Tuesday, February 15, 2011

County fight regarding gun range over

Or is it?
A two-year battle over the operation of a 10-station shooting range near Boone may have reached a conclusion Thursday night when the Boone County Board of Adjustment permanently approved its conditional use permit.
"Permanently approved its conditional use permit" is a oxymoron, isn't it?

A man in Boone, Ia set up a part of his property as a gun range and neighbors didn't like it. The fight has been going on for two and a half years and will probably end up back in court. Especially when one of the peeved neighbors makes a statement:
Friday afternoon, [Tom] Gleason told the Boone News-Republican, “On the advice of my counsel I am not supposed to say anything.”

However, Gleason, who is the medical director of the radiology department at Boone County Hospital and a former U.S. Navy commander, added, “There will be a reckoning.” He did not say what that might be.
Is that a threat, Commander?

"If gun ranges are outlawed, only outlaws will have gun ranges," sounds kind of trite. But counties could use their regulatory power to reduce or eliminate a gun range. If there are no places to practice, then it leaves one with very few options.

There could come a time when you can only shoot on "approved" ranges with strict rules of operation. Maybe to the point of not being able to shoot on your own property in the country, miles from any population centers.

But here in Iowa, a neighbor about a quarter mile away, could shut down your personal range. Because it's too noisy. Or it smells bad. Or, whatever... This Gleason is trying real hard to do just that.

Maybe Mr Davis invited the former Commander Gleason over to pull a few clays. Maybe Gleason declined the offer. I'm not that familiar with the feud. But if that was my neighbor, I'd ask if I could use it or have a good-neighbor membership discount.

It seems that there should be a reconciliation instead of a reckoning going on there.

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