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Governor Healey eyes “root causes” response to gun violence

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Photo courtesy of State House News Service

Colin A. Young

BOSTON – Answering a question about gun violence in Massachusetts cities on Thursday, Gov. Maura Healey said her administration will continue to view violence as a public health issue and said she thinks much of it stems from “a failure to address some of the root causes of violence.”

Without articulating specific policies or plans, Healey said that she plans to work with Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and others to “fund and support programming to reduce violence, particularly among our young people.” She said that she has long looked at gun violence as a public health issue in addition to a matter of public safety. “It is absolutely the lens through which we need to address this, and that means more intervention for health and wellness, for mental health, for efforts to deal with trauma, because we know trauma begets trauma, violence begets violence. And while numbers are going down … that’s no comfort to the mothers and fathers of 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-year-old kids in Boston and around who are shooting one another,” the former attorney general said on Java with Jimmy on Thursday morning.

As attorney general, Healey enforced the state’s gun laws. She drew the ire of Second Amendment advocates and gun owners in 2016 when she heightened her office’s enforcement of an assault weapons ban that had been on the books for years by cracking down on copycat assault weapons. Last summer, she joined with the Baker administration to provide guidance to licensing authorities and law enforcement agencies on how a U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down New York’s concealed-carry gun licensing law applies to a similar Massachusetts law.

On Thursday, Healey said she will continue to enforce what she called “some of the strongest gun laws in place.” “But it’s not good enough when we still have, every day or every other day, a report of a shooting — two people sitting in their car the other day, right? I mean, this cannot continue. I do think at the heart of so much of this, Jimmy, is a failure to address some of the root causes of violence,” Healey said. “And I’ve talked a long time about my real heavy focus on mental health, and I do think we need more mental health providers, we need more people trained in trauma-informed care and we’ve just got to do this for our young people and for our families. My heart goes out to to the victims, to the victim of violence, in Boston and beyond in the state.”

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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Fed Up

    January 13, 2023 at 8:48 pm

    “a failure to address some of the root causes of violence.”

    Oh this is easy. This state and it’s horrible bleeding heart liberal morons keep releasing dangerous criminals into society to reoffend. Terrible soft on crime policies from the top trickle down to the lefty judges and you get multiple violent felons serving next-to-nothing for their crimes released to reek havoc on the rest of us. Rinse & repeat.

    ” As attorney general, Healey enforced the state’s gun laws. She drew the ire of Second Amendment advocates and gun owners in 2016 when she heightened her office’s enforcement of an assault weapons ban that had been on the books for years by cracking down on copycat assault weapons. ”

    Her press conference was just that , Fluff. She absolutely , positively has NOT cracked down on copycat so called ‘ assault weapons ” this is the epitome of fake news. NO ONE has been tried , convicted or doing so since her reinterpretation in 2016. This is a blatant lie. The so called ” assault weapons ban ” in place mirrors the Federal Ban from 1994-2004 and it was established law in this state until she decided to have a press conference saying the contrary.

    She’s barking up the wrong tree, Morons in Dorchester & Roxbury are shooting each other with illegal guns ,so let me punish law-abiding citizens for their actions. She’s a complete moron and a hypocrite. Wants everyone to drive electric cars , drives a gas powered Expedition one of the biggest SUVs Ford makes. Cries about DEI yet makes $50K more than the male who just left office.

    “fund and support programming to reduce violence, particularly among our young people.”

    Typical liberal logic, Lets throw more of your money at the problem. Where is this money coming from? The state is in debt it’s ranked on the bottom 5 out of 50 states for financial solvency. Oh I know where the money will come from the same place she just got her hefty raise. The Massachusetts taxpayers.

    The Supreme Court will in time toss out all so called ” Assault weapons bans ” the clock is ticking Maura your press conference has so NOTHING.

  2. Noveske SBR

    January 14, 2023 at 8:37 am

    There was just a article in Globe about the 80FFLs in Littleton who are selling AR15 lowers & complete rifles which are in a ban-compliance configuration . Was there any article on any of them being prosecuted? NO. Ever wonder why? because Maura knows she has no legs to stand on. Her press conference was designed to scare dealers into not risking her wrath and for some it worked or for others it didn’t. The Littleton police chief looked into it found they’re not doing anything illegal.

    In 1994 Clinton and the Moron in Chief now decided to try their hand at an ” Assault weapons ban ” it passed and the idiots in Washington with zero firearms knowledge whatsoever decided what constitutes an ” assault weapon ” in their infinite wisdom & knowledge came up with it has a flash suppressor . a bayonet lug to mount a bayonet and a collapsible butt-stock. So manufacturers just started selling rifles with a muzzle brake instead of a flash hider , removing the bayonet lug and pinning the stock in one place so it couldn’t be adjusted. The Ban stood in place for for 10 years and sun setted in 2004. In 1998 Massachusetts adopted the ” assault weapons ban ” permanently.

    There was absolutely NO ban whatsoever on so called ” assault weapons ” only a ban on certain features. I legally bought in Massachusetts , a ban compliant AR15 in 2006 from a licensed FFL dealer. What Maura Healy would call a ” copycat ” Why did the state wait until 2016 to claim dealers were selling copycats? Because she was positioning her self for a gig with Hillary Clinton. No visit from the authorities no visit from the AFT to the dealer for selling me this rifle. Since the Globe article no arrests of any of the 80 licensed FFL dealers in Littleton. Why? because she knows she has nothing illegal is going on. So when she says she cracked down on copycats she’s outright lying.

    An ” assault weapons ” nonsense is a red herring. It’s smoke & mirrors designed to keep people distracted from for the real problem which is gang members killing each other with impunity. Poor policies from Democratic politicians & Mass judges who keep releasing violent convicted felons back onto the streets to reoffend. According to the FBI you are more likely to be beaten to death with hands & feet than ever being shot with a rifle or an AR15 which is a subset of rifles. Guess what? you’re also more likely to be killed by a knife than any rifle.

    Maura Healy is a liar typical politician.

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