The Democrat-Gazette’s Michael Wickline had a fine and thorough story today about the National Rifle Association’s right-to-hunt amendment, which is likely to be whooped onto the Arkansas Constitution next year.

The outlines were long known. The state Game and Fish Commission has long believed it will diminish its power, but the gun nut lobby was simply too strong to overcome, particularly in combination with Sen. Steve Faris, the inside-the-chamber telephone lobbyist who’s emerged as a key legislative actor. For political reasons, G&F fell in line, though several continued to voice strong objections.

Advertisement

Relevant tangent: What the people propose, the people can dispose. The alarm from the gun nuts about states that have limited hunting of certain wildlife  (mourning doves in Michigan, for example, for sound reasons) is alarm about nothing less than the democratic process. They want to make democracy as hard as possible.

The amendment is a ticket, not to sound management of wildlife for hunters and anglers, but unsound management. You don’t have to dream much to envision a world where the gun nuts view the Arkansas hunting amendment in the same expansive way they view the Second Amendment. In their minds, the Second Amendment confers no ability, none, to regulate weaponry, be they rifles, pistols, bazookas or suitcase nukes. The right-to-hunt amendment, likewise, will be seen by some as a device to prevent any regulation of wildlife taking. In some quarters, after all, dynamite has been a “traditional” fish harvesting device.

Advertisement

But, back to my real point of the morning: What’s Steve Faris up to? He’s now repeated that he has no designs on a statewide office in 2010, thus scotching rumors that he’d like to run for secretary of state, an office where he schooled as Bill McCuen’s top aide, or perhaps treasurer. He apparently has told some that his grand plan — his gun nut resume now well-burnished — is to run for Congress in 2014 when Rep. Mike Ross runs for governor. On this issue, he’d be a “worthy” successor. He just needs to do a little public praying and whip up on some gay people and he’ll be good to go.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article Declaration of independence Next article Backward looking