to say he was mildly shocked when Rep Giarrusso observed that the CCW permit-holders he’s acquainted with are responsible and respectable people, from which one might extrapolate that Rep Giarrusso believes the process entailed in getting a CCW permit does a good job of winnowing potential problems. If personal experience has no bearing on what we think, what is the basis for any opinion?

A gunless world is a wonderful ideal to strive for, but it will happen only when guns are universally viewed as something to leave by the wayside of history – by our culture evolving – not by trying to pry guns from law-abiding citizens in a world which often seems more intent upon flaying itself. Rep Giarrusso deserves applause for standing by the Second Amendment!

Thank you, Prof Hennedy, for your service.

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