University of Virginia Library

Only No. 2

Staff writer Corbin Eissler's
apparent astonishment at actually
finding guns in our very own
community should not be allowed
to create any impression that the
sky is falling. I wonder if he would
have chosen to editorialize if the
Barracks Road Shopping Center
raffle prize had been a new car
instead of a gun, automobiles being
unquestionably the Number One
cause of death and destruction in
this country. His question about
the purpose of raffling a gun in late
September is easily answered by
noting that hunting season opens in
November. Hunting is a popular
and legitimate sport in Albemarle
County, the State of Virginia, and
the entire United States. Even
non-hunters should note that hunting
license fees and special taxes on
guns and ammunition go directly to
support conservation programs
which benefit everyone.

Current laws regulating gun and
ammunition sales are strict and
rigidly enforced by dealers, who
must have Federal licenses. Any
persons doubting this may go to a
gun shop and look at all the legal
forms for themselves. However, an
individual offering his gun for sale
is not automatically a black-marketeer,
since a private citizen
legally possessing a gun may lawfully
sell it to another resident of
his own state.

An error was also implied in the
reference to the Smith & Wesson
Company. While Smith & Wesson
does supply police revolvers, they
also make some of the finest and
most popular sporting and target
pistols available. In fact, these
models are usually in short supply,
and most serious shooters would
very much like to meet anyone who
has a "room-full" to sell.

Hunting, target shooting, and
gun collecting are respectable pastimes,
engaged in by honest citizens
who respect and obey all of the
many laws relating to the subject.
Rather than engaging in unfounded
speculation or implied criticism of
the shooting sports, any interested
students are invited to visit the
University Rifle and Pistol Club
during practice on weekday evenings
at 7 p.m. in the basement range
of Maury Hall.