I remember there being some discussion in the past of wanting to put cameras at the park because of crime problems. Now I’m being told I can’t protect myself there? I have had an incident in the past of being at a park in Stevensville with my younger children where I didn’t feel comfortable with some others that were hanging out there and their behavior. I didn’t call the police because no actual crime had been committed, but I felt very uncomfortable with the situation and decided to leave before anything might happen. I think for a handful of people to say that we don’t have a right to have any way of protecting ourselves and our children is hideous nonsense. You really think it is unsafe to allow us to have a weapon at the park? Really? How many incidents do you have with law abiding citizens being unsafe with their weapons? And criminals don’t care one bit about following your laws. If they are going to break another law of hurting someone, they won’t care about breaking your weapons ordinance. A weapons ordinance doesn’t stop crime and keep people safe, it only encourages crime and keeps people unsafe.
I received my handgun training from a law enforcement agency. They feel comfortable that they have trained me to the point that I can be responsible with a firearm, but somehow the city council feels they have more knowledge about this than a law enforcement agency? My understanding is that the Sheriff’s Department and County Attorney have spoken against this ordinance. So basically, the town council wants to force women into the position of not being able to protect themselves in a place I’ve already felt unsafe. While I’m sure at the same time, they speak out about “violence against women.” Speaking as a woman, I refuse to place myself in a defenseless place and be a victim. If this passes, I believe not only the criminals should be held responsible for crimes that take place, but also the politicians who pass laws that make us vulnerable targets to the criminals. If this passes, I will no longer be visiting the parks, and I will do my best to limit the amount of business I do in Stevensville.
Nikki Weiss
Stevensville