Letter: Shooting range near school is bad idea
To the community,
Usually once or twice a week I have the privilege of driving my children to their elementary school. A very special school nestled in rolling green hills and under the shadows of century-old oak trees. Sometimes it feels a bit like driving back in time. Shingle Springs is a uniquely beautiful place to raise a family.
However, it appears this utopic environment of ours is about to change. The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is planning to build a 29-lane outdoor commercial gun range with a tactical shoot house. The gun range would be 1,000 yards from Buckeye Elementary School, California Montessori Project Elementary, and Discovery Hills Church. It borders countless family residences and runs along Highway 50. The El Dorado Community Trail is directly adjacent to the proposed gun range. This trail is used for horseback riding, biking and nature walks.
This issue is complex and sensitive. Tribal land is sovereign. Safety and noise ordinances do not apply to Indian sovereign land. The gun range is not subject to approval, review or oversight. The tribe sets it own rules and can change them at will.
I believe I’m a reasonable person. I’m a veteran, a gun owner and a taxpayer. Most important, I’m a husband and a dad. I don’t think a gun range at this location is right for our children or community. Is it unreasonable to be concerned about the sound of gunfire on my children’s playground? Is it unreasonable to be concerned about a stray bullet zipping though residential property or our highway?
Is it unreasonable to ask the Miwok tribe to consider the community’s safety and well-being and move the gun range to a more appropriate location?
More information, go online.
Alex Sheridan, Pollock Pines
What I find crazy is that many folks in this country want to basically CREATE gun ranges ON school properties by virtue of allowing guns on campuses!
Bigger picture,
Guns are legal in some schools in this country already. Supposedly around 85% of the time a gun is used in this country against a human, it stops a crime. At one time there was quite a few shootings in school in this country, wonder what the number will be when law abiding people are armed.
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=28390054
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States
Wikipedia shows around a shooting a week average in 2014 at a school in this country.
I am not buying that 85% of the time a gun is used on a human it stops crime. That link is the opinion of a sports journalist, hardly a credible source.
Fascistic regulation is always done in the name of the children.
People are constantly trying to take away others’ liberties and use the safety of our children as a valid excuse. It is NOT valid. It’s lazy and overused. The Nazis used it back in the thirties, for goodness sake.
P.S. Mr. Sheridan, when did you move to El Dorado county from the city?
Always moving away from the hole you’ve created, and immediately move to turn the new haven right into that same hole.
P.P.S. Funny, Arod. Every time Bob Costas makes an anti-gun rant, your side always quotes his opinion as being of substance. You guys want it both ways.
Just to be clear…someone moved in next to Tribal land, built houses and schools and now thinks that the Tribe should consider moving range and consider the well being and safety of the community? Didn’t we already ask these people to move a few times before hand?
At least he didn’t suggest taking their guns and asking them to relocate.
“Is it unreasonable to ask the Miwok tribe to consider the community’s safety and well-being and move the gun range to a more appropriate location?”
The Miwok, having likely lived there for centuries, almost certainly took into consideration the community’s safety and well being, especially since they are the community and you are the interloper.
But they have no reason to consider your silly fears and ignorant superstitions toward anything that might include guns. There is no reason to fear a gun range unless it is badly built or managed (the same can be said of a gas station), an unlikely situation for a group that’s likely been around guns all their lives.
Maybe they will offer firearms safety training to your children. A great educational opportunity for all.
Uggg, the ugly dog rant is back…..with the finger pointing, nothing new….
WHO is pointing fingers??? And who is making insulting personal comments while saying nothing whatsoever about the article at hand?
You know who used to bring up historical groups out of context to make their point? The Nazis.
Once you bring up Nazis out of context people stop listening to you.
Sensitive issue indeed. I love shooting at ranges. I think ranges are the BEST place to teach people gun safety. Information is empowering: The Indian Tribe received the land (in trust) within the past 15 years. The homes, schools and church where there well before that. This is issue is not about guns, or gun ranges, Indians, or 2nd amendment rights. The concern is about the LOCATION of the outdoor range. And that’s all. I think the county would enjoy a new range, and the tribe should build one. But not next to homes and schools. Seriously…. really, really bad location.
Since its so close make shooting part of the curriculum, the kids would love it….
Concerned Resident is absolutely right. Build a shooting range? Great idea! Next to a school? Ummm, not so much. The sound of gunfire next to homes and a school is not good. However, no regulations apply, and it’s the Indians’ land, so they can do what they want.
I took and passed a gun safety course as a kid and got a yellow NRA patch saying I passed the test.My mom sewed the patch onto the sleave of my green ski jacket.
Everyone who purchases a gun should take a gun saftey course and be a responsible gun owner after going thru a thorough background check and possibly a mental evaluation.
Opening a shooting range near any populated area is not a good idea. Too much of a danger to kids, just average folks walking by or wildlife and domestic animals that could be shot by a stray bullet.
Guns kill, thats what they are used for. Keep the guns away from the the general populaltion, so living creatures don’t get shot, be it human or animal.
Too many nuts out there own guns and they wreck it for the responsible gun owner who just enjoy’s going to the range or maybe “TRYING” to put some food on his table. (Personally, I never had much luck with that!) Take care, OLS,or old rusty trigger, as I haven’t held a gun or pulled a trigger in over over 20 years.
Alex, well written letter ! Open and honest.
I agree with you that the location for a gun range is not reasonable. I would suggest you petition as many neighbors as you can and present it to the Miwok Tribal Leaders. They may want to relocate the project when they see so many neighbors object to it as planned. My bet is they would not want the bad will.
OLS, anytime you want to go to the range let me know, I have a lot of fun guns to shoot, nothing in the assault category, all single shooters, we’ll see how good of shot you are…
Maybe consideration of an indoor range is in order.
An outdoor shooting range next to an elementary school….what could possibly go wrong?