My family and I moved to Scotland for employment reasons in late 1995, a few months prior to the Dunblane Massacre, the worst mass shooting in British history, in which 17, 5- and 6-year-olds and an instructor were killed and 15 others injured by an individual with two handguns.
Without equivocation, British lawmakers reacted immediately enacting firearms control measures including licensing of all firearms, licensing requirements tiered to the type of firearm.
For example, pistols required a special license, restricting their storage and use to established gun clubs demonstrating security for these firearms. Rifle and repeating long-arm potential licensees had to show cause/need for the requested firearm, demonstrate firearm security, and were mostly associated with rural estates and gun club members.
Individuals could receive a shotgun permit for firearms kept in the home with a capacity of not more than two cartridges, based on an application, constabulary review, and inspection of a locked storage site.
These procedures seemed to be implemented quickly and without much moaning from gun-owners, given the horror of the precipitating incident and the outrage it provoked.
I lived in a small town outside Aberdeen, Scotland, which seemed to have no difficulty resourcing the administration of these procedures, and, frankly, though requiring some organization, I never felt they were overly constraining to my sporting activities.
I am encouraged to see the near passage of Measure 114, a measure that can finally make a real difference in the proliferation of high capacity semi-automatic weapons and the (now routine) mass shooting incidents, even in our midst.
It is disappointing that some of the local constabulary are dissenting to enforce this measure, a response that cannot be allowed to stand. This is a state measure and counties cannot have a prerogative of non-enforcement.
Clearly there are provisions of the measure that will require better definition and practical plans for implementation. The development of these plans, and the process for establishing funding is the opportunity for local officials to input their concerns and imprint their local needs.
The unprecedentedly close mid-term elections illustrate that governing processes and behaviors of officials will require change to better demonstrate recognition of diversity in stakeholder positions and to communicate outcomes in ways that assist consensus.
— Donald Fisher, Powell Butte
Sign up for our Daily Headlines newsletter
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Scotland is missing something called the Bill of Rights. In fact the UK doesn't really have a constitution and if King Charles III is the head of state.
In 1942 the legislature, even the courts ordered Japanese-Americans from their homes and "that was the law," and 50 years before that "separate but equal" was the law of the land.
Would you consider officials who refuse to enforce what we we virtually all agree were fundamentally wrong laws to be villains...or heroes?
The judicial branch of our government determine if a law is constitutional or not not some sheriff. So until a law if fount unconstitutional by the courts it must be in-forced by government or the sheriff should resign.
Well, when the next shooter slips through this regulatory regime, the heIl that will fall on these good-ole-boy networks and the taxpayers in those counties is not going to be pretty. Eight figures, loss of underwriter, etc etc.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
The city is mulling a transportation utility fee, a seasonal fuel tax and/or a targeted sales tax on food and beverage sales to cover transportaiton costs, repairs. You can respond directly to the city at council@bendoregon.gov. See our editorial at https://bendbulletin.us/3n5cACr
(3) comments
Scotland is missing something called the Bill of Rights. In fact the UK doesn't really have a constitution and if King Charles III is the head of state.
In 1942 the legislature, even the courts ordered Japanese-Americans from their homes and "that was the law," and 50 years before that "separate but equal" was the law of the land.
Would you consider officials who refuse to enforce what we we virtually all agree were fundamentally wrong laws to be villains...or heroes?
The judicial branch of our government determine if a law is constitutional or not not some sheriff. So until a law if fount unconstitutional by the courts it must be in-forced by government or the sheriff should resign.
Well, when the next shooter slips through this regulatory regime, the heIl that will fall on these good-ole-boy networks and the taxpayers in those counties is not going to be pretty. Eight figures, loss of underwriter, etc etc.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.