(This story is by Emily Greenberg, a freelance writer in Charlotte who contributes to several Vermont-based publications. She has also written for periodicals in Washington state and New York state.)
BURLINGTON — The glow from candles blurred into the holiday lights on Church Street as dozens gathered Wednesday evening to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre four years ago.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger began by recognizing the permanent pain the victims’ families carry and the worrisome statistics regarding suicide and domestic violence in Chittenden County. “But there have been very little changes to laws,” he said.
The vigil was organized by Gun Sense Vermont, a gun control advocacy group. Gun Sense held events across Vermont as part of a national remembrance on the anniversary of the mass shooting in Connecticut that killed 20 elementary school students and six teachers.
“I have two children, and every time I hear an ambulance I think something has happened at the school,” said Alana Torraca, who traveled from Fairfax to attend the vigil. “Personally I wish there weren’t any guns, but we need a dialogue and reasonable compromises, and Gun Sense pushes those compromises.”
The group was formed in response to the Sandy Hook shooting, in an effort to pressure legislators for stricter gun control laws in Vermont. Its basis is a push toward universal background checks, which would extend the requirement to sales by unlicensed sellers.
In 2015 the Vermont Legislature passed a gun bill, S.141, that proponents said will keep guns out of the hands of felons and people suffering from severe mental illness.
Though federal law already prohibits felons from buying and possessing firearms, before the Vermont bill was passed state law enforcement was required to involve federal officials to make an arrest, said founding Gun Sense Vermont member Maryanne Hamilton. The 2015 law also requires the state’s Superior Court to report people who are judged to be a danger to themselves or others to the federal background check system. If a person comes up in the registry, he or she cannot buy a gun legally.
In a prelude to the bill, Gun Sense Vermont said it gathered 1,400 letters calling for state gun law reform. The group also gathered 12,000 petition signatures calling for lawmakers to take action on gun violence in 2015.
Despite the passage of S.141, the group still calls for universal background checks.
“It’s a matter of closing all the loopholes and adding another level of accountability,” Hamilton said. “States that have passed universal background checks have seen significant reduction in gun violence.”
The group strongly supported Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sue Minter, who during this year’s campaign was vocal in her support for tightening gun control laws. However, even with the election of Republican Phil Scott, who has not listed gun control as a top priority, the group says it is confident a bill calling for universal background checks will be introduced during the upcoming legislative session.
While advocating for tighter gun control in Vermont is the main objective, the organization sees remembrance as equally integral to ending gun violence in Vermont and the rest of the United States.
Those at the vigil Wednesday lit candles and observed moments of silence to honor the people lost in shootings that have made headlines and others that didn’t.
Listing the names of gunshot victims across Vermont and the nation, most were under the age of 30. According to the group’s statistics, 50 percent of suicides in Vermont from 2013-2014 were by gunshot.
“It’s important to keep shining a light on gun violence and how to prevent it,” said Rep. Helen Head, D-South Burlington. “(Gun Sense Vermont) has provided thoughtful policies related to gun safety, including universal background checks.”
As far as an actual bill calling for universal background checks in the upcoming legislative session, that is yet to be determined, Head said.
