A pro-gun rights rally held at the state Capitol on Tuesday drew thousands of supporters and some big names to Albany.
Among those attending the anti-SAFE Act event was real estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump. Trump, who announced that he has a pistol permit, says the law takes away a person's Second Amendment right to bear arms.
"Now they're not taking it away from the bad guys," Trump said. "Because you know the bad guys, they're going to have their guns and they're not going to register and they're not going to do anything. And they'll walk in and they'll have the gun pointed right at you and you'll be sitting there and saying, 'can we talk?'"
Trump, who had considered running for governor, was joined at the rally by the actual Republican candidate, Rob Astorino, who discussed everything from the state's economy to the Common Core curriculum. But it was the SAFE Act that drew the biggest cheers.
Before the rally began, Astorino called the SAFE Act a bad law.
"The only thing safe about the SAFE Act is the word 'safe' in the title of the bill," Astorino said. "Other than that, point to me where it's made us much safer."
Astorino, who is Westchester County executive, says the SAFE Act takes away the rights of law abiding citizens, while not addressing the root issues. He says the state would be better served by following his county's lead.
"We've focused on the children of our county," Astorino said. "How to make our schools safer, how to make our children safer, our buildings safer. But also what is causing the mental health breakdown in our society and in our county, that lets somebody get a weapon and do what they did in all these massacres."
Astorino says Westchester County is also trying to help children who may show signs of mental health problems.
