Letters
The Wisconsin Lawyer publishes as many letters in each issue
as space permits. Please limit letters to 500 words; letters may be
edited for length and clarity. Letters should address the issues, and
not be a personal attack on others. Letters endorsing political
candidates cannot be accepted. Please mail letters to "Letters to the
Editor," Wisconsin Lawyer, P.O. Box 7158, Madison, WI
53707-7158, fax them to (608) 257-5502, or email them.
Operation Ceasefire Should Focus Only on Criminals
I am pleased that Wisconsin has funded "Operation
Ceasefire," which focuses attention on "gut-toting criminals" as
reported in the March Wisconsin Lawyer. Although Sen. Brian
Burke calls the task force unique, and it probably is for Wisconsin, the
National Rifle Association of America has funded a similar effort aimed
at incarcerating criminals in Richmond, Va. The Richmond project, known
as Project Exile, has proven very successful in reducing crime by taking
violent criminals with guns off of the street.
Sen. Burke's idea to focus on criminals is a good one. Unfortunately,
later in his article he proceeds to lose his focus when he writes about
his proposed legislation (Senate Bill
301) "to require that all handgun sales be channeled through
licensed dealers."
Instead of focusing on criminals, Senate Bill 301 would require all
handgun sales to be subject to federal record keeping, background
checks, and waiting periods. Law-abiding gun buyers don't want the
federal government keeping their names and personal information stored
in databases, as if they are somehow criminals for wanting to exercise
their constitutional right to own a gun. And why should a citizen have
to get his government's permission to exercise a constitutional right,
and wait several days to do so?
I suggest Sen. Burke get back to focusing on criminals and leave
law-abiding citizens alone.
As far as Sen. Burke's comment about "zealous opposition" to his bill
"from gun advocates," I submit that we, as lawyers, should all be in
"zealous opposition" to any bill that results in governmental red tape
and interference in a law-abiding citizen's exercise of a constitutional
right.
Wayne Anthony Ross
Chair, Alaska Chapter, Wisconsin Nonresident Lawyers Division
Director, former first vice president, NRA
It is good to know the readership of the Wisconsin Lawyer
extends all the way to Alaska. Had Mr. Ross read my piece more
carefully, he would have found ample credit given to the Richmond
experience. It is an impressive accomplishment I hope we can match and
surpass in Milwaukee.
His argument against ending the loophole shielding private sales
from background checks is less than convincing. Perhaps people don't
want to register their cars, boats, and dogs with a government agency,
not to mention marriages, births, or deaths. Not wanting to does not
outweigh the public interest. Nor does compliance in any way
criminalize, stigmatize, or infringe upon a law-abiding citizen's right
to own a car, boat, dog, or gun.
Sen. Brian Burke
Wisconsin Lawyer
