“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…”
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