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I recognize a few names, bravo! I call this a win.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/092008/09102008/409469
Culpeper shoots down gun ordinance
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
The Culpeper Town Council last night backed down on a proposed ordinance amendment that would have prohibited the discharge of any firearm within the town limits.
That amendment had been suggested by police Chief Scott Barlow and had been recommended for approval by the Public Safety Committee.
Barlow argued that the town of Culpeper had grown too much to allow safe shooting of any kind, even varmint hunting in less-populated areas.
The present town ordinance allows residents to shoot groundhogs, snakes and other pests by permit.
Barlow said last month that he had turned down the only two requests that had come before him since assuming his job two years ago.
As with all gun issues, the proposed amendment was a hot topic and about a dozen opponents--several from the Virginia Citizens Defense League--showed up to protest.
Several openly carried holstered pistols on their belts, which is legal under the United States Constitution, and wore stickers that read, "Guns Save Lives."
"The view of our organization is to let state law apply," said Phillip Van Cleave, the league's president.
Van Cleave contended that parts of the town are still rural and even more will be when and if large farms are brought into the corporate limits through a boundary adjustment now being considered.
Ed Levine of Sterling said that town citizens should have the right to shoot "rats and rattlesnakes" and to target shoot if safety permitted.
And David Schneider of Jeffersonton told the Council that "this seems like a solution looking for a problem."
He said that not only should the no-shooting amendment be voted down but that the present permit ordinance should be abolished because it contained no criteria for issuance, a point with which several Council members later agreed.
One speaker said that he had been one of the two applicants for permits and applied only after both animal control and the town police refused to destroy pests, saying it was not their job.
"We should allow citizens to exercise their freedom," he said.
After the meeting the speaker refused to give his name to the press, saying he might get fired from his government job if his name appeared in the papers on a gun-related issue.
Councilman Jim Risner, who along with Mayor Prania Remikis voted for the amendment, said that it was "humorous to see stickers that say 'Guns Save Lives'" after hearing the talk about shooting varmints.
Councilman Billy Yowell, however, said, "I don't have a problem with the ordinance the way it is now. You still have a lot of rural parts of the town and these are where the [permit] requests are coming from."
Rimeikis, whose home backs up to a semi-rural area, didn't agree.
"I still don't feel comfortable popping off rounds--and I'm pretty good at it," said the mayor, who is retired military.
The eventual vote was 6-2 against the amendment. Councilman Mike Olinger was not present.
Councilman Duke duFrane asked the Ordinance Committee to look at rewriting the town law and provide criteria which the chief should use when considering requests.
He said it was not fair to Barlow to make such decisions if there were not criteria by which safety issues were measured.
Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com
I recognize a few names, bravo! I call this a win.
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2008/092008/09102008/409469
Culpeper shoots down gun ordinance
BY DONNIE JOHNSTON
The Culpeper Town Council last night backed down on a proposed ordinance amendment that would have prohibited the discharge of any firearm within the town limits.
That amendment had been suggested by police Chief Scott Barlow and had been recommended for approval by the Public Safety Committee.
Barlow argued that the town of Culpeper had grown too much to allow safe shooting of any kind, even varmint hunting in less-populated areas.
The present town ordinance allows residents to shoot groundhogs, snakes and other pests by permit.
Barlow said last month that he had turned down the only two requests that had come before him since assuming his job two years ago.
As with all gun issues, the proposed amendment was a hot topic and about a dozen opponents--several from the Virginia Citizens Defense League--showed up to protest.
Several openly carried holstered pistols on their belts, which is legal under the United States Constitution, and wore stickers that read, "Guns Save Lives."
"The view of our organization is to let state law apply," said Phillip Van Cleave, the league's president.
Van Cleave contended that parts of the town are still rural and even more will be when and if large farms are brought into the corporate limits through a boundary adjustment now being considered.
Ed Levine of Sterling said that town citizens should have the right to shoot "rats and rattlesnakes" and to target shoot if safety permitted.
And David Schneider of Jeffersonton told the Council that "this seems like a solution looking for a problem."
He said that not only should the no-shooting amendment be voted down but that the present permit ordinance should be abolished because it contained no criteria for issuance, a point with which several Council members later agreed.
One speaker said that he had been one of the two applicants for permits and applied only after both animal control and the town police refused to destroy pests, saying it was not their job.
"We should allow citizens to exercise their freedom," he said.
After the meeting the speaker refused to give his name to the press, saying he might get fired from his government job if his name appeared in the papers on a gun-related issue.
Councilman Jim Risner, who along with Mayor Prania Remikis voted for the amendment, said that it was "humorous to see stickers that say 'Guns Save Lives'" after hearing the talk about shooting varmints.
Councilman Billy Yowell, however, said, "I don't have a problem with the ordinance the way it is now. You still have a lot of rural parts of the town and these are where the [permit] requests are coming from."
Rimeikis, whose home backs up to a semi-rural area, didn't agree.
"I still don't feel comfortable popping off rounds--and I'm pretty good at it," said the mayor, who is retired military.
The eventual vote was 6-2 against the amendment. Councilman Mike Olinger was not present.
Councilman Duke duFrane asked the Ordinance Committee to look at rewriting the town law and provide criteria which the chief should use when considering requests.
He said it was not fair to Barlow to make such decisions if there were not criteria by which safety issues were measured.
Donnie Johnston:
Email: djohnston@freelancestar.com
