Lexington, MA Residents Moving To Ban Commonly Owned Firearms & Magazines

Gun Owners' Action League - The Official Firearms Association of Massachusetts
Gun Owners’ Action League – The Official Firearms Association of Massachusetts

Lexington, Massachusetts –  -(Ammoland.com)- Robert Rotberg, a citizen of the town of Lexington has initiated an attack on the Second Amendment.

Robert is currently working to include an article on the next town warrant which will enact an outright ban on many types of commonly owned firearms and magazines.

This proposal must be stopped.

If you are a resident of the town of Lexington please call them right now and let them know that you do not want any article included on the town meeting warrant which would attack many of your rights.

Pertinent info for the selectmen:

  • If this were to be passed how would it be enacted?  Is the town police department going to seize property from town residents? Are they prepared to do that?
  • If this were passed it will be very expensive for the town to defend in court.  Is the town of Lexington willing to spend tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees?
  • The proposal is an outright attack on our Second Amendment being enacted by a citizen, or group of citizens, influenced by false data and anti rights propaganda.  It will do nothing to prevent crime.
  • “Assault Weapon” is a term made up by a gun prohibitionist who aspired to objectify certain semi automatic firearms in order to make it easier to ban them.  Reality shows that they are no different than any other semi automatic firearm and that an outright ban on these firearms and magazines would include hundreds if not thousands of firearms which are currently legally owned by Lexington residents, none of which have ever been involved in any sort of crime.
  • This proposal is a solution to a problem that does not exist.

The board of selectmen can be reached at 781-698-4580

Here is the info published online by Robert Rotberg looking to ban your common firearms:

Dear Fellow Town Meeting Members and other Concerned Citizens:

For all of the obvious reasons, and because Lexington has first mover advantage and responsibilities, I have submitted a Citizen’s Article to the Warrant to regulate the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault weapons and large-capacity gun magazines within the Town of Lexington.  I hope that it will have your support now, and when the article comes before Town Meeting in March.

The proposed legislation will be modeled strictly on an ordinance enacted by Highland Park, IL (a suburb of Chicago) in 2013, approved in a Federal district court there, and by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. On Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day, the U. S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case, implicitly suggesting that local town and city bans on large scale weaponry do not impinge on Second Amendment rights under the U. S. Constitution, and are permissible despite its ruling in Miller in 2014. The U.S. has a long tradition of regulating weapons at the local level – think Dodge City, Kansas, and Tombstone, Ariz., not to mention Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

The New York Times reported that the Supreme Court’s welcome inaction in the Highland Park case was the seventieth time since 2008 that the Court has declined to consider a challenge to state or local gun regulation. “This creates a big opportunity,” it said, “for Americans to put pressure on their…local leaders.”

As Nancy Rotering, Mayor of Highland Park and candidate for Congress wrote recently, the Supreme Court’s decision encourages “other cities and villages across the nation to follow our lead and pursue assault weapons without the threat of legal action under the Second Amendment of the U. S. Constitution.”  She also wrote: “One piece of legislation is not going to prevent every gun violence tragedy, but with courageous leadership, we can take steps to protect American lives.” I hope that the passage of the proposed amended by-law in Lexington will save Lexington lives and inspire other cities and towns within the Commonwealth to follow suit in this practical and sensible matter.

My proposed amendment to Chapter 97 of the Code of Lexington (Public Conduct) would in no way affect ordinary gun or hand-gun ownership in Lexington. It would, however, prohibit the possession within town limits of assault weapons – semiautomatic rifles that have the capacity to accept large capacity magazines. (The proposed article would specify in great detail exactly what kinds of weapons and magazines were covered.) The Highland Park legislation enumerates the brands outlawed.  Large capacity magazines are defined as holding ten or more rounds.

Assault weapons do not include antique weapons. Citizens of the town would still be able to bear arms, just not weapons of mass murder.

I have consulted with the Selectmen, the Town Manager (and Town Counsel), the Moderator, and the Chief of Police. Everyone has been very helpful.

I will welcome your comments, criticisms, suggestions for improvement, and so on, but, please as few NRA rants as possible. This proposal will, I hope, attract widespread support from TM voters and from citizens of the Town. It is the least we can do to try to limit harm.

Robert I. Rotberg

Click here to view the webpage with published info.

About Gun Owners’ Action League:
Gun Owners’ Action League is the official state firearms association in Massachusetts. We are an association of law-abiding citizens who believe in the basic right of firearms ownership for competition, recreation and self-protection. GOAL works hard to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against those in Massachusetts who wish to infringe upon the freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers. The programs sponsored and developed by Gun Owners’ Action League are supported by competitors, sportsmen, recreational shooters and law enforcement throughout the state. We were formed in 1974 to protect the right to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We are recognized as the state’s premier gun rights association. www.goal.org

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Louis Savlen Jr.

I grew up in this town (Lexington) and do not recall any gun crimes committed in all my years there (1972-1985). As a mater of fact the only deadly crime I recall ever happening in Lexington were caused by knife. Though what concerns me about Mr. Rotbergs proposal, is the call for semi automatic weapon bans on firearms capable of accommodating larger clips. This proposal seems nothing more than a foot in the door, in the process of banning just about any weapon Mr. Rotberg deems as capable of being an “assault weapon”. The fact is most rifles are capable… Read more »

ft

For the people of Lexington to allow these anti US Constitution people to decide what and even IF they can own one of the most commonly owned rifles in the nation is foolish and possibly dangerous. The fact that this is taking place in Lexington is really weird. Has no one learned anything from history? Has no one seen the number of home invasions taking place around the entire country? Has no one heard about people killing people at random in the name of ISIS? Anyone who lives in Lexington who allows these anti Constitution people make decisions that effect… Read more »

SEM

The answer to 1984 is 1776. MOLON LABE!!! I WILL NOT COMPLY.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Dean

Perhaps someone in Lexington should purpose a rule that simple states that all laws/ rules/ whatever shall be applied equally to the everyone. This means the civilians, military, police and politicians. After all, everyone is equal, just don’t measure it.

Malisa Woodward

I moved to Texas. Actually, you are more free to practice your basic individual rights here in this state. Anyone willing to move here and live by the Constitution is more than welcome. If you’re coming here with the mindset of freedom with restricted liberty than Texas is not the place for you. We enjoy individual freedom and the liberty to use those freedoms.

dave

I am curious, is he disguising a ban on “assault weapons” to actually be a ban on all semi-automatic handguns that hold 10 or more rounds, which is virtually most of them, including the firearms the police carry?

Janek

What’s next: Pulling magazines like “Guns & Ammo” off of news stands? Azzholes! Once they void the 2nd Amendment it’s open season on ‘Free Speech’ and the rest of the Bill of Rights.

Jay S Leonard

Robert I. Rotberg is an F***TARD!!!

Paul

As a resident of Chicago, I can tell you that the Highland Park ordinance is a solution in search of a problem. I am acutely aware that affluent neighborhoods are not immune to violence, as Sandy Hook clearly demonstrated. But the reckless creation of more and more laws, ordinances, and regulations serves only to stifle the freedoms of law-abiding citizens. It’s been repeated ad nauseum that criminals pay no attention to ordinances and laws on their way to rape, murder, terror, and mayhem. I hope to God that the residents of Lexington never experience the tragedies that have impacted Sandy… Read more »

Big Bill

” (The proposed article would specify in great detail exactly what kinds of weapons and magazines were covered.)” History (Federal Assault Weapon Ban, and many other bans, such as drugs) would suggest that the more detailed the definition of banned items is, the easier it is to circumvent, for two basic reasons: First, manufacturers, knowing exactly what is banned, can then make their product specifically to not include the banned parts of the product. During the Assault Weapon Ban (ten years), more AR platform rifles were sold than during the previous ten years, specifically because the makers were able to… Read more »

Tim Toroian

Taking things away from people is the slipperiest of slopes. Will he next want to take property and cash away from the rich to “equalize” income? Take one thing and the taking becomes easier in the mind of the taker He should move Australia , where he can attacked with a sword. That’s a weapon used there. Bats in Scandinavia.

Jeff D.

Congratulations to a-bomb for restating history! I live in Shirley, Mass. about 25 miles west of Lexington. That town is full of yuppie scum, very wealthy, educated people who have never had any common sense! Oh you can spot them a mile away. That’s when I have to make the decision to puke or sh t!!This guy Robert who obviously has no life, an ugly wife, and is probably short, just feels as though he needs to be recognized in the community. What all of these uneducated gun grabbers in the whole U.S., not just Lexington need, is to be… Read more »

2nd Amender

Truly a “party line politico”. Probably never had a bad day in ‘his life’ and resents the implication that he too unimportant

K&M

I have a hard time understanding the purpose. It is hard to look like Robert Rotberg knows what he is talking about when he calls them wepons of mass murder. The state already has law restrictions on magazine capacity. As far a people owning preban mags these were items that were legally purchased in the state of Massachusetts. Lexington not only has a federal highway that passes through it it has a neighbor town with a sportsman’s club in it. Taking what you call wepons of mass murder away from law abiding citizens won’t reduce the crime. It will increase… Read more »

Infidel7.62

Lexington, where the revolution was started after the government tried to seize the colonist’s firearms. Can you say irony?

JACK

Boy is this easy …….. MOVE TO TEXAS !

abomb

I find this interesting (not only from an academic standpoint) that the residents of Lexington, Massachusetts would today even entertain an idea like this after … HISTORY!!!. Let’s break this down a little bit in case some liberals happen to read this. On April 19, 1775, British troops under the orders of General Gage are to march upon the Town of Concord to seize arms and cannons from the growing rebellion. His orders were to seize arms from British subjects who were not tried nor found of any wrong-doing in any court but were believed to be in contempt against… Read more »

Brian

Perhaps a well publicized boycott of business concerns in Lexington would persuade the Chamber of Comerce and other concerns to oppose this ridiculous proposal

Dave

There is an interstate highway that runs through Lexington. How can the town pass an ordinance regulating movement over that highway? Also, there is already a magazine capacity law in Massachusetts, limiting magazines to 10 rounds.