Open Letter To CT Politicians: 20150921: State Police Training Facility

I have lived in Northeast CT, for 41 years, including Ashford, Coventry, Columbia, Willimantic, Windham, Willington, and Union. Like most of the people with whom I speak, we like the woodsy atmosphere, rather than city life. I’m, also, a gun owner and shooter. I’m a retiree, a combat veteran, and a very concerned citizen. I, very much, enjoy our healthy Northeast CT environment. That said, let’s look at the gun range fracas that has some folks in Willington so upset.

I am VERY concerned that the proposed build of an entirely new and expanded State Police training range and facilities in Willington looks to become yet another HUGE financial outlay in these financially desperate times, here in CT. Certain parties, including the Governor, have howled about how they want to spend money and how little money there is to spend. They cannot have it both ways, unless they RAISE TAXES. They claim what they want during a political campaign and then say the opposite after they are elected. Given the massive debt of our State, I believe that there is ZERO fiscal justification for the existing government to engage in any massive land purchase, any new construction, or any costly relocation of facilities, as they propose for Willington.

Some folks have said that there will be a significant loss of tax revenue to the town if the new facility is approved and built. However, any loss of property taxes to the town would probably be balanced by income to local businesses, so that might eventually be a wash. BUT, although local business incomes might actually benefit from the proposed facility, there is the inevitable financial drain from State coffers and taxpayers, as such a massive project would surely be a tax burden foisted upon all CT taxpayers. For me, that makes the proposed range wholly unjustified, especially when we consider that our taxes are already way too high.

High taxes are one of the reasons that residents and businesses are fleeing the state… ask any realtor… or drive down any road in CT and see how many houses are on the market. Ask the mortgage institutions and see how many people are refinancing or defaulting on their mortgages, instead of taking out bigger ones or remodeling. See how many people are rolling their credit card debt into their mortgages, which is a HUGE warning sign of impending financial disaster. Connecticut government needs to start being fiscally responsible and STOP putting us increasingly into debt that even out great-grandchildren will still be paying.

For many months, I had thought that the Willington gun range argument was only a local issue about misinformed people being afraid of guns and lead. I was wrong. This argument really goes far beyond those primitive concerns. The tax and fiscal impact of such a massive project are sure to damage this State, far more than lead. However, there have also been other local and international concerns raised by “unWillington”, including the probability of expanded ‘police state’ militarization of our police forces. IF the State of Connecticut continues to try to establish such a massive presence here in rural towns, the question has been raised whether such expanded training facilities might also be used for joint training with international forces, as well as our own police. Every citizen needs to be aware of such potential abuses and start examining what evidence we can find about the State’s real purpose for wanting to move the training facilities away from their current sites. Here is what I have dug up about the State’s view of the project, so far. To be fair in this discussion, here is the official unWillington blog, and here is the unWillington website.

One of my concerns, as a veteran, a firearms owner, a shooter, AND as a concerned citizen, is that, in certain circles, numerous elected, appointed, and hired officials of the State of Connecticut, have already proven repeatedly that they have little or no regard for our State or Federal Constitution or constitutional due process, and far less respect or regard for their oaths of office. Furthermore, many elected, appointed, and hired officials seem to utterly disdain law-abiding citizens and citizens’ rights, while those officials in question protect or coddle criminals. The repeal of the death penalty is a prime example of what I’m saying, as, years after that repeal, most CT citizens STILL believe in the death penalty and think that the government was nuts to rescind the death penalty.

Those types of questionable officials and similarly minded citizens want to take firearms and self-protection rights away from good citizens and to set up facilities that exacerbate the development of the police-state mentality and tactics. While fearful citizens clamor for armed police to rush to protect them, yet, too often they also sue the police if the officers don’t get there in time to stop crime… yet, despite their urgency for armed police protection, virtually NO ONE WANTS THE POLICE TO TRAIN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. Hey, Folks! You CANNOT have it both ways! Someone has to have police training facilities near them, IF citizens really want to have adequately trained, armed police show up to try to save their bacon in a time of crisis (usually when citizens have refused to arm and protect themselves).

Some people have raised the topic of “lead poisoning”, also. Scary? Not really. THAT is one of the simplest fixes in this whole uproar. All that needs to be done is use non-lead ammo OR simply build the range traps so that the lead is contained and available for mining and resale by scrap collectors. We HAVE the containment technology. That is a very simple task to accomplish, whether done at an existing or new facility.

Noise abatement at existing facilities, in more highly populated areas, is probably one of numerous reasons that the State is considering relocating the training facilities to our “quiet corner”. Taking part in the political process is required of all who would consider themselves to be citizens. Therefore, let’s consider an interesting question, for ALL CT citizens. 

Are the citizens who SAY that they want properly trained police services willing to sacrifice their own personal convenience or comfort in order to achieve their professed protective goals? Or, are those who want armed protection willing to arm and defend themselves, thereby reducing the need for an enlarged police presence? Let’s stop pretending that there is no personal responsibility for what we decide. Logically, either we need to adequately arm and train police forces or we need to arm and train ourselves. 

A police state will surely dictate to us when and where they will train. They will decide to show up and protect whomever they want whenever they want. In some areas of our country there are already neighborhoods that experience such discriminatory service, sometimes because the neighborhoods have refused to assist police in the past, sometimes because of police abuses. 

The more involved we are in our own protection, then the less that ‘the other guy’ has to do for us, or that ‘the other guy’ can do to us. If we responsibly arm and protect ourselves then we take responsibility for, and have, far more control over our lives. The only other logical option to disarmament is to disarm and allow evil-doers to do with us whatever they choose. That last option has never proven itself to be a healthy choice in all of human history, because, whether you call it paranoid or not, there really are people with evil intent who are only interested in accomplishing their evil goals… and they will NOT stop pursuing their evil objective unless the ‘good guys’ stop them. The ‘good guys’ might be the police, under certain circumstances, but you and I know that only you and I have our own best interests in mind, if we’re in tune with God.

Anyone who wants any kind of armed police protection or services needs to take a long hard look at whether they have a good or bad attitude about having or allowing a police gun range or training facility near them. The decision to use or not use the “not in my neighborhood” argument proves who the real citizens are and who the hypocrites are. If any of us are willing for police to fight and die for us, or other citizens to suffer a police range in their neighborhoods, yet we refuse to arm ourselves, as we continue to demand armed police protection, then we prove ourselves to be superlative hypocrites who despise our fellow citizens.

On the other hand, if the State of Connecticut is intent upon consolidating and enlarging its training facilities, and thereby going significantly farther into debt to achieve that goal, which means that the State would be potentially harming far more citizens than it helps, while substantially disrupting a vast community area, then the proposed shift of facilities to Willington is wholly ill-advised.

Personally, I think the State needs to upgrade existing facilities, stop expanding police forces, AND… GET OFF THE BACKS of law-abiding citizens… STOP violating and infringing upon the clear language and intent of our State and Federal Constitutions that GUARANTEE citizens the right to arm and protect ourselves wherever we go with whatever means that law-abiding citizens responsibly choose to use.