Marylanders Fighting Back..

[Norton]

From the Annapolis Capital:


Gun editorial

Your editorial headlined "If federal gun ban lapses, state should try one of its own" (The Capital, Dec. 11) said that assault weapons are used in crimes in Maryland. You gave as an example the Bushmaster used in the Washington-area sniper killings.

Although the snipers used a semiautomatic firearm, they fired just one shot at each victim. Any single-shot rifle could have been used in these horrible killings. The snipers did not use the semiautomatic capability of their firearm, and it did not have a selector switch, and so should not be identified as an assault weapon.

You wrote that semiautomatic firearms have no legitimate use for self-defense. Where in the world did you come up with that statement? The very fact that semiautos are capable of rapid fire, with one shot for each squeeze on the trigger, makes them an excellent choice for home-, business- or self-defense.

Semiautomatics do have a legitimate use for hunting. Two other Maryland hunters and I travel to South Dakota almost every year to hunt coyotes. We all often use semiautos - I personally have used a semiauto SKS and an MI carbine. Semiautos are ideal for hunting coyotes in ravines.

Did you forget the May 17, 2001, letter from Attorney General John Ashcroft to James Baker of the National Rifle Association? Mr. Ashcroft wrote: "Let me state unequivocally my view that the text and the original intent of the Second Amendment clearly protect the right of individuals to keep and bear arms."

In your zeal to reduce crime, do not encourage legislators to overlook the fact that the Second Amendment protects the rights of all honest, law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.

 

[Standing Wolf]

In your zeal to reduce crime...

Leftist extremists don't care one way or a dozen others about crime, victims, or criminals. The object of their so-called "gun control" laws is simply to disarm commoners.

 

[moa]

Brian Frosh, Chairman of the House Judiciary says the "so-called" assault weapons are only suitable for killing people.

Frosh needs to check with the Maryland Dept. Of Natural Resources. According to the Dept. regulations, most of the firearms on the gun-banner's most likely listmeet Dept. regs on amount of foot pounds of energy to qualify for hunting certain game. Minimum for larger animals like deer is 1200 foot pounds of energy, and no loaded ammo in the gun exceeding eight rounds.

 

[moa]

Forgot to mention that Maryland is overrun with deer which are a serious traffic hazard. Unfortunately, Maryland has the lowest percentage of hunters than any other state in the region such as West Virginia, Virginia and Penn.

 

[Dave R]

So is Maryland one of those states where deer kill more humans every year (in auto collisions) than hunters kill deer? Worth checking the facts, if the facts are available.

I swear, though, sometimes I think the politicians would RATHER have deer kill more people than people kill deer. Though I do not understand why.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

A semi auto AR or AK with 30 rounds might be the best way to "save the bay" from Nutria Rats

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/info/nutria.cfm

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) are semi-aquatic rodents native to South America, which now also occupy brackish water marshes in parts of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. The rodents were first introduced to the United States to enhance the fur trade, and arrived in Dorchester County, Maryland in 1943 as part of an experimental fur station. The station did not succeed and the nutria that were inadvertently released to the wild produced the major populations that exist today in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.


Nutria grow to a length of about two feet and weigh about 15 to 20 pounds. The beaver-like nutria have large yellow incisors and enormous appetites. They forage on the essential root mats of wetland grasses. The destruction of these root mats, also called an "eat-out," destabilizes soil, which leads to erosion of vital wetland areas. Female nutria reproduce throughout the year, often giving birth to three litters annually. Adult nutria have few competitors and often out-compete the native muskrat by aggressive behavior and habitat requirements.



The Problem


Nutria's foraging of wetland root mats results in:


The loss of wetlands' filtering capacity

Rapid erosion of marshes

Loss of habitat for native species due to wetland loss

Competitive pressure on native muskrat species




The Solution


The rapid population growth of nutria, combined with the accumulated loss of marshes has prompted authorities to adopt a pilot project proposal entitled: " Marsh Restoration: Nutria Control in Maryland." The project will involve three phases-outreach and education, behavioral and reproductive research and the testing of various control methods. Eradication, if possible, is the ultimate goal.

 

[moa]

The Nutria probably carry diseases to, like rabies.

Dave R, I get your drift, but it is not that bad in Maryland yet regarding the deer. Hunters do take a lot of deer, but not enough. Hunting season has been expanded too.

I think that in the general Washington D.C area, in the last couple of years, maybe three or four people have been killed in deer collisions. Of course, there are many impacts with deer that are not lethal to the driver.

Cannot imagine how much damage the deer do to farmers.

Some deer are getting quite tame and you can almost walk up and touch them. And they are everywhere. Giant four-legged rats. You can kiss many of your shrubs good-bye.

 

[P95Carry]

Keep telling them Norton ...... but sadly I wonder how much this deal is viewed with any sense of logic, not to mention constitutional rights.

Guess it just has to be plugged away at .. and hope that the ''penny drops'' for at least a few more people.

Well worth the effort ... but probably bit like a prescription ..... ''take three times a day, until symptoms decrease''!

 

[Spot77]

Slightly off topic, but this is where it seems to be going....


The problem with deer growth in Maryland can't be solved with extended hunting seasons or increased bag limits.

The problem is that with all of the mass development, the deer live amongst the human population so closely, and in these areas, there is no way to hunt them. Shooting 30,000 deer in rural Allegany County won't solve the problems of overpopulated deer in the urban areas around the beltways, which is where the majority of accidents occur.

People just won't let you shoot the critters in their backyards.

 

[Spot77]

Oh...to get back on topic, I'll be purchasing my EBR in the next few days before the morons vote to ban them.

for me

for the morons