2dogs
July 1, 2003, 06:41 AM
Ah, the voice of reason.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2003/06_30-26/OPN
Cityscape: Toy gun idea rattles city
By ERIC SMITH, The Capital
Once again Annapolis has been humiliated in the national media.
Years ago it was the sale of anatomically correct gingerbread cookies on Main Street that embarrassed us all over America.
Then there was a widely mocked City Council move to require all men to wear shirts downtown. Later there was a coast-to-coast flap over sluggish service at a local Denny's Restaurant.
Now we have Alderwoman Cynthia A. Carter's plan to crack down on toy guns in the city.
Mrs. Carter's idea hadn't even been offered as legislation before a story about it in The Capital launched a round of derision on the conservative talk-radio circuit.
Then The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal and Maryland Public Television stepped in with stories and comments. Whether it ever gets to be a law or not, Mrs. Carter's proposal has already turned the hot spotlight of ridicule on Annapolis.
The overeager alderwoman's crusade against toy guns may or may not have merit, but she got in trouble here mainly because she ignored three important principles of good lawmaking.
Number One: Never make a law based on a freak occurrence.
Mrs. Carter apparently felt that reports of one kid using one toy gun to threaten one store on Forest Drive justified an ordinance affecting thousands of people for years to come.
This is like shooting a mouse with a cannon. Laws are serious business, and shouldn't be based on whims or flights of fancy.
Number Two: Never bite off more than you're supposed to chew.
The regulation of guns, toy or otherwise, is more properly the job of the state or the federal government. It's not up to small cities like Annapolis to control products that are manufactured far away and sold nationwide. Mrs. Carter might just as well presume to tell President Bush how to improve the economy.
Number Three: Never make a threat you can't carry out.
In other words, don't make a law you're not sure how to enforce. Did Mrs. Carter intend for city police officers to stop children on the street ("Freeze, you little dirtbag!") and take their toy guns away? Would the tykes be booked and fingerprinted?
This leads to a rather obvious corollary of Rule Number Three, which is: If you value your political career, never make a law that conjures up images of cops bullying little kids around.
Mrs. Carter is clearly upset about kids and toy guns, but using the City Code to make herself feel better isn't a very good idea.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2003/06_30-26/OPN
Cityscape: Toy gun idea rattles city
By ERIC SMITH, The Capital
Once again Annapolis has been humiliated in the national media.
Years ago it was the sale of anatomically correct gingerbread cookies on Main Street that embarrassed us all over America.
Then there was a widely mocked City Council move to require all men to wear shirts downtown. Later there was a coast-to-coast flap over sluggish service at a local Denny's Restaurant.
Now we have Alderwoman Cynthia A. Carter's plan to crack down on toy guns in the city.
Mrs. Carter's idea hadn't even been offered as legislation before a story about it in The Capital launched a round of derision on the conservative talk-radio circuit.
Then The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal and Maryland Public Television stepped in with stories and comments. Whether it ever gets to be a law or not, Mrs. Carter's proposal has already turned the hot spotlight of ridicule on Annapolis.
The overeager alderwoman's crusade against toy guns may or may not have merit, but she got in trouble here mainly because she ignored three important principles of good lawmaking.
Number One: Never make a law based on a freak occurrence.
Mrs. Carter apparently felt that reports of one kid using one toy gun to threaten one store on Forest Drive justified an ordinance affecting thousands of people for years to come.
This is like shooting a mouse with a cannon. Laws are serious business, and shouldn't be based on whims or flights of fancy.
Number Two: Never bite off more than you're supposed to chew.
The regulation of guns, toy or otherwise, is more properly the job of the state or the federal government. It's not up to small cities like Annapolis to control products that are manufactured far away and sold nationwide. Mrs. Carter might just as well presume to tell President Bush how to improve the economy.
Number Three: Never make a threat you can't carry out.
In other words, don't make a law you're not sure how to enforce. Did Mrs. Carter intend for city police officers to stop children on the street ("Freeze, you little dirtbag!") and take their toy guns away? Would the tykes be booked and fingerprinted?
This leads to a rather obvious corollary of Rule Number Three, which is: If you value your political career, never make a law that conjures up images of cops bullying little kids around.
Mrs. Carter is clearly upset about kids and toy guns, but using the City Code to make herself feel better isn't a very good idea.