“A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded.” —Tyne Daly
Londonderry Town Councilors drafted an amendment to an ordinance that already prohibits activities such as smoking on town-owned property to include a ban on target or skeet shooting, reports the Derry News.
Councilors invited public input at a meeting last night. Londonderry Police Chief Bill Hart said his department received nine complaints about shooting over the last three years.”It’s not clear whether the complaints were prompted by shooting in the Musquash or from the nearby Londonderry Fish and Game Club, which has a shooting range. Also unclear was whether the shots that generated calls were fired during target practice or hunting season. Hunting in season is permitted on town property.”
Councilor Tom Freda said, “I think the (ordinance) is well intentioned, but I don’t see this as being practical with only nine complaints of shooting over three years and there being a shooting range in the area.”
As a past President and current board member for the Londonderry Fish & Game Club, I was invited to show up and comment on the measure, so I did. There are several aspects I shared with the council. First, the conservation commission has two members who are hostile, if not opposed, to guns and shooting in general and this is just one example of those two injecting their personal objections on the body of the town. There exists no facts that would lend itself to being a safety issue.
Second, The Londonderry Fish & Game Clubs’ 83-acre property is located in the northwest corner of the town and abuts the Musquash conservation land on three sides. Frequently, public use of the Musquash has caused encroachment on the LFGC property. We have tolerated this and not made it a town issue. We have not posted our land and have not banned outside recreational uses. But, recently, a ATV rider approached me complaining that a, “bullet whistled by his head while riding,” yet he would not acknowledge the fact that he was riding “down range” from our rifle range and passing “No Trespassing signs” and other clear signage that states, “caution…keep out…active firing range…”
Third, we (the LFGC) view ordinances made for the abutting land as potential affect, directly or indirectly, on our uses and interests of club property. If our members are penalized for use, why should they have to prove an defend they were on lcub property and not on Public land? The LFGC, like any other person or entity in town, pays local real estate taxes and such a ban is a pretext to other measures and mischief by those who loathe or otherwise dislike our presence.
Several Years ago, Londonderry Country Club Owner Tom Kimball advocated for an ordinance that would ban outdoor shooting of all firearms in favor of restricting shooting to indoor ranges. Three years ago, a measure was entertained that would have banned all hunting on Londonderry Public Lands.
There have been a number of instances where people using the Musquash, yet not familiar with the boundaries have entered onto club property and confronted members hunting or otherwise possessing firearms.
Fourth, Some have argued that people use the Musquash for target practice because they don’t want to pay membership fees to shooting clubs. I find that to be a bit of a red herring. LFGC’s membership fees for example, equate to about $10 per month. With a membership, one gets free, unrestricted access to our ranges and facilities, notwithstanding a few special events. Moreover, we host two open houses where members of the public may come and use our facilities without charge. We have never been about the money and we have worked with a few folks who have experienced financial challenges.
Fifth, the bulk of the advocacy last night is the same old time-honored complaints the rank-and-file whiners complain about since time immemorial: “Noise Pollution.” The LFGC began in 1951 and has been at its present site since 1972, moving from Clark Road. We understand that the surrounding area has changed in 40 years, but that was not by our choice, nor do we ascribe that we should change our particular use. In the last ten years, we have faced litigation, complaints, our access blocked and a tin-eared town who continues to willingly accept our tax dollars, yet closed off the Alexander road access some years ago. We have weathered the past conservation commission’s quest to exert pressure on us to sell them our land… for pennies on the dollar; and, finally, we have resisted the arrival of hostilities in 2000 with the building of houses along our Western side in Litchfield. We are not going anywhere.
Very few people used the Musquash Land for target practice. The vast majority of shooters are members of clubs with organized ranges. A recurring complaint about shooting on public land is rarely safety, but focuses more on litter and pollution, than noise or safety. Carcasses of bullet-riddled refrigerators, washers, dryers, broken bottles, televisions, and home electronics should be a concern of us all. LFGC, for example, has strict rules prohibiting the use of such items as targets, and occasionally a member is disciplined for violating these rules.
The proposed ban would do little to deter such practices because the small minority of such people have no use for clubs’ rules and policies, and lack respect for land or resources. People who engage in such irresponsible behavior should be fined for littering. This cannot be about club fees or costs.
Councilor Dolan suggested that the town set aside an area for shooters. That is a great idea, only that measure presents its own set of unique problems. 1) Which neighborhood or set of neighbors will welcome such a place? Nobody will want it and many will oppose it. 2) Who will be liable for its maintenance and up-keep? Finally, such a place would actually increase the use. People would come from other towns and cities to make use of the range. Just the very publicity surrounding this issue will likely increase shooting in the Musquash, so the town may have “shot themselves in the foot,” here (pun intended).
Realistically, the Londonderry Fish & Game Club conceivably has a stake in advocating for such a ban. We are, after all, a “shooting club”…We have ranges…And such a restriction theoretically might enhance our increase in membership. Moreover, a ban on hunting in the Musquash would make our property more desirable as a hunting venue…Despite those likely aspects, we have always taken the position of principled public advocacy. When the Londonderry Police Department built their own range for their exclusive use, we went before the Council and supported that measure, despite the loss of them as a revenue source for their use of our ranges. Our ranges presented the Police with inherent limitations and we acknowledge and respect that.
In sum total, this is about mischief, not safety. The historical data does not come close to supporting the need for a such a ban. In the inverse, a reasonable person who enters the Musquash to sight in a rifle is going to find a safe area, use a proper target and exercise complete care and safety. Those complaining are really complaining about the noise…an unreasonable fear of guns…hoplophobes. Measures like this serve as only a pretext to the anti-gun agenda. Moving here from more urban environments does not lend itself to effective pursuits of ones’ personal views on tranquility.
