A councilman at the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council lost his cool and verbally attacked attendees who disagreed with a proposed bill that would mandate gun owners to keep their firearms locked up.
Councilman Joe Rich (D-2nd Ward) started off rather reasonably, simply expressing his disagreement with members of the Dutchess County chapter of the Shooter Committee On Political Education (SCOPE). But his calm demeanor quickly devolved into a one-sided shouting match.
SCOPE First Chair Jacqueline Emslie, a resident of Poughkeepsie, gave a presentation explaining why they thought the proposed legislation was a bad idea. Rich’s response? Yelling at Emslie, telling her to go back to her own city, which was Poughkeepsie, the same city the ordnance was being proposed for.
Rich continued his diatribe for some time, hurling insults and claiming unfounded facts like only rich people lock up their guns.
Rich ended up apologizing for losing his temper after the fact, blaming his outburst on SCOPE’s “abusive” shirts and terrifying intimidation tactics, i.e. citing the Constitution.
“I didn’t mean to lose my temper, but felt it was abusive for them to come there in large numbers, wearing their shirts,” said Rich. “They were accusing us of taking their Second Amendment rights. I got upset, so I stood up – I don’t have to be intimidated by outside organizations like that.”
Emslie took the incident in stride, later commenting that her and SCOPE’s goal was simply to present their information to the council so they could make an intelligent decision.
“We came to give information and present to the council, so they can make an informed decision if it does come up for a vote,” said Emslie. “My whole goal was to give the council a resident gun owners’ perspective. This will have a negative effect on gun owners.”
(Freelance writer Brent Rogers submitted this article)
Looks like I missed the video. If you can repost it under another name that won’t trigger the computer sensors for banned topics. Please repost this article!
I tried to watch the video but it has been removed! More censorship???!!! WHERE do we live anyway?
“Why you people want to come to our town”
When I requested FOIA material I was asked the same question, why I would want info from another state. I reminded him that this is the United States, and that I tend to move around some.
If I move to that town I don’t want to find that it has passed repressive and unconstitutional laws.
Get that guy to the rest home…after hes tested for Alzheimer’s Disease….
The guy next to him laughing says it all.
That right there is a dangerously insane individual who should be immediately removed from all positions of power before he hurts someone! He is also a very good reason to take an oath to never ever under any circumstance vote for anyone for any office who has a “D” behind their name! The vast majority of them have stopped being Democrats & have become Socialists, Marxists & Anarchists.
Larry.you left out ( wanna be DICTATORS ) The all for me and nothing for you crowd.
The rich can lock up their guns cause they have armed security.
Councilman Joe Rich sure proved that old saying, “There’s no fool like an old fool”.
Anybody know who the laughing moron is sitting to the left of the Councilman ? Whats his purpose in life ?
I think that guy was laughing at his senile “chairman”. It seems this old goat has gone off the handle like this enough for it to be expected….
I see all kinds of people here wondering how this dimwitted anti civil rights, blowhard managed to be elected. This while we have a president who ran on a platform in 2012 which included such politically astute concepts as decreasing our military during the middle of a war, having an energy secretary that grades himself an A because he successfully raised the cost of energy for all Americans (just like the president asked him to), promises of the most transparent administration while absolutely refusing to provide his own school records and fighting tooth and nail to keep his birth certificate a secret……..until one day he didn’t…..and finally produced a digital document which has been in question from the very fist day and STILL remains in question to this day. We have serious, straight faced, contenders for his seat in 2016 that tell us Benghazi doesn’t matter, and her press statement counts as the interview. Her emails are in the mail. We have gay marriage, and socialist healthcare as the “law of the land”, Yet our clearly written and untwisted 2nd Amendment which is actually enumerated within our US Constitution remains some kind of a controversy………Well, that’s how………..
Who’s the smiley face at Mr. Rich’s left? He surely is not serious about listening to citizens–in fact, judging by his body laanguage, he could care less. A public servant?
I thought he was smiling and laughing at the dingbat sitting to his right. I guess I HOPED he was smiling and laughing at the dingbat sitting to his right.
The guy on the left was laughing his a$$ off. Hats off to him for covering the microphone with his hand and trying to help the senile fool to his right. Sometimes we have to help the special people with needs. (That’s stupid ,loudmouth politicians )
It was funny.
Wow look at the contempt that our elected officials have towards the voting populace.
He is one person who should not have access to a gun, or anything sharp. And take away his car keys for the safety everyone.
One would think that the New England states having been the birthplace of America and it’s freedoms would be in the forefront to uphold our freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights ? It’s seems that the gene pool of New England has been corrupted beyond repair as these states are now leading the charge to impose a totalitarian government. Useful idiots have sized control in the name of protecting the people, Hitler’s agenda ….. replay ?
Last time I checked, Poughkeepsie was in New YORK, not in New ENGLAND. I don’t believe you will find many true New Englanders who would ever want to lay claim to New York. We may be an onery, irascible bunch of liberals and libertarians, but we do take the protection of our rights seriously.
This guy needs to attend anger management classes. Obviously he has severe issues!
Want a funny laugh… turn on the “CC” and it actually makes more sense than this totalitarian jackass!
The guy I great material for higher office in NY. This is the mentality of those in Albany.
Gun grabbing beaurocrats and libtards hate being called out or challenged. In their diabolical minds, their will for their subjects must be appreciated, unquestioned, and thanked!
And we know who they are..
Unbelievable..This jack a$$ clearly has major mental issues and he is a part of the law making process. Scary to know that he and many more like him are out there.
Another successful graduate of the liberal based education system. What an idiot. You can only wonder how this A$$ got elected.
I just wonder what ROCK did he craw out under. I would love to talk to that EDIOT one time.
Stunning how the senile remain in government.
And whose fault is that?
The people that rigged the voting machines.