Ramsey Residents say YES to PROPERLY REGULATED Gun Range & Club at 69 Spring St.

It appears that there is a petition circulating against the potential Gun Range, Club and Retail store at the former Liberty Travel site (69 Spring St.) It also appears that the comments section of that petition is rife with misinformation, prejudice and fear. This leaves the RESPONSIBLE firearm owning residents of Ramsey without a voice in support of their chosen hobby.

Good discourse requires solid information for a reasonable discussion. To address some fears/comments that were voiced:

Point: (Paraphrased) Ramsey residents will not approve the sale of firearms in any commercial space in the Borough of Ramsey/A gun store and range will attract 'unsavory' people/crime/mentally ill/A gun store in close proximity to neighborhoods and schools represents a significant safety hazard.

Truth: Ramsey Outdoor store (835 Route 17 South, Ramsey) has been in business and selling firearms since 1953. This store backs directly up to a residential neighborhood, is closer to the center of town than 69 Spring st. and is 6 tenths of a mile from Ramsey High school (closest school). This location is also just over 1 mile from 69 Spring st. therefore the two locations are virtually identical.

That said, not only has Ramsey Outdoor NOT created crime, violence or 'unsavory' people, but their operation is so quiet (meaning NOT creating issues) that many residents are completely unaware that firearms are sold there. The truth is that Ramsey Outdoor has been selling firearms in an area that represents ALL the fears voiced, and have done so since 1953 without issue.

Point: A gun store in Ramsey (even though there already is one) will mean 'gun toting people' all over Ramsey.

Fact: Ramsey is governed by the same firearms laws as the rest of NJ. This means that the only people approved to carry concealed are A: Law Enforcement, B: Individuals who have gone through an extensive process to prove need to carry which was approved by a judge, C: Retired Law Enforcement who qualify every year. NJ does not recognize a 'right' to concealed carry and severely restricts the very few permits that are issued. Should a NJ resident decide to disregard the law, and carry their firearm that is OTHERWISE LEGALLY OWNED, they will be committing a felony.

But people would be bringing their gun to the range! Yes. They would. And in that process they would also have to adhere to NJ laws governing transportation of firearms. Namely, the firearm would be required to be UNLOADED and secured separate from the ammunition. The firearm would also be required to be inaccessible to the driver. The firearm would have to be locked in the trunk, unloaded, and separated from the ammunition. The laws also require that an individual traveling to and from a range not deviate from their path of travel. The only stops permitted are those that are emergency in nature (e.g. to purchase gas).

Anyone could just walk in there and buy a gun! No. (lets also not forget that there is ALREADY a firearms store less than a mile away, not to mention the one right over the border in Mahwah). NJ law requires a number of steps before a firearm can be purchased. First, a firearms ID card must be acquired, which requires, among other things, fingerprinting, background checks, reference checks and a CONSENT TO MENTAL HEALTH CHECK. This process is initiated by your local police and completed by NJ State Police. It can take up to 6 months to complete and until it is complete, a resident CANNOT purchase a firearm.

For a rifle or shotgun, once an FID card is acquired, the firearms dealer is still required to perform a SECOND background check, fill out the required BATF forms, and verify your ability to purchase. These dealers are regularly audited by the BATF, and face enormous fines and jail time if they fail to correctly govern the purchase process.

To purchase a handgun, a resident first needs an FID card, then they must apply for a Handgun purchase permit which is the same process over again, minus the fingerprints. It can take an additional six months to receive this permit to purchase, but by law, may not be used within 7 days of filing. This permit may be used to purchase ONE handgun and is only valid for 90 days. The permit acts as a chit of sorts, where one must have a chit to convert into ONE handgun.

Long story short, NJ laws are heavily restrictive when it comes to permitting, purchasing and transporting firearms. Any individual who chooses to circumvent these restrictive processes are highly unlikely to do so suddenly because a SECOND firearms store opened in Ramsey.

The families! Ramsey is a family town! Yes, it is. A family town that has had an existing gun store for 64 years!! It seems that Ramsey has raised three generations just fine with a gun store nestled in their midst.

The fact is that gun ranges do not attract criminals looking to 'better their skills'. It attracts law abiding citizens who want to enjoy a hobby. It attracts people who spends MONTHS jumping through legal hoops in order to legally enjoy a hobby. Shooting at a range is not inherently evil, wrong, corrupting or bad in any way, shape or form. I would venture a guess that there is a substantial number of law abiding citizens of Ramsey, with guns in their homes, that are as equally not wrong or evil.

So, Mayor and Council, I encourage you to weigh the FACTS of the situation and not the irrational fear perpetuated by those who fear what they do not understand. A gun range and club would bring a significant source of revenue and jobs to Ramsey, not to mention an outlet for residents to enjoy a healthy past time in an area where such outlets are lacking.

If you believe in anything I have written above, then sign the petition. I, for one, would look forward to such a close indoor range and would hate to see it torpedoed out of fear.