Letters To The Editor

FIREARMS

Misguided policy hits wrong target

President Clinton’s gun policy is a blueprint for failure as it continues to target the law-abiding. Indeed, the Democrats have long had a “solution” for crime: disarm the citizenry! Such strategy may assuage the Marxist antigun lobby but it will obviously have no impact on crime.

Now the gun-ban stooges are preaching that the Brady law is catching crooks in droves. In reality, Brady is catching “felons” with outstanding traffic warrants, or those who haven’t paid their dog license fees.

The “assault rifle” ban is, likewise, aimed at noncriminals. This draconian legislation could eventually imprison thousands of honest people who own legally purchased military-type rifles if they fail to comply, exactly, with the new law. Again, what effect will this nonsense have on crime?

Why is it that this nation’s gun policy is being dictated by anti-Constitutional left-wing extremists like James Brady, Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and several local anti-gun mouthpieces who are totally ignorant about firearms?

I’m becoming convinced that the American people are as zealous for their right to bear arms as they are for their right to free speech. They want meaningful anti-crime, not anti-gun-owner, legislation. And they’re telling that message to Congress.

Yes, laws which harass, impede and imprison lawabiding gun owners are not going to solve our crime problem. Curtis E. Stone Colville, Wash.

Second Amendment rights in peril

Those who believe that the Second Amendment is not being attacked by our elected representatives should think again.

Efforts to convince the public that America’s lawmen believe gun control is the answer to the nation’s crime problem should be damaged by the National Association of Chief’s of Police’s annual survey. In that poll of 18,000 chiefs and 3,000 county lawmen, 88.7 percent responding said that an “assault weapon” ban would not help reduce crime; 86.8 percent said that guns-for-cash programs are not an effective way to reduce crime; and 91.4 percent opposed firearms registration.

Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, said, “There isn’t any reason why semiautomatic assault weapons should be on the streets of America.” Without the ban, he said, the crime bill “isn’t worth a tinker’s dam.”

This rhetoric prevails throughout the propaganda of the media even though statistically less than 1 percent of violent crimes are committed with guns to be banned by the current legislation. The Feinstein amendment is still in hot debate in the Senate and the House. Legislators see it as it is: a biased, draconian propagandist lie. It will not deter crime, nor will it prevent gun use among criminals.

The media have not told the truth on this amendment. The next step will be registration, confiscation and eventually, through intimidation, lies and coercive government regulation, the annihilation of all gun rights to law-abiding, taxpaying citizens - as criminals roam the streets stalking victims who have no means of defense. Ron Koleber Pasco

SPOKANE MATTERS

CBS, council the villains in this

If Joanne Austin (Letters, Aug. 8) had attended the Aug. 1 City Council meeting she would have heard testimony from all parties involved in the legal seizure of the CBS videotape.

There was never any doubt that the Spokane Police Department acted in an exemplary manner. Those who testified praised the officers for exercising restraint in the face of an uncooperative CBS crew. Testimony was given that the CBS crew harassed the officers and even followed them into the parking lot.

If there is any fault, it lies with the city officials and wimpy City Council. The Spokane police were doing what they are mandated to do - to protect the citizens while executing a legal warrant. It is my opinion that CBS did not deserve an apology, since the video was seized with a legal court order.

I fail to see Ms. Austin’s rationale that this incident has anything to do with Mark Sterk’s candidacy for Spokane County sheriff. Sterk was an outstanding law enforcement officer long before Terry Mangan came to town. If Spokane County wants true community-oriented policing, with programs that work and some that Mark Sterk has created, with proven results, vote for Sterk. If you want years of the same good-old-boy philosophy, vote for good old boys John McGregor or John Goldman.

I have been closely associated with the Spokane law enforcement community for four years as a volunteer. I suggest Ms. Austin know the facts and know what the candidates stand for before slinging mud. Greg Zaccaria Nine Mile Falls

Somehow, purple lilacs got by

I am a Scout pack committee chairman, and after reading the article on the concerned and creative Scout, James McCoy, I would just like to know who painted all those purple lilacs on the streets of Spokane. James B. Spilker Spokane