Saturday, October 23, 2004
Carpet Baggers
No I'm not talking about Hillary Clinton or the now certifiable Alan Keyes. I'm talking about retirees.
ASHVILLE - Butch and Sherry Herren said they moved to Ashville about two years ago to get ready for a quiet retirement that is still a few years away.
But the hunting and shooting that they say goes on near their home has given them second thoughts.
"We moved out here to enjoy the peace and quiet, not to live in Dodge City," said Sherry Herren, 60.
The article does not mention where Butch and Sherry resided before they retired. I think it's safe to assume it was some urban rathole if they didn't see it as a fit place to retire.
So they move to the country for the peace and quiet but instead find the dreaded "Dodge City" that Brady-types always reference. But, instead of adjusting to local customs and traditions, they are going to tell people who have lived there their whole lives what they can and can't do.
Phillip Anthony, a former Ashville mayor and a retired game warden, said people's rights to hunt and shoot on their property should be protected.
"People move out there and buy five, 10, 15 or 20 acres and think they control the 300 or 400 around them," Anthony said. "They do not. And they need to be convinced that they do not."
Mr. Anthony is a dying breed, unfortunately. Why should we respect property rights when we can just bully some government body into legislating into existence our own version of what retirement paradise should be?
This happened here not too long ago. The next county over has always been a great place to shoot. The ass end of Albuquerque hangs slightly over the county line, but from there it's nothing. Also there are natural arroyos throughout that provide 25 high walls of earth.
Naturally, if you needed to sight in a rifle or wanted to plink or whatever, you'd drive around until you found a suitable spot, clear the surrounding area and shoot away. The area is also popular with dirt-bikers and four-wheelers, but they knew there were shooters out there and avoided them, and the shooters always tried to steer clear of the dirt-bikers.
As I mentioned, the ass end of Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) hangs in this county. Over the last 20 years this has been popular place for New Yorkers to transplant, some of which are no doubt looking for the ideal retirement.
So they banned it. You can't shoot in all of Sandoval county, just because some whiny old people get freaked when they hear reports in the distance.
It is a pretty sad state of affairs.
ASHVILLE - Butch and Sherry Herren said they moved to Ashville about two years ago to get ready for a quiet retirement that is still a few years away.
But the hunting and shooting that they say goes on near their home has given them second thoughts.
"We moved out here to enjoy the peace and quiet, not to live in Dodge City," said Sherry Herren, 60.
The article does not mention where Butch and Sherry resided before they retired. I think it's safe to assume it was some urban rathole if they didn't see it as a fit place to retire.
So they move to the country for the peace and quiet but instead find the dreaded "Dodge City" that Brady-types always reference. But, instead of adjusting to local customs and traditions, they are going to tell people who have lived there their whole lives what they can and can't do.
Phillip Anthony, a former Ashville mayor and a retired game warden, said people's rights to hunt and shoot on their property should be protected.
"People move out there and buy five, 10, 15 or 20 acres and think they control the 300 or 400 around them," Anthony said. "They do not. And they need to be convinced that they do not."
Mr. Anthony is a dying breed, unfortunately. Why should we respect property rights when we can just bully some government body into legislating into existence our own version of what retirement paradise should be?
This happened here not too long ago. The next county over has always been a great place to shoot. The ass end of Albuquerque hangs slightly over the county line, but from there it's nothing. Also there are natural arroyos throughout that provide 25 high walls of earth.
Naturally, if you needed to sight in a rifle or wanted to plink or whatever, you'd drive around until you found a suitable spot, clear the surrounding area and shoot away. The area is also popular with dirt-bikers and four-wheelers, but they knew there were shooters out there and avoided them, and the shooters always tried to steer clear of the dirt-bikers.
As I mentioned, the ass end of Albuquerque (Rio Rancho) hangs in this county. Over the last 20 years this has been popular place for New Yorkers to transplant, some of which are no doubt looking for the ideal retirement.
So they banned it. You can't shoot in all of Sandoval county, just because some whiny old people get freaked when they hear reports in the distance.
It is a pretty sad state of affairs.
