Re: Unidentified subject!

["Sue Hovey" <suehovey@moscow.com>]

Travis, why not deal with the bill on its merits, rather than preface your remarks by your, "hate speech by a conservative"--your words, not mine.  I think its good you didn't get elected to the council yet.  You need to grow up and be willing to work with many people--even those whose ideas might be repugnant to you.

 

And you might want to think about your objection to legislating common sense behaviors.  We've done that for a long time with substantial impacts on our society.  Those laws which prohibit drunk driving, child abuse, and mistreatment of animals come to mind. 

 

Sue Hovey

----- Original Message -----

From: Travis Tonn

To: vision2020

Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 1999 10:00 PM

Subject: Unidentified subject!

    I heard that Shirley Ringo is proposing legislation that holds parents criminally liable if their kid gets ahold of an unsecured firearm.  I don't know the specifics of the bill, but am suspect of any gun legislation proposed by a Democrat(I know, I know, more hate speech by a conservative).

    I am all for measures that protect kids from irresponsible adults and I am also disgusted by parents that would endanger their kids by leaving unsecured weapons(or poisons,matches, etc.) lying around.  But would this law actually save anyone?

    I really am not trying to be an over-zealous gun rights advocate that believes in no restrictions whatsoever.  I'm just trying to take an honest approach to what will actually prevent tragedy.  I don't think that someone would lock up their guns because of this law if they didn't before.  As it stands now, if some kid finds his dads loaded pistol and shoots himself, the punishment for the father is the loss of his kids' life.  If this isn't enough to deter someone from leaving a loaded weapon around, then I don't think another law is going to do it.

    What the law would provide is justice for society that is angered by this kind of irresponsibility.  But I don't believe it will save society from the tragedy in the first place.  I hate to say it, but if society has degraded to the point that we need to legislate common sense and responsibility for parents, then it's time we take an honest look at where our morals are headed.