Bushkill Twp. neighbors fired up over guns

Morning Call ^ | March 17, 2006 | Arlene Martínez

[stevio]

Man has range in yard. Bushkill Twp. officials to revisit creating ordinance regulating recreational shooting.

The arrival of police officers at the Bushkill Township house was hardly a surprise. Nearly every time Alan Birtchet or his sons have fired guns in their backyard practice range since moving in a year ago, neighbors have called police, and Saturday was no exception.

[stevio]

A common-sense approach has obviously failed, said Ken Whitehead of the 300 block of Farmhouse Lane. He said bullets are ''whizzing through our neighborhoods.''

Go back in your fiberboard walled McMansion, turn on the Dixie Chicks and stop worrying about winged-bullets flying around your "country" neighborhood.

[ncountylee]

bullets are ''whizzing through our neighborhoods.''

The Kennedy "magic bullet" has been discovered again.

[MichiganConservative]

Shooting in your backyard is part of the American dream, in my opinion. People who dislike it are sissies.

[conservativeharleyguy]

"After neighbors complained a year ago, the supervisors directed Asteak to prepare a draft ordinance. It included four exceptions: use by law enforcement, members of an organized club and their guests, farmers protecting their property against predators, and hunting. The strict ordinance imposed fines and seizure of offenders' weapons...."

You'll notice there's no provision for self-defense.

[Verginius Rufus]

Bushkill Township? It was bad enough that some members of the loony left have been calling for Bush to be killed (Nicholson Baker, Will Durst, etc.)...now this batch has named their township to express their opinion!

[Rakkasan1]

BUSHkills fault!

[Eagle Eye]

15 acres is a nice sized 'back yard'.

[MaDeuce]

''When Bushkill Township was a rural place, this was never really a problem,'' township solicitor Gary Asteak said. ''We're experiencing the clash of two cultures.''

Yes a class of two cultures: 1 is perserving the grand American tradition of the rifleman, experssing their freedom and liberty; the other a bed weting panty waste socialist/communist un-American piece-of-$hit.

[L98Fiero]

"15 acres is a nice sized 'back yard'."

If I had 15 acres, there would be a range in my back yard, too.

[Little Ray]

Ditto!

[Ouderkirk]

Go back in your fiberboard walled McMansion, turn on the Dixie Chicks and stop worrying about winged-bullets flying around your "country" neighborhood.

Teh guy's got 15 acres. That's a pretty lage parcel of land and with the proper backdrop there are no bullets "whizzing through the neighborhood". The neighbor is acting like a 6 year old girl who is a drama queen. Everything is larger than life. I'm sure the AR-15 put's out a hell of a loud noise, as my Armalite AR-10 in 0.308 does. But that's half the allure of a gun like that is the bang that it makes.

[Servant of the 9]

When you post something like this about some little burg, how about lettting us know what State it's in?

So9

[Dead Corpse]

This wouldn't be an issue if the nutcases would deregulate noise suppressors.

[Eagle Eye]

Don't forget the neighbor who 'requires' hearing protection when there's shooting going on!

BS...ain't no way his hearing is in danger if he's a few hundred feet away.

[Supernatural]

Many counties in PA have no restrictions against shooting.

Fayette County has a rule where if you have more than 10 acres of your own land you can shoot a gun on your own property.

We used to have machinegun shoots on a Fayette County property. About five years ago the Fayette County Commissioners put a halt to it for "safety reasons".

The guy who owned the property, an reclaimed strip mine, went to a hearing and cited the law to the county commissioners. He said, "If I have more that 10 acres I am allowed to shoot a gun on my own property, right". The commissioners agreed with him. And then he said, "And I'm allowed to have my friends shoot there too, right"?

The answer to the question was an obvious "yes". At this point the commissioners adjourned the meeting without giving him an answer.

That was as far as it got. The landowner became worried about liability if someone got hurt at a shoot on his property even though everyone had to sign a waiver absolving him of any liability before they could shoot and closed down the shoots.

[Concho]

Google brings back that this township is in the Lehigh valley of Pennsylvania.

Apparently, the guy spent $7000 to create an improved range with an adequate backstop in the woods behind his house. Roughly speaking an acre is 210 feet square. Depending on the layout of his lot, it is still a lot of space.

Its a pi$$ing match between a shooter and his non shooter neighbors. Wonder what part of the second amendment they dont understand?

[mountainlyons]

Please state which state and county this was in so I can add it to my boycott list. Boulder and Denver are at the top to the list.

[TheDon]

If I were his neighbor I would only be pissed if he hadn't invited me to shoot at his range.

[stevio]

Shooting in your backyard is part of the American dream, in my opinion. People who dislike it are sissies.

You got that right, we have a bunch of new homes popping up around us and I can just here these panty waists starting these arguments. Thing is, if my rights are being violated, I couldn't care less about being a good neighbor.

[Riley]

Why can't I ever have neighbors like this? All I ever get is the 'stereo blaring crap at all hours' kind.

I'd just be ticked if my neighbors with the range didn't invite me over to play. I'll bring my own ammo and grillables for afterwards.