Proudly Serving Vermont Since 1875
The Vermont Federation of Sportsmens' Clubs has been actively following and diligently working against the City of Burlington's gun ban efforts since the issue first surfaced late last year. The Vermont Sportsmen's Bill of Rights must be protected to save guns, shooting, hunting, fishing and trapping.
The Federation is fortunate to have members and allies who have a wide range and deep depth of skills and experience, which in this case includes people with decades of experience in government relations, litigation, and municipal law indeed combined, over a century of experience in those specialized fields, combining vast knowledge and experience, a powerful combination of resources.
The process of challenging government action via litigation/lobbying are also forms of war, though, again with concepts and words rather than projectiles. In the case of litigation challenging government action, the terrain is exceedingly complex, with many hidden traps that the government is very experienced in springing against those who are not wary. In lobbying it is a matter of getting the message right and directed correctly.
Starting a war at the wrong time, without choosing timing, terrain, and the posture and condition of your opponent with the utmost care, is the surest way to lose the war. The City of Burlington has five of its own full time in house attorneys on salary and at least one, probably two, of the most sophisticated and politically savvy law firms in Vermont on retainer.
When you lose a battle in litigation or legislation, the loss haunts you and everyone on your side (our side) now, and in the future, just as much a losing a war. You are stuck with a legal precedent and will never again have the chance to fight the same battles with the same resources that you could have had if you had more carefully chosen the time, place, and manner of attack.
The Federation is currently interacting with legal and legislative experts in the fields of law pertinent to what is happening in Burlington and will keep Vermonters posted on developments. It is more important to get the course of action correct, putting more concern on being right than just fast because
our Vermont Sportsmen's Bill of Rights, which went to effect in 1988, must be protected. We lose this and it will be open season on shooting ranges.
