Letter to the Editor – “what goes up…must come down”.
January 5th, 2012 by Submitted
We have all heard the saying that “what goes up…must come down”. For some reason, there are those people who do not believe this saying (or the law of gravity) applies to bullets fired into the air from a gun during the course of celebration. Over the New Year’s Eve holiday, a stray bullet pierced the hood of my car parked three feet away from my house during someone’s trigger happy celebration. There was also another incident in the Monticello area where a stray bullet went through someone’s roof and stopped in the family’s headboard where the parents were asleep in that bed with their small child. And this isn’t the first year this has happened.
While discussing this experience with several friends, I was astonished to hear educated professionals tell me that the hole in my car could not be from a bullet being shot into the air because a bullet shot “up” doesn’t fall back down in one piece. This assumption got me to thinking how important it is to educate people that “what goes up…must come down” and innocent children are killed on a daily basis from stray bullets.
A fellow colleague of mine who served in Afghanistan told me that during her two tours, our soldiers focused on educating the locals on the dangers of shooting into the air due to the number of innocent people being killed as a result of their “celebrations”. Maybe this reminder could help our locals.
Considering Monticello is currently facing other issues relating to car break-ins and house burglaries (which I’ve also been a victim of this past year), worrying about our children dying from a stray bullet should not be an issue. I recently moved back to Monticello from Central Arkansas because I wanted to raise my children in an environment where they would feel safe. I’m sadden by the facts that in less than six months someone has broken into my car and stolen my belongings and that a stray bullet has damaged my car. I feel that everyone needs to be reminded that guns are not toys and should not be used for celebrating. Not only is it illegal to discharge a firearm in city limits, it is irresponsible. If someone is going to use a firearm, they should be properly educated on where, when and how to use it or else the next time a family is victimized by a stray bullet, they may not be as lucky as my family was.
Sincerely,
MLive Reader
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Not only at celebrations are firearms shot though. I live in a neighborhood that has a similar situation. Only our shooter has a “permit”(?) to shoot at squirrels in the backyard. All of this happening within city limits…..just a matter of time before someone gets it other than the little furry squirrel.