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"Bad law
is worse than no law at all."
--E.B. Known
19 July, 2007
Complaints About Firearms Discharge
The number
and locations of complaints received by the Bastrop County
Commissioners Court regarding the discharge of fireams since 1 January,
2006 was requested by a Bastrop County citizen. Below is the
answer received:
ZERO!
26 June,
2007
Bastrop
County Commissioners
Court passes gun control measure
Anti-gun
Judge Ronnie McDonald
and his handmaiden, Republican Commissioner Clara Beckett got their
wish
Monday, 25 June with the passage of a motion that severely restricts
firearms
usage in Bastrop County.
Some years ago at the
behest of
liberal municipal organizations, the Texas Legislature enacted law that
allowed
counties to restrict the discharge of firearms on lots of less than ten
acres
in size.
Commissioner Beckett
stated that
she had numerous complaints about shooting, but at no time during the several
court sessions did she or any other court member divulge any specific
numbers
on the complaints.
The new restriction
contains
verbiage that is mostly understandable to the layman, but the key
paragraph is
not easily understood by anyone who was asked what it meant, including
leading law enforcement officials.
Here is the paragraph.
Please try
to make sense of this:
d. “Regulated Lot” means
a tract
of land or a lot that is:
2.) within a subdivision of 5 (five) or
more contiguous lots each of which lots are less than five (five)
acres, both
individually and including any contiguously owned lots or tracts as
reflected
by the records of the Bastrop County Clerk or the Bastrop Central
Appraisal
District.
Huh?
As near as anyone can
ascertain,
Clara Beckett and Ronnie McDonald have prohibited shooting on property
of less
than 5 acres. If a citizen is fortunate
enough to live on more than five acres like Beckett is, then there is
no
problem.
This law discriminates
against
those who cannot afford a lot larger than ten acres.
The reason this issue
came to the
court is clear. A tragic
shooting in Hays County sparked the “We gotta do something!” cry among
the
gun-hating officials in the surrounding counties. This new Bastrop
County
restriction that criminalizes otherwise law-abiding citizens was
brought about
by criminal aliens.
An illegal alien boy was
tragically killed by another illegal alien who was shooting a .22 some
distance
away. All Bastrop County citizens are now reduced to the same low
common denominator.
The point here is what
former
commissioner Don Loucks said in the first court session that dealt with
this
issue: “You cannot legislate against stupidity.”
The Bastrop Commissioners
Court
evidently thinks otherwise. Perhaps they
should get into the public education business as well.
The vote was three to two. Commissioners Goertz and Klaus voted against
it.
Golly, thank you so much!
Klaus, in particular had
nothing
to say. As usual, the
least articulate of the
commissioners refrained from demonstrating his lack of
expressiveness
by not explaining why he opposed the restriction or even commenting on
it
during the court session.
Not once during the
deliberations
did he ask a question or comment on the proposal.
To those who have
followed the
actions of the court, this indicates that a “deal” was made as to who
would
vote for and who would vote against before the issue came to a final
vote. The apparent contentiousness of the
3-2 vote
was ruse to make constituents think that there was actually a cogent
argument
put forth against the gun-control action.
There was not.
Don’t get it wrong,
though. Klaus is not required to say a
thing. He
voted against it so he would not be labled as “anti-gun” in his
precious bid
for re-election in 2008. It is a truly a
shame that the local newspapers do not delve further into the
commissioners’
knowledge of issues like this.
The citizens
of Bastrop County
have been poorly served by the court and should realize that just
because
someone claims to be a supporter of the Second Amendment does not make
it so.
20 June, 2007
Tomorrow,
anti-gun Judge Ronnie McDonald and the Bastrop County Commissioners
Court will once again take up the restriction of the right of
law-abiding citizens to discharge firearms on their own property.
This time
the county engineer has change the odd "direction" criteria into
something that is less restrictive, but unworkable and unenforceable
nonetheless.
More will be
written here later today, Sunday.
10 June,
2007 update
Yet again, the Bastrop County Commissioners
Court takes up restricting citizens' rights on Monday, 11 June.
The latest version may contain an onerous "direction" provision.
Nothing is
certain, but the directikon provision as currently suggested would
virtually ban the dischare of firearms if a structure is within 2,100
feet -- nearly half a mile. Try to find a place in Bastrop County that
does not have a residence with half a mile.
It only
matters, however if you live on ten acres of less. If you are
fortunate to live on a larger parcel, then none of this nonesense can
apply to you.
Get this: The tragic incident that
sparked this whole, hysterical rush to restrict your rights was
perpetrated by an illegal, criminal alien! Not only that, his
victim, a young boy, was also in thr U.S illegally and was buried by
his family in Mexico.
One wonders
who they will sue? Perhaps the U.S. Border Patrol for letting
them both in.
31 May, 2007
update
More Commissioners Court
action on firearms restrictions
The Bastrop
County Commissioners Court once again took up
the issue of restricting the discharge of firearms on privately-owned
property.
While this issue could have been acted upon, several citizens voiced
concern
about the wording and the item was tabled until June 7th.
Taking
advantage of the tragic shooting death of a boy in
Hays County, County Judge Ronnie McDonald raised the issue (again) of
restricting what people can do on their own property with their own
property.
Republican
Commissioner Clara Beckett is his most strident
ally on the court.
There are
already laws on the books regarding discharge of
firearms and stray bullets. The idiot in Hays County who was shooting
without a
bullet stop and without knowing what was downrange will go to jail,
hopefully
for a long, long time.
The issues
here are ones that all citizens should be
concerned about: Should we all be reduced to the lowest, stupid common
denominator? Should we all be legislated
against preemptively?
Just because
the Texas Legislature enables counties to enact
firearms bans does not mean such legislation is good. Just look at this
last
legislative session to judge the quality of the products created there.
Apparently,
certain members of the court are somewhat
sensitive to criticism. Hint: If you have a thin skin, you have no
business in
public office. Evidently, there is some
offense taken at what has been written here recently.
There is offense taken here when a commissioner
dresses down a citizen in court for rolling his eyes when that
commissioner
tried to convince everyone to be thankful for not having all our rights
restricted, like shooting blanks at ceremonies. Thank you so much!
There is
offense taken when a certain commissioner goes
overboard explaining that she supports the Second Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution while proposing action that does just the opposite. Methinks she protesteth too much.
The original
proposal would have severely restricted
shooting of all kinds. There is no doubt about the intent of the
enabling
legislation. The fact that the county
judge is using a tragic event to frighten Bastrop County onto the
hysteria
bandwagon is callous and opportunistic.
The proposed
restrictions are aimed at small property
owners. If you own more than ten acres,
there can be no restriction. If have been teaching your grandkids to
shoot a
.22 in the backyard of your two acre lot with a proper bullet stop and
safety
precautions, you can instantly be placed in violation the next time you
try it.
Of course,
if you are wealthy enough to buy and own ten
acres of land or more, no problem!
This is
discriminatory and arbitrary.
Before
restrictive legislation is passed one must first ask:
Is it absolutely needed?
If not,
don’t do it!
Benjamin
Franklin said: “He who would give up liberty for
safety deserves neither safety nor liberty.”
The real
problem here might not be with shooting. Could
it be lazy citizens?
The
complainers would much rather call the sheriff’s office
to have a deputy “pay a visit” to a neighbor than just be a grown up
and ask the neighbor to be careful, or not shoot first thing in the
morning, or
whatever.
Idiots are
everywhere. But it is best that government not to
treat everyone as if they are idiots because then everyone, even the
idiots
will be angry.
(Transcripts
of the commissioners court session will be
posted soon)
29 May, 2007
Update
Republican Commissioner Clara Beckett and major proponent of Judge
McDonald's proposed firearms restrictions called to correct an error in
the column below: She stated she lives on 37 contiguous acres, not the
12 acres as stated below. The data we used is direct from BCAD as was
assumed to be correct, although the contiguous part might be difficult
to tease out. Bastrop County Commentary regrets the
inaccuracy. More commentary will published Wednesday, 30 May on
the court action today
The
commissioners court is considering enacting restrictions
on private property.
In reaction
to the tragic shooting death of a boy on Hays County,
several counties are passing restrictions on the discharge of firearms
on
private property as authorized by state law.
The state
law allows counties to place arbitrary restriction
on lots of less than ten acres* in size. Some of the restrictions
pushed
by anti-gun
Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald and supposed Republican
Commissioner Clara
Beckett are: Minimum lot size; proximity to residences and schools, lot
width
and other factors. The final decision
has not been made, but the item is on the agenda for Tuesday 29 May.
Don Loucks,
former commissioner and civil rights advocate
addressed the court on 14 May and pointed out that stupidity cannot be
legislated
against. Nonetheless, Clara Beckett, commissioner from Smithville
attempted to
convince the court what a good deal it would be to enact these onerous
restrictions and generously pointed out that blanks could still be
fired at
ceremonies.
If
you do not want to be reduced to the lowest common
denominator of freedom, call your commissioner and voice your
opposition.
* Clara
Beckett lives on 12 acres, John Klaus lives on 24 acres and both would
be exempt from any restriction that she, Klaus and the court might
place on us. Check it out: Beckett;
Klaus.
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