To the editor,

Last evening, I attended the RI House Judiciary Committee meeting to listen and present testimony on House Bill 7051, which was introduced by Representative Brandon Potter, 16th District, Cranston. I want to applaud Rep. Potter for listening not only to his constituents but also to the concerns of concerned Cranston residents. His bill intends to enact regulations throughout the state that would require current and new gun ranges, privately owned, or operated by local municipalities, to abide by the noise level standards applicable in its jurisdiction. Currently, the Cranston Gun Range violates the city’s noise ordinance and has indicated that it intends not to take any steps to mitigate or enforce the range’s breaches of this code.

 The noise level violations and the city’s refusal to act are government negligence at their worst. The peak noise level is approximately 500 times louder than Cranston’s noise ordinance for residential neighborhoods (55 dBA).   Why are they refusing to enforce the city’s ordinances?

 H-7051 would also prohibit gun ranges from operating within one mile or closer to any kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) schools. This provision is critical not just to reduce the level of noise pollution but to create a safe environment for children to learn, play, and socialize and not have to be worried or traumatized by a barrage of automatic weapons fire.

 At the hearing, there was testimony by several individuals and groups that were against the bill. They offered two primary reasons for their opposition: cost and inconvenience. They claim that enclosing shooting ranges would be costly and that restricting where ranges can be built would be an inconvenience because people enjoy shooting outdoors. Police must meet specific requirements of weapons proficiency. Limiting availability or temporarily closing the Cranston site would be an inconvenience and a loss of revenue for The City of Cranston, but what value is the health and safety of our children? Is one child’s life more valuable than the revenue and inconvenience this may cause?

 The children, teachers, and residents who live nearby and attend Cranston West schools are not safe. The daily sound of gunfire has desensitized their natural capacity to react to dangerous situations. How can a child discern gunfire coming from a person intent on harming them and the daily rounds fired by automatic weapons at the range? They can’t, and desensitization makes them easy targets.

No one thought or expected the mass murders that tragically happened in Lewiston, Maine, but that is precisely the point. When we know there is a risk, we are responsible; we have a moral obligation to eliminate the risks to lessen and hopefully prevent these tragedies.

 We all need to come together and not fight H-7051 but pass it and find alternatives to mitigate the safety issues in Cranston before facing a greater tragedy.

Tom Wojick

Cranston, RI