Editor, Times Union: Some of my non-gun friends seem puzzled at times on my no-compromise stand on the gun issues. It has taken me awhile but I think I may have come up with a few parallels that may make it a bit clearer. As we all know, gun control equals crime control, right? So what is one of our major crime problems? How about drug trafficking?
Now let's suppose that your favorite pastime is travel and all of a sudden you are faced with some or all of the following possibilities. All in the name of drug control remember.
1. In order to travel out of state you must have a passport. (Rough equivalent to registering gun owners.)
2. In order to better control travel, all but major highways between states are closed with checkpoints at all borders. (Rough equivalent to background check and five-day waiting period.)
3. Except for professionals such as truck drivers and sales people no one will be permitted to travel out of state more than once a month. (Rough equivalent to the one gun per month idea being kicked around.)
4. Except for professionals, anyone convicted of any misdemeanor traffic violation will have their right to travel suspended for life. (Rough equivalent to the Domestic Violence Gun Ban with the exemption of the police and military.)
5. Since it can be proven that most drug trafficking is done in small cheap cars, all automobiles under $20,000 are banned. (Rough equivalent to the banning of so-called Saturday night specials.)
6. In order to prevent the police from being outrun, all privately owned vehicles of more than 150 horsepower are banned. (Rough equivalent to banning semi-auto weapons and limiting magazine capacity.)
I could go on with this for a long time but I think you get the idea. As a law-abiding American citizen, how would you feel about this list? And before you snicker about all this I would remind you of a couple things. The things I'm fighting today would have seemed impossible to my grandfather, and travel for leisure is probably not protected by the Constitution.
"You can only be free if I am free." Clarence Darrow.
Harold Kitson Warsaw
Thanks To School Board
Editor, Times Union: On behalf of the Madison Elementary PTO, I would like to publicly thank the Warsaw Community School Board for their recognition of the need for a new Multi-Purpose Room and kitchen renovation at Madison, and for appropriating the necessary funds to start construction yet this year.
After years of waiting, the students, faculty, cafeteria workers, coaches and parents will greatly benefit from this new addition. This is only an example of the board's commitment to meet the needs of the children.
Again, thank you for recognizing the need and appropriating the funds necessary to make a dream a reality.
