Remington Arms Facebook Page Draws Large Following, Support Against NY Safe Act
Ilion, NY (WIBX) - The ink has barely dried on Governor Andrew Cuomo's NY Safe Act, but the village of Ilion is already worried about the possible impacts.
"If Remington Arms actually has to close its doors because of this law, we're looking at [a problem]. Say, they have to lay off 600 people, that's half of their workforce right now. Say those people make an average of $500 a week. That's over $15.5 million not being brought into New York State."
That was Sarah Kennedy, who currently lives in Texas, but grew up in Ilion. She says she knows several people who have generational lines through the gun manufacturer.
On Wednesday, she launched a Facebook page to connect with others who are worried about their Second Amendment rights and possible safety.
"I created the page more as a support network, because a lot of friends that I have are very concerned about Remington Arms possibly closing their doors because of the new gun ban," Kennedy said. "It is really very concerning for a lot of New Yorkers."
The page spread like wildfire. In less than a week, "Support Remington Arms in Ilion" has garnered nearly 7,500 likes, and hundreds of comments from residents throughout the region.
"I was not expecting this type of response, and for Ilion to pull together quite like this," Kennedy said. "It's been good to see that people can still work together even through the differences that we may have."
She also says there are some good qualities to Cuomo's law. Background checks should be expanded, but she says firearm education is severely lacking.
"You need a hunter's safety course to go out and go hunting in New York, but yet, you don't need a course to buy a weapon to begin with," Kennedy said. "It just doesn't make sense. For people who want to own guns, they should take classes on how to properly use and store their weapons so these types of things wouldn't happen."
Governor Cuomo has expressed the need to make several tweaks to the current law. But, if local legislators including State Senators Joe Griffo and James Seward, and Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney, have their say, the law could be repealed or heavily overhauled.
Until then, the people of Ilion continue to hope Remington Arms sticks around until changes can be made.