Local Law Enforcement Talks Gun Control at College Forum
BENNINGTON, Vt. — A panel of law enforcement officers will give their perspective on gun-control laws on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Bennington College's Greenwall Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.The panel is part of the Four College Issues Forum, a joint initiative of Bennington College, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Mass., Southern Vermont College and Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. The panel of rural and urban law enforcement officers from Vermont, Massachusetts and New York were invited to discuss the issue in the wake of two landmark Supreme Court decisions on the right to bear arms — District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago.
In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for traditionally lawful purposes. This decision was clarified in 2010, when the Supreme Court ruled in McDonald v. Chicago that the Second Amendment applies to state as well as federal law.
Recognizing that no one is more affected by gun laws than those who are asked to enforce them, the Four College Issues Forum has gathered a panel that includes Bridget Brennan, special narcotics prosecutor for New York City, Boston Police Superintendent Paul Joyce, retired Bennington Police Chief Richard Gauthier, Pittsfield (Mass.) Police Chief Mike Wynn and North Adams Commissioner of Public Safety E. John Morocco to discuss the ramifications of these decisions based on their experiences. Bennington College President Elizabeth Coleman will be the moderator.
"The right to bear arms has long been one of this country's most intractable and contentious issues," said Coleman. "It's implications are constitutional, ethical, practical, and legal. We are privileged to welcome such a wonderfully diverse group of law enforcement officers to illuminate this issue through the invaluable lens of firsthand experience."
For more information, contact Brian Davidson at Bennington College, 802-379-5116; Bernadette Lupo at MCLA, 413-662-5203; Susan Biggs at Southern Vermont College, 802-447-6389; or James Kolesar at Williams College, 413-597-4277.
