Gun rights discussed at council meeting

    The Washington City Council heard citizen feedback on a resolution to ban guns from public buildings. Under the proposed resolution, guns could not be brought into public buildings without the mayor or police chief?s consent. At its Jan. 19 meeting, the council voted to table the resolution. At Wednesday?s meeting, no one on the council motioned to untable the resolution.

    Scott Clark and Seth Cornwell, both of Wellman, urged the council not to pass the resolution.

    Clark began his remarks by saying, ?I?d like to explain to the city council why passing this resolution is offensive to me and other law-abiding citizens.?

    Clark then asked the councilors if any of them had met him before. Clark said that, judging by the silence, he would take that as a ?no.?

    ?If you don?t know me, why are you so quick to judge me?? he asked them. ?I believe the county board and the city councils suffer from a fear of change, a fear of the unknown, and strangest of all, a fear of their fellow citizens and neighbors. To me, that makes this resolution not entirely about firearms. I feel that this is a resolution of distrust. I?m more upset that someone who has proven to be a law-abiding citizen by Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar, is not trusted to carry firearms in your city parks and your city buildings. If I were Sheriff Dunbar, I would be offended that my word and professional opinion were not good enough for you.?

    After Clark spoke, it was Cornwell?s turn.

    ?I?m a law-abiding citizen who is exercising his right to keep and bear arms,? said Cornwell. ?This right will be infringed upon if this resolution is passed. The Second Amendment affirms this fundamental right of the people to keep and bear arms.?

For more on this article, see Thursday's edition of The Journal.  

See Friday?s edition of The Journal for more coverage of this city council meeting.