Hindsight from The New Gun Week June 20, 1998
Common Sense Legislation Isn't Always Easy
by Joseph P. Tartaro
Executive Editor
Just because something seems like common sense to you and me, it doesn't mean the rest of the world sees it that way.
Legislation that would allow younger boys and girls to hunt big game with adult supervision after completing a state-mandated 12-hour hunter safety course was introduced in the New York state Assembly this year under the sponsorship of Michael Bragman, a Syracuse-area Democrat who is the Assembly's Majority Leader.
The bill is supported by the state's gun and hunting groups and farm organizations. At first glance, it would seem like common sense legislation. Youngsters that age are already allowed to hunt small game and varmints and to shoot competitively. If the bill passes the Assembly, it is likely also to be approved by the Republican-controlled state Senate, and be signed by the governor.
But when you mention hunting you run into controversy. And when you link teen-agers and guns, you run into even more opposition. And it will come from celebrities who can grab headlines easily.Mary Tyler Moore
Such was the case with Bragman's youth hunter bill. When news of the measure became public, Bragman and other lawmakers started to get flak from many quarters. Among these brickbats was a well-publicized letter from actress Mary Tyler Moore to Sheldon Silver, Speaker of the Assembly, and a powerful figure in the state's Democratic Party.
Here's the complete text of Moore's letter to Silver, couched in terms that make it sound like she's the grade schooler snitching to the principal about one of the teachers. (She carbon copied Gov. George Pataki and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.)The Honorable Sheldon Silver Speak of the New York State Assembly c/o Fred Jacobs Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12248
Dear Speaker Silver:
I write urging you to squelch the efforts by Assemblyman Michael Bragman to recruit the young people of our state into the so-called sport of shooting deer and bears. As you know, Mr. Bragman is proposing a bill to lower the minimum age from 16 to 14 for "big game" hunting, and he is trying to set aside funding from the state budget for an outdoor museum that would teach young people about hunting and trapping.
The number of licensed hunters is declining because more and more compassionate young people are enjoying the outdoors without harming the animals who live there. We should foster these values of kindness and compassion, not try to reverse them for the sake of hunting license sales and firearms manufacturers.
Please defeat these proposals by Mr. Bragman. Our children and our wildlife deserve better.
Sincerely,
Mary Tyler MooreBragman Responds
Notice how Moore doesn't like an educational facility like a museum very much if it even suggests "harming the animals." Bragman is not a politcian to be taken to the public relations woodshed very quietly, even if it is by "Mary."
He put out his own news release replying to Moore rather quickly. The complete text of his comments on Moore and other activists follow:
"The following is a statement by Assembly Majority Leader Michael J. Bragman regarding the comments of Mary Tyler Moore and other animal righ ts activists.
"I consider myself a proponent of animal rights. In fact, I have worked very closely with organizations such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to advance a series of initiatives strengthening our laws and expanding protection of animals. This includes recent measures to provide adequate shelter to dogs and to require that motorists report accidents involving cats.
"At the same time, I believe in our state's great outdoor tradition, which is all about conservation, the preservation of open space and the appreciation of fish and wildlife and natural resources. There are more than 1.7 million hunting and fishing license holders in New York who share this generations-old view.
"Throughout my career in public life, I have always sought to strike a balance between these two positions.
"Today, however, some individuals and animal rights activists are engaged in an ongoing effort to discredit me and distort two long-standing proposals that I have advanced.
"The first proposal relates to young hunters. In this regard, I am not seeking to lower the state's hunting age-my proposal would simply change the game that young hunters may legally pursue.
"In New York, individuals age 12 and 13 may already hunt small game with adult supervision. This has been the case for many years. In addition, individuals age 14 and 15 may hunt big game with a bow and arrow. My proposal would simply allow these 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm once they have completed a rigorous safety course and only with strict adult supervision.
"This safety course is a very worthwhile effort for the following reasons:
"No young person who completes this four-to-six week course will think a gun is a toy.
"No young person who completes this course will fail to understand the necessity of handling a firearm with extreme caution.
"No young person who completes this course will think it is appropriate to take a firearm to school or any other public place.
"In fact, there is every indication that young people who complete this course are more responsible with firearms than those who do not, and less likely to be influenced by depictions of gun violence on television and in movies.
"In addition to this very strong safety message, this course is also designed to instill an appreciation for the principles of sportsmanship and conservation.
"It is also important to note that this is not a dramatic departure from existing law, nor is it a new untested initiative. Neighboring states already allow 14- and 15-year-olds to hunt big game with a firearm. The experience in other states, and our experience with the existing program for young hunters in New York, is very positive. In fact, young hunters have an excellent safety record.
"The second proposal is to establish a National Fish and Wildlife Museum in New York. This facility would accomplish key goals, such as: recognizing those who have made special contributions to the enjoyment of the outdoors; educating people on fish and wildlife issues; encouraging better stewardship of the environment and celebrating our outstanding natural assets such as the Adirondacks, Catskills, Great Lakes and Finger Lakes.
"I believe this facility could be a source of pride for everyone interested in nature whether it is hunting and fishing, or hiking, canoeing, camping, or birdwatching.
"This facility would also provide a much-needed stimulus for expanded tourism and commercial activity throughout the upstate region.
"I am convinced that these proposals are both reasonable and responsible. I will not be deterred by the mischaracterizations of those who oppose all hunting and who try to impose their views on others. This include s Mary Tyler Moore, who writes from her home on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan about issues on which she is clearly misinformed," Bragman's statement concluded.
Notice that his comments reflect his view of the Fifth Avenue New York "blue stockings" and the fact that they try to tell the rest of the world how to behave without knowing very much about that world.Lessons for Gunowners
The foregoing exchange may seem like a minor matter to activist readers of Gun Week who are concerned with much greater threats to their Second Amendment at the local, state and federal level.
But it is a helpful demonstration of just what sort of popular environment we find ourselves in, debating deep moral, philosophical and constitutional issues, including the right to self-defense and survival from predatory attacks, the right to challenge tyrannical governments, and not just recreational shooting and collecting.
I get a lot of letters and comments from people who wishfully suggest that we solve all of our problems by merely filing a Supreme Court case, or pushing for legislative reform. Anyone who thinks that repealing the Brady Act, the Clinton gun ban, or even Lautenberg, would be easy, hasn't been paying attention to his or her neighbors, co-workers and the media.
Even changing the age at which a father or mother can take a son or daughter big game hunting has become a major undertaking.
The New Gun Week is published three times a month by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) on the 1st, 10th, and 20th. Hindsight is a commentary written by SAF President and Gun Week Executive Editor Joseph P. Tartaro. This commentary may be reprinted so long as credit is given to the author and the publication. For more information or to subscribe, write Gun Week, PO Box 488, Buffalo, NY 14209, or call 716-885-6408 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, or inquire on Compuserve to John Krull, Production manager-JohnSAF@Compuserve.com or gunweeksaf@broadviewnet.netAlso, check out the New Gun Week at http://www.GunWeek.com