Letter to the Editor: McCaffrey is Not Anti-Gun

The following is a letter submitted by District Attorney Greg McCaffrey to the GeneseeSun.com for publication. The attitudes and ideas expressed below should not be interpreted as the opinions of the GeneseeSun.com. Bolded emphasis was added by Mr. McCaffrey.

Dear Editor,

The 2016 election season has reached the final stretch, with election day less than fifty (50) days away. The political discourse on the national stage has been dispiriting to many people, with negative campaigning and spreading of outright lies becoming the norm. It is sad to say that the national trend has now come to Livingston County, and specifically, the race for District Attorney.

My opponent is circulating information saying that I am an opponent of the Second Amendment. This is completely false. I am in favor of all responsible, lawful gun ownership and value the right our citizens to bear arms and to defend themselves.

As I discussed with members of the Conservative Party prior to securing their endorsement to remain District Attorney, the elements of the SAFE ACT that so many people find offensive are all regulatory in nature and have nothing to do with the Office of the District Attorney. These unpopular regulatory provisions, including assault weapon registration, ammunition registration and transfers, the mental hygiene law and pistol permits are NOT dealt with by the District Attorney’s Office.

As sworn District Attorney, my office is responsible for the prosecution of all crimes in this county and with the administration of justice. While falsely stating my position on the Second Amendment, and failing to actually review the cases my office has prosecuted the past four years, my opponent is simply trying to mislead and scare those who are lawfully exercising their second amendment rights.

What my opponent has failed to mention when discussing the SAFE ACT, are the enhanced penalties for certain crimes particularly against children, first responders and the use of illegal weapons used in the commission of drug crimes. Let me be very clear, while the SAFE ACT has regulatory provisions that are not dealt with by the District Attorney’s Office, the criminal provisions that prohibit illegal possession and use have been and will continue to be prosecuted by this office.

The SAFE ACT has given my office the ability to seek enhanced penalties for certain crimes, while not infringing on owners rights under the Second Amendment. If you:

*Recklessly injure a child with a firearm

*Bring a loaded firearm on school grounds or a school bus without written permission

*Use a loaded illegal firearm in the commission of a drug crime

*Make a straw purchase for someone who is disqualified from gun ownership

*Provide a gun used in the commission of a crime to a person who is not allowed to have one

*Or use a gun against an emergency first-responder as was done when the West Webster firefighters were killed in the tragic Christmas Eve incident in 2012,

I promise my office will prosecute you pursuant to existing law.

To me, it is simply common sense for an experienced prosecutor to use the provisions of a New York State law to seek more significant and severe punishment for firearm use against our children and first responders; undocumented gun sales; and, firearm possession while selling drugs in the community. If my opponent has a problem with that, then perhaps he is the one who needs to explain himself.

Sincerely,

District Attorney Greg McCaffrey