What Was I Thinking?
On Sunday, I was on the phone talking to my brother (who still lives in Scranton), when he mentioned that my nephew didn't have school on Monday. I didn't really give it much thought at the time. Because he attends Scranton Preparatory School, a Jesuit high school, I figured that it was to commemorate some Holy Day that I had long forgotten.
It wasn't until I picked up the paper last night that I realized why John had the day off. Yesterday was the first day of deer hunting season. D'uh! What was I thinking? (Answer: I wasn't.)
I guess that it was only fitting, since I had just mentioned that the schools in Scranton still close on the first day of hunting season. My comment was part of a recent post discussing gun control issues, Wanted: A Straight Shooter, in light of the upcoming review of the validity of gun control measures adopted by DC under the 2nd Amendment by the Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania has also been grappling with the problems of violence and gun control. Addressing the snowball's chance in hell Governor Rendell has in persuading the Pennsylvania legislature to consider any gun control regulations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette observed, Why gun control has no shot:
However, in contrast to this portrait of the gun happy Commonwealth, I did note that the Scranton paper said that there has been a decline in hunting the past few years, especially among younger people. See Passing the buck. Apparently, they're more interested in video games and playing on their computers than communing with nature -- or hunting. Big surprise.The strength of the gun rights movement can be seen and heard in the woods of Pennsylvania tomorrow for the opening of deer season. The state has nearly 1 million licensed hunters, second only to Texas. About one-fourth of them are NRA members, putting Pennsylvania among its top three states for both total and per-capita membership.
An estimated one of three Pennsylvania households owns a gun or rifle, and 415,075 firearms were purchased or transferred in the state last year.
My route to work takes me through part of Fairmont Park & other woody areas filled with deer. I usually keep an eye out for passing bucks this time of year. I now know to be on the look-out & duck for the next week or so. This time, the flying bullets won't be from the violence-plagued city of Philly, they'll be a result of the Cheney wannabes.
UPDATE (11/28): This hunting season has had some strange occurrences. It seems that the deer have been exacting some revenge, turning the tables on the hunters. A man was killed on the first day of hunting season in Western Pennsylvania, when he fell 20 feet from a tree stand. Hunter dies in fall. The deer who knocked the stand over escaped and is still on the loose. WGAL Lancaster reported on another hunting related incident in Westmoreland County, where a hunter was shot in the foot with a rifle. The buck reportedly was seen fleeing with the rifle.
(Via Philadelphia Will Do)
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