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The Below Comments Relate to this Newslink:

MA: Town hall is no place for guns
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In Easton, at least one selectman is questioning a proposed policy that would prevent volunteer board or committee members from bringing weapons into Town Hall, even if they have a permit to legally carry said weapon. Such a policy is already in place preventing paid staff members from packing inside the municipal center.

At first glance, this seems to be an absurd situation. Guns are not allowed in a wide variety of public and governmental settings, and a town hall would certainly seem to qualify. It would appear that having such a ban would be a totally reasonable and rational thing to do, and any responsible town official would want it in place.

Comment by: Millwright66 (10/3/2016)

The inherent difficulty with this "reasonable solution" comes when one needs to be armed in the course of ordinary affairs. Obviously that need also extends to civic duty realm as well. To deny access to these events based upon a state-vetted individual's possession of a firearm quells both the subject's First and Second Amendment rights based - not upon fact or their action - but upon a third party presumption. Given the current state of journalistic ethics ( or lack thereof) one could as easily deny any professional member of the press on the "presumption" their account may be intended to cause harm to personas or causes the reporter objects to. But one solution is for the venue to proffer secure firearm storage outside the meeting.