A Word From The Publisher

As the nation mourns the thirty-two people killed at Virginia Tech this week, one wonders if such a tragedy could happen here as well.

Well, 14 years ago, it did.

Most residents remember the horror that ensued on December 7, 1993, when crazed gunman Colin Ferguson opened fire on a railroad car full of commuters, killing six and wounding nineteen.

The only thing that stopped him was the bravery of three Garden City civilians who in an act of extreme bravery tackled him while he was reloading.

What has changed since then? Evidently little.

It still seems to be awfully easy for a mentally disturbed person to obtain a gun and ammunition.

In the Virginia Tech situation, the gunman had already been adjudicated as being a danger to others, and yet he was still able to obtain a weapon. In our own case, many people who interacted with Ferguson knew that he was both disturbed and dangerous, and yet he still managed to purchase a handgun.

We understand that the Constitution allows citizens to hold weapons, but it seems really twisted that earning the privilege to drive a car is harder than getting a gun permit. Under New York State law, there is a background check before one can get a license, but no safety training is required. And the sad thing is that New York's laws are more stringent than most other states'. (See the website www.bradycampaign.org for a comparison of requirements.)

Yes, gun ownership is protected by the Constitution. But does it have to be so simple to get one? How many more of these mass shootings have to take place before we come to our senses?

Meg Morgan Norris

Publisher