24 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 1, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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STORY: Owners of College Point’s Spa Castle hit with Child Labor Law
violation
SUMMARY: The owners of Spa Castle, located at 131-10 11th Ave.,
were fi ned $1,000 by the New York State Department of Labor after
being found violating state child labor laws.
REACH: 16,614 (as of 2/26/18)
A message for Queens gun enthusiasts
Th e national conversation about gun violence in the wake of the Feb. 14
massacre in Parkland, Florida, isn’t slowing down — nor should it.
Many in Queens continue to debate what should be done nationally to prevent
mass shootings from happening. Everyone seems to want an end to the
bloodshed; fi nding a solution, however, is another story.
Th is week, we want to appeal directly to those in our borough who either
own a gun, or happen to be gun enthusiasts, about the urgency of the situation.
Th ere are only about 45,000 registered gun owners in all of New York state,
which has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. We know, however,
that a number of gun owners reside in Queens; others in the borough use
guns out of state for sport or hunting.
We believe that the Second Amendment that ensures the right to bear arms
should be preserved. Americans should be allowed to own guns for personal
protection or for sport, if they so choose.
However, the Second Amendment, in our view, does not prohibit the federal
government from imposing regulations on the types of weapons and
ammunition available to the layman. It also does not prevent the government
from enacting legislation that makes it illegal for mentally unstable persons,
former felons and those on the terrorist watch list from acquiring weapons,
because of the inherent risk to the public.
Most gun owners seem to agree with this. Th e National Rifl e Association
(NRA) seems to think otherwise. Th ey have a dubious record of blocking and
defeating any type of gun regulation.
In the wake of one mass shooting aft er another, the NRA stays silent for a
time before lashing out at the mere suggestion that any gun regulation is a
constitutional violation (though it isn’t) — and that more guns are somehow
the solution to the gun problem.
Queens gun owners and enthusiasts must realize that the NRA doesn’t represent
them, and they should tear up their membership cards and stop paying
their dues. Th at’s one way to hinder the NRA’s enormous, cash-fueled infl uence
on Washington.
Another way is to contact your elected offi cials and tell them that, while you
support the right to bear arms, you also support the right to “life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness” — and, to that end, desire reasonable gun laws that
keep guns out of the wrong hands.
One last note about the Second Amendment to consider: In the wake of
Parkland, some individuals called for repeal of the Second Amendment. Now
that’s an idea that’s well out of the mainstream of most Americans, including
ardent gun control supporters.
But if nothing is done now to prevent mass shootings — and mass shootings
continue to happen — those calls for repeal will grow louder and more
intense.
It behooves gun rights supporters to support stronger laws to not only protect
the public, but also to preserve the right to bear arms for future generations.