Since Bernie Sanders entered the race I've heard a lot about how peaceful Vermont is [View all]

because of all the guns and how the PLCAA he voted for was such a logical thing.

Well, Vermont has a 42% gun owner population. Yeah, that's a lot of guns. Ranks #20 in state gun ownership.

It also has no law removing guns from domestic violence abusers. Convicted wife beaters get to keep their guns.

From 2002 to 2011 583 Vermonters lost their lives to guns. Average of 65 per year. With a population of +- 626,000 that's .1/100,000. Pretty good.

Of the 46 women killed over the same time period, a third were domestic violence victims and more than half of them were by gun. Not so good.

So while Vermont looks pretty good on the overall homicide rate the domestic violence rate is nothing to write home about. Particularly when it can be so easily reduced.

While I appreciate Bernie's message on economics and other domestic issues I can't offer the same support for his gun control (or lack thereof) stance. I disagree with him when he says that urban areas should appreciate and respect rural gun culture.

With 30,000 deaths, 100,000 injuries and $200 billion in costs to the GDP I think Bernie needs to look at the US as a whole and realize he is running for the President of the United States of America, not President of the Rural States of America.

Make no mistake, I will vote for the Democratic candidate in the general election whoever s/he is, the alternative is too frightening to consider. But I will NOT contribute to Bernie's campaign and I will NOT vote for him in the primary.

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/domestic-violence/vermont-domestic-violence-laws-charges-penalti Vermont domestic violence statute plain language

https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/CAP-DV-VT.pdf Domestic violence in Vermont

http://usliberals.about.com/od/Election2012Factors/a/Gun-Owners-As-Percentage-Of-Each-States-Population.htm gun ownership rates by state