Where are Your Guns?

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Created on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 21:39

Written by Jessica Walsh

NORTHEAST KINGDOM - Hearing gunshots in the Kingdom is a normal and natural sound.

Hunting is a favorite pasttime of many in the area.

The scary part is what these gun owners can legally do once they have obtained a gun. Right now, if you walked into the Village Sport Shop in Lyndonville and you wished to purchase a gun, all you would need is a valid ID. A quick five minute background check would then complete the process and in all of ten minutes or less, you would be a proud gun owner.

It's not a secret that a lot of people own firearms here in Vermont, but a majority of these owners carry these guns outside of the woods. Its a good chance that the man standing behind you in the grocery store, or the woman walking by you on the street are carrying a concealed firearm. The reason why they do this is simple; because they can. "That's why a lot of people carry around here just because you can, there's nobody that says you can't", says Teddy Beniot who works at the Village Sport Shop. Vermont Law says that you can carry your weapon, concealed or open, pretty much anywhere with a few restrictions. Guns are not allowed inside a school building, a school bus, a state institution or their grounds or land without the warden or superintendent's permission.

Although its perfectly acceptable, according to the law, to carry a weapon in public some firearm owners still wouldn't do it. "No, no even though I have the right to I won't", says Steve Beliveau who is a firearm owner from Lyndonville. For most, its a for a security reason and in case of self defense they would be prepared. Recent events have had sparked interest in guns for one specific reason. "After the Melissa Jenkins murder there in St. Johnsbury, there were a lot of firearms purchased either by significant others for the female population or the female population buying it for themselves for self defense", says Clint Gray who is the President of the Vermont Federation of the Sportsman Club.

Whether its for recreational use, or self protection, the state of Vermont has plenty of resources for people who wish to have the proper training. There are shooting ranges an hour away from almost every town in the state, which gives the youth who are just getting into the sport a place to safely practice. "We actually have more youth hunting seasons for waterfowl, turkey, and deer that any other state. We have youth programs and that's where we try to focus with youngsters getting involved in shooting sports", says Patrick Berry who is the Fish and Wildlife Commissioner.

It all comes down to how the owner who uses the firearm, whether it's hunting or for protection. Safety is key when it comes to properly using a gun and the state of Vermont has made all of the right steps so that owners can become educated and well prepared. Beniot, who not only sells firearms at the Village Sport Shop is also a gun owner himself and he says it all boils down to one specific reason. "I think it's more of a security self defense thing, that's what it's all about," says Beniot.