NEW HAVEN, VERMONT, UNITED STATES (Reuters)— Vermont is known as the ‘Green Mountain State’ for its rural, lush landscape. Maybe best known for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and the psychedelic rock band Phish, Vermont is also known for its liberal attitudes. Vermont was among the first states to legalize same-sex marriage and legalize assisted suicide. Last week the Vermont State Senate voted to legalize recreational marijuana.
Vermont also has some of the least restrictive state gun laws in the U.S. Vermont does not require a permit or license to buy, carry or sell rifles, shotguns or handguns. Machine guns are legal.
Vermont also has one of the lowest violent crime rates in the nations and is consistently ranked as one of the safest states in the U.S.
For many Vermonters, gun ownership is simply a tool to help them hunt and live off the land.
Wendy Butler is a hunter education instructor for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and explained that “Vermonters are just a self-sufficient group of people. We heat entirely with wood. I’ve never bought any oil in my life. I have a solar array. I get my own electricity from the sun. I mean, I want to be as sustainable and self-reliant as I possibly can.”
Butler said hunting provides people the skills to live “locavore,” – eating food that is grown and sourced locally.
In addition to hunting, shooting is also a popular sport.
College student and competitive shooter Georgia Grace Edwards told of how she learned to appreciate the Vermont outdoor lifestyle.
“I also grew up in rural Appalachia, so I came from a hunting community, but my family never had guns. And the only time I saw them was on the front of a paper killing an animal or on the paper killing a person and so I was always terrified of guns. And when I came here I decided maybe I was being a little close-minded about it and maybe it was time to give guns a chance if I was going to judge them. So I took the Hunter Safety class here in Vermont and became certified in the state of Vermont. I still don’t know if I’ll ever go, but I feel much more comfortable around guns. I have this whole new appreciation for the culture and for the people who teach others about it. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Edwards added, “I know this sounds crazy, but shooting a gun is pretty meditative. In the sense that there’s a breathing, there’s a stance and you are really focused on one thing. And last winter I found that very helpful just knowing that I had time to shoot each day.”
But Vermont’s gun culture is not for everybody.
Sheila Schwaneflugel lived in Canada and California before settling in Vermont.
“I don’t consider myself a gun enthusiast in any way, shape or form,” she said.
Schwaneflugel said she began learning about gun safety when her son, now 14-years old, first expressed an interest in hunting.
“I have a son who has a love for hunting and I believe it’s important to support him in that and to do everything I can to be informed so that I can understand the safety aspects of what it means to be a gun owner,” she said.
Schwaneflugel said, despite early resistance and since taking hunter education classes with her son, “I’m still very cautious and a little ill at ease, but I can appreciate all of the reasons why hunting is so appealing.”
Back in December, U.S. Presidential candidate and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said he believed that more than half of Vermont residents are gun owners. Since firearms are not registered, some people believe Vermont gun ownership is closer to 75 percent.
Amid Vermont’s independent spirit, gun control is one of the most contentious political issues in the U.S. And as Sanders continues his bid for U.S. President, the liberal Democrat will continue to explain what some believe to be his conservative record on gun control.
