Seems As Though Eddie Eagle Just Won’t Fly In These Parts

Eddie Eagle has another champion.

Eddie Eagle is a gun safety education program of the National Rifle Association. Several Bagpipes readers called and wrote recently to say area schools should adopt it.

“I could not agree more,” said Dr. Thomas M. Ryan, Spokane.

Ryan noted that the Washington state Senate last year endorsed the Eddie Eagle program and sent copies of the measure to every school district in the state.

“I provided information on this very effective and proven program from NRA to each of the Valley school district superintendents and (Spokane) District 81,” said Ryan. “To the best of my knowledge, nothing has been implemented.”

The issue arose in the first place from a news story quoting a Pennsylvania physician as saying gunshot violence in the United States, much of it by or of children, is serious enough to be considered an epidemic.

“When most people seem to respond is when they’re hit in the pocketbook,” said Nancy Parker of Walla Walla. She suggested stiff fines - say $1,000 or more - for parents whose children use or abuse guns or hurt someone with them.

“And for the children, some fairly stiff penalties and some juvenile diversion if they’re caught playing with or fooling with handguns,” Parker said.

Yanking young people’s drivers licenses might be effective, too, she said.

Library express lane?

Shifting from fines for guns to fines for books, Kay Edmonds of Spokane has this advice for the Spokane Public Libary: “Downtown if you’re in a hurry and you have to wait in line to check out your books and then if you have a fine you have to go to a another window.

“Usually, they say you can pay next time. But, if you pay ‘em both at the same place where you check out your book, it would be easier,” said Edmonds.

Police are watching, too

Several readers commented recently about notifying police about nonhandicapped motorists who use parking places reserved for the handicapped.

Yes, said Capt. Bruce Roberts, the Spokane Police Department will respond to citizens’ reports of violations - if, based on their experience, an officer is likely to arrive in time.

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