ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, March 24, 1997                 TAG: 9703240121
SECTION: EDITORIAL                PAGE: A-8  EDITION: METRO 

HOOPS, NOT GUNS, ON THE BASKETBALL COURT THE GOVERNOR SHOULD IGNORE NRA LOBBYING AGAINST A BILL TO KEEP GUNS OUT OF FAIRFAX COUNTY REC CENTERS.

DANGEROUS!

That's how the National Rifle Association assesses a bill, passed by the 1997 General Assembly, that would ban guns and other weapons from Fairfax County recreation centers.

Goodness, yes. A terrible threat to Virginians' Second Amendment rights. Gov. George Allen must come to the Constitution's rescue. What's a rec center without a little gunplay?

Get it straight now: It's gun owners' and gun carriers' rights that are endangered and must be protected. Never mind the children and others who may accidentally wander into the line of fire while playing games and taking part in other activities at the Fairfax rec centers.

So the NRA has launched an all-out lobbying campaign for a gubernatorial veto. The governor must decide the bill's fate by tonight.

What's to decide? This is, or ought to be, a no-brainer.

Fairfax County officials sought the legislation following several gun-related incidents at the community's recreation centers. Lives were threatened when people pulled guns on others - in one case over an argument on a basketball court.

The bill would apply only in Fairfax County. It would exempt those who hold permits to carry concealed weapons. It is not, as the NRA claims, an assault on constitutional rights, not an imposition on law-abiding citizens.

It is, rather, a reasonable attempt by Fairfax officials to provide a safe environment for those who use the recreation centers.

Surely Allen, a longtime gun-rights advocate, can recognize the difference. Surely he has no intention of putting Northern Virginians at risk by wielding his veto pen against this bill.

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