At a public hearing over a proposed city ordinance that would require gun owners to keep firearms locked away—and thus useless for self-defense in the home—when a resident tried to speak up in opposition to the ordinance, Democrat Poughkeepsie Councilman Joe Rich became abusive, petulantly protesting “You’re not recognized!” and shouting at the resident to “Shut up!”
“I felt it was abusive for them to come there in large numbers, wearing their shirts,” Rich told the Poughkeepsie Journal. “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.”
Interestingly, the person Rich tried to silence through his temper tantrum was not only a resident of Poughkeepsie but also a constituent who lived in Rich’s own district. So much for representing the views of the people you supposedly represent!
