THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240015
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 34 lines
Your Jan. 18 editorial, ``Federal gun law misfires,'' is welcome if not completely accurate. Obviously you are crooning for the police chiefs, who, faced with another unfunded mandate from the federal government are also feeling pressure from police unions that oppose having members lose their jobs over some years-old domestic-violence incident.
You repeatedly refer to the law affecting a person's right to carry a firearm, which it does not. It affects the right to even be in the presence of either firearms or ammunition, and completely bans all forms of private ownership or duty-related use of same. Police officers cannot even hold a desk job around firearms or ammunition.
You also state that Republicans passed this bill, which is not accurate. Democrat anti-gun leader Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., carefully crafted this unconstitutional masterpeice to hit the floor one week before elections, and attached it to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, the failure of which would have shut down the government.
Rep. Owen Pickett, who supports the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, nonetheless voted to pass HR-3610, in spite of his having been warned by gun owners of exactly what its consequences could be.
JACK PAINTER
NRA certified firearms instructor
President
Baylake Pines Civic League
Secretary
Presbyterians for Gun Ownership
Virginia Beach, Jan. 20, 1997