Subsidizing Rich Folk’s Megagun Fun

Nellis Air Force Base officials are a tad concerned about the plan to allow folks to shoot .50 caliber rifles at the proposed Clark County Shooting Park. (RJ,KLAS)

The officials are concerned that the guns may prove harmful to aircraft flying low near the base.

Not to worry, park defenders reply, the guns "make up a pricey pastime for well-to-do sports shooters who want to compete at high-end gun ranges."

Hmmm. How does it follow that rich folk
are less likely than poor folk to take a pot shot at a plane, especially if rich folk are the only
ones who can afford the guns?

Ah. Nothing like using our hard-earned tax dollars to subsidize the past-times of the well-to-do.

Did you know that Schwarzenegger helped ban the .50 calibers in his state? How weird is that?

Some think the .50 caliber makes a nifty terrorist weapon.

Anyways, what the Nellis complaint really tells us is that a number of issues are tied together as we northerners decide what we want in our community. Not only is the shooting range near Nellis, the range is quite close to all those fossil remains in the North Las Vegas Wash, it is right next to the planned parkway, and it’s a stone’s throw from the McCool model airplane park.

So, now we’re into election season, you have a few things to talk about with your state assemblyperson, state senator, county commissioner, and congressional candidate, like where do they stand on:

• the shooting park?
• the north las vagas wash/tule springs Ice Age Park?
• the Sheep Mountain Parkway?
• the McCool airplane park?
• apartment buildings?
• Casino alley?

Now’s the time to put all that activism to work, cuz you favorite politician is actually paying attention.

Here’s a picture of the shooting park site taken on a (supervised) walk through the North Las Vegas Wash to look at fossils. That’s the northern end of Decatur next to the water tanks.