[Vision2020] M-P Daily News: Sheriff defends mayor's decision to ask about gun restriction

[Debbie Gray]

1. Wouldn't UI buildings be considered public
buildings and thus also be banned from people carrying
weapons if this kind of policy were enacted?

2. I don't recall hearing Wayne Rausch LIE during the
press conference re. Jason Hamilton's concealed
weapons permit status. I don't recall that particular
exchange with a reporter, either, but would like to
see it if you have a link to the part of the press
conference where that may have occurred.  Perhaps he
made a <gasp> mistake? Can't imagine why, not like
he'd been up all night dealing with traumatic events,
wounded officer and family members, etc etc etc. 

3. It seems more to me that he is not saying every
single citizen should be walking the mean streets of
Moscow while armed to the hilt but rather he would
prefer that those who intend to be armed should get a
concealed weapons permit which at least requires some
weapons training and a level of tracking. Currently
Latah Co. only has 540 concealed weapon permits. I
would bet lots of money that there are plenty of
people out there carrying weapons, without a permit,
without much training and perhaps with no common
sense. And that having more people with concealed
weapons permits doesn't necessarily lead to more
people carrying weapons, but now you could have a
slightly better idea of who might be carrying. Get it?

4. Regardless of whether Jason Hamilton had a permit,
didn'thave a permit, shouldn't have had a permit...
that changes nothing. I don't think the mere
technicality of having a permit or not would have been
the deciding factor of 'hmm, stay home and watch
'American Chopper' or go on a hate fueled shooting
rampage.... oops, no shooting tonight. Didn't get that
permit! Dang.'

5. And I'm NOT saying I think everyone should be
packing weapons either. My husband and I have debates
about this stuff all the time and we're almost never
on the same side of this issue. I know he is right
that banning any type of weapon is NOT going to keep
it out of the hands of the 'bad guys' because they're
the ones that don't follow the rules in the first
place so they'll have no qualms about how they obtain
or modify weapons.

6. I have the utmost respect for Sheriff Rausch and
his actions in the past few months and years. I have
seen 4 sheriffs come and go and he has been above and
beyond the rest in professionalism, support of his
employees/families, and working with the public and
communities across Latah County. I may or may not
agree with some of his ideas but I am dead certain he
is not a "total nitwit" nor is he a "hypocritical
nitwit" and I am equally shocked and appalled at your
comments about him. If you don't like what he is
saying, if you disagree, etc, that's fine but why
stoop to this insidious namecalling? What do you know
about this man? Have you met him? Talked with him at
great length about anything? Or do you limit your
knowledge to those vague, semi-accurate stories you
read in the paper?

Debbie Gray


--- Saundra Lund <sslund at roadrunner.com> wrote:

> Visionaries:
> 
> I find Sheriff Rausch's comments in today's Daily
> News . . . interesting in
> light of his comments in yesterday's Spokesman
> Review, which I'll definitely
> be remembering come election time next year.
> 
> "Latah sheriff sees safety with more guns 
> He wants increase in citizen permits
> Associated Press 
> August 9, 2007
> 
> MOSCOW - The sheriff of Latah County, where a
> shooting rampage left four
> dead and three wounded last May, wants more people
> to obtain concealed
> weapons permits and carry guns, including on the
> University of Idaho campus,
> to improve public safety.
> 
> "In my opinion, if there were more students with
> (concealed weapons
> permits), the world would be safer," Sheriff Wayne
> Rausch told the Lewiston
> Tribune. "Just because we (law enforcement officers)
> are charged with
> protecting the public doesn't mean the public
> shouldn't be able to protect
> itself."
> 
> The university bans guns except under supervised
> circumstances at its firing
> range. Except for law enforcement officials, the
> university requires that
> firearms "be transported to the range unloaded,
> encased, with a trigger lock
> attached or otherwise rendered inoperable."
> 
> Rausch's idea also contradicts Moscow Mayor Nancy
> Chaney, who late last
> month asked for a legal opinion from the state
> attorney general's office on
> whether the city has the authority to ban both
> concealed and exposed weapons
> in public areas such as city buildings. . . . 
> 
> Rausch said people who apply for concealed weapons
> permits are screened and
> are typically not a problem. He said some 540 people
> in the county now carry
> concealed weapons. . . 
>  
> Rausch is the only law enforcement officer in the
> county with the authority
> to issue concealed weapons permits to individuals. .
> . "
>
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/idaho/story.asp?ID=203801
> 
> <snort>  Yeah . . . the UI would be *much* safer if
> students could carry
> concealed guns on campus -- NOT!  I truly thank God
> Rausch has no say over
> the UI's policy because clearly, he has NO CLUE
> about the immature and
> otherwise "irate" students UI faculty and staff deal
> with on a regular
> basis.  Perhaps he should spend some time in those
> folks' shoes before he
> runs off at the mouth proving what a complete and
> total nitwit he is.
> 
> Note, too, this is the same sheriff who lied on TV
> by saying Jason Hamilton
> didn't have a concealed weapons permit. 
> Fortunately, Joel Mills from the
> Lewiston Tribune was present to set the record
> straight about what the
> records actually show rather than what Rausch wishes
> they showed  :-)
> 
> And, here's today's article where he modifies his
> tune to say that
> apparently ONLY those working in city and county
> buildings deserve special
> protection in his book from the "irate" folks they
> deal with whom he thinks
> should be carrying concealed weapons.  What a
> flippin' hypocritical nitwit
> he is!!!
> 
> "Moscow-Pullman Daily News
> Sheriff defends mayor's decision to ask about gun
> restriction
> Rausch has concerns for enforcement of firearm rules
> in public buildings
> By Tara Roberts, Daily News staff writer
> August 10, 2007
> 
> Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch said he supports
> Moscow Mayor Nancy
> Chaney's decision to look into what power Moscow has
> to restrict guns in
> public parks and city-owned facilities.
> 
> "I don't think it's a good idea for there to be arms
> in the (City) Council
> chambers anymore than I think it's good for there to
> be arms in the (county)
> commissioners' chambers," Rausch said Thursday. 
> 
> "It's an attempt to prevent loss of life, and I
> agree 100 percent with it."
> 
> The issue stems from a letter City Attorney Randy
> Fife sent at Chaney's
> request to the Idaho Attorney General's Office
> asking what authority, if
> any, the city has to restrict firearms in buildings
> like City Hall, the
> Eggan Youth Center and the Moscow Police Department.
> 
> Rausch said signs alone do not prevent people from
> bringing guns into
> buildings where they are banned.
> 
> He cited the Latah County Courthouse as an example.
> Although there are signs
> stating guns are not allowed in the facility, there
> are not metal detectors
> or armed guards to enforce the rule.
> 
> Rausch said he is sure armed people have come into
> the courthouse despite
> the signs.
> 
> "It's been my recommendation that we have a
> magnetometer at every available
> entrance, and that we take better provisions to
> better protect that
> building," he said.
> 
> He said the courthouse and city buildings are
> vulnerable to violent
> incidents, but it's expensive to take measures that
> would make them more
> secure.
> 
> "It's of major concern and most of it's prohibitive
> just due to cost," he
> said.
> 
> The county has installed security cameras in the
> courthouse as a safety
> measure.
> 
> "Most of the time you're in there, you're gonna
> notice there's cameras in
> there saying, 'We're watching you,' " Rausch said.
> 
> Rausch said he is "a very strong Second Amendment
> proponent" and has no
> problem with concealed weapons permits, but
> understands the reasoning behind
> the mayor's request.
> 
> There have been several incidents recently when
> people have come into city
> and county buildings "very irate," he said.
> 
> Moscow Police Chief Dan Weaver, who met with Rausch
> and Chaney to discuss
> the gun-restriction issue Thursday, said such
> incidents concern city and
> county leaders.
> 
> "People have come into City Hall or other city
> buildings and become
> extremely angry - yelling, cursing, demeaning to
> employees," Weaver said.
> "With that type of anger shown, it does concern us
> that we need to try to
> take some steps to protect our folks."
> 
> Chaney said the city is considering other safety
> measures for employees,
> such as installing panic buttons in some locations.
> 
> As far as enforcing a gun restriction, Chaney said
> the city will "cross that
> bridge when we get to it."
> 
> "I'm not under the illusion that even if the
> attorney general's opinion is
> we have the authority to regulate firearms in city
> facilities that would
> stop" violent incidents, she said.
> 
> Thursday's meeting was not the first time Rausch,
> Chaney and Weaver have
> discussed firearms and public safety, and it won't
> be the last.
> 
> Weaver said they started talking about "the
> proliferation ... of gun
> violence in this area" after Jason Hamilton's May
> 19-20 shooting spree in
> Moscow left four dead, including Hamilton, his wife
> and Moscow Police Sgt.
> Lee Newbill.
> 
> Weaver said the issue is about intimidation as well
> as gun violence.
> 
> Chaney said guns in public meetings could intimidate
> people and hinder their
> ability to openly testify.
> 
> The city would be remiss if it didn't address the
> issues of safety and gun
> violence, Weaver said.
> 
> "We think that it would be wise and prudent and in
> everybody's interest to
> regulate firearms in public meetings and public
> buildings," he said. 
> "We are trying to preempt problems here." 
> 
> Tara Roberts can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext.
> 234, or by e-mail at
> troberts at dnews.com."
> 
> 
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
> 
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is
> for good people to do
> nothing.
> - Edmund Burke
> 
> 
> 
>
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