Against the Falsely Named Hunting Amendment
I suspect the so-called "right to hunt" amendment is a trap. I will be voting against it because I believe a close look at the text reveals it to be a limitation on the right to hunt. This is a trick very similar to the one in Arkansas's so-called "Pro-Life" amendment.
That amendment says basically that we will be pro-life- subject to the limitations of the federal courts. That is to say, not pro-life at all. And since it is now in the state constitution, even if the state legislature wanted to challenge the injustice of federal abortion laws they are more limited in their ability to do so. Putting something in the constitution means taking it out of the hands of the legislature, and even the majority of the people. One had better be sure what one votes in their is really protecting an endangered fundamental right instead of something with a feel-good name whose practical effect will let liberal judges further restrict your freedoms.
Arkansans already have the right to hunt, and no one in state government is threatening to take that right away. The only reason this is needed, besides needless political grandstanding, is to get the legislators off the hook when environmentalists start chipping away at your freedoms. Call it agenda 21, call it sustainability, call it global climate change. They will call it whatever they have to so long as the result is more of your earnings and freedom are transferred to them.
This section of the amendment leaves the regulators a loophole they can drive a truck through "The right to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wildlife shall be
subject only to regulations that promote sound wildlife conservation and
management and are consistent with Amendment 35 of the Arkansas Constitution."
The amendment clearly places your RIGHTS as subservient to REGULATIONS. Regulations are made by bureaucrats. This amendment gives them a blank check to regulate away your rights to hunt and fish while taking the matter out of the hands of the legislature. I urge my fellow citizens to vote against this deceitful measure.
That amendment says basically that we will be pro-life- subject to the limitations of the federal courts. That is to say, not pro-life at all. And since it is now in the state constitution, even if the state legislature wanted to challenge the injustice of federal abortion laws they are more limited in their ability to do so. Putting something in the constitution means taking it out of the hands of the legislature, and even the majority of the people. One had better be sure what one votes in their is really protecting an endangered fundamental right instead of something with a feel-good name whose practical effect will let liberal judges further restrict your freedoms.
Arkansans already have the right to hunt, and no one in state government is threatening to take that right away. The only reason this is needed, besides needless political grandstanding, is to get the legislators off the hook when environmentalists start chipping away at your freedoms. Call it agenda 21, call it sustainability, call it global climate change. They will call it whatever they have to so long as the result is more of your earnings and freedom are transferred to them.
This section of the amendment leaves the regulators a loophole they can drive a truck through "The right to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wildlife shall be
subject only to regulations that promote sound wildlife conservation and
management and are consistent with Amendment 35 of the Arkansas Constitution."
The amendment clearly places your RIGHTS as subservient to REGULATIONS. Regulations are made by bureaucrats. This amendment gives them a blank check to regulate away your rights to hunt and fish while taking the matter out of the hands of the legislature. I urge my fellow citizens to vote against this deceitful measure.
posted by Mark Moore (Moderator) at Tuesday, October 19, 2010
2 Comments:
It's interesting to see the range of people who urge voting against this amendment. They range from Steve Brawner to Max Brantley to now you. I think your criticisms are well-founded; this amendment is a bit of a Pandora's Box.
As part of my job, I have been compiling info and analysis on all three of the proposed constitutional amendments (along with the national and statewide races). If you or your readers are interested, you can go to http://www.progressivearkansas.com/content/election-2010-voter-resource-center
We know that anti-gun groups only give the 2dA credit as a hunting freedom. With A-1 they can regulate both the guns & lead; as a backdoor restriction. Remember Goldwater said only a musket was required to hunt deer & appease the 2d A...
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