A different perspective

This is written to provide a different perspective for Nancy Treusch and her letter entitled “Keep the Sunday Ban,” which appeared in the Feb 1 Times-Democrat.

I understand the concern for the safety and well being of fellow Virginians, and I certainly share the desire to enjoy the bountiful natural resources many like us have come to adore about living in Virginia.

But there are some points that I think Ms. Treusch may be overlooking.

Like most Virginians I work exceptionally hard to provide for my family. Mondays through Fridays have always been working days for me, and with my 86-mile commute to Washington, D.C. daily, my arrival home is always well past legal and ethical hunting light.

Lately, I have been fortunate to have an employer that allows me the luxury of having both my Saturdays and my Sundays free to do as I see fit. Furthermore, I have a wife who has allowed me the privilege to hunt on my lone free day – Saturday (Thank you honey.)

I am fortunate – others are not.

Saturday for many Virginians is simply another workday, and the ability to hunt comes as more of a holiday than a routine. Quite honestly, that’s just not fair to many ethical, morale, safe taxpayers who want to hunt legally, if even for a few hours.

A vote to support Sunday hunting is about the freedom to choose and the freedom to pursue your passions when you can, because for a majority of Virginians, far more real-life demands limit our pursuit of happiness than a baseless state law prohibiting hunting on Sunday.

Allowing hunting on Sunday empowers people to better balance their lives by giving them the full range of the week for work, leisure and family without the handicap of a six-day week.

Ms. Treusch’s letter dwelt on seven days, but failed to realize or consider that the seventh day may be the only day that a father and son, husband and wife, or grandfather and grandson can find the time to share a deer stand, walk the fields with their Labrador or chase squirrels with their Christmas-gifted rifle.

As I understand the letter, the concern is on the perception that hunters are dangerous, rude and thoughtlessly noisy people who would be disturbing a non-hunter’s experience. I think that might be, pardon the expression, jumping the gun a little

Hunters and gun owners in general are law-abiding people. In fact, gun ownership and the sport of hunting accounts for fewer accidental fatalities and injuries than driving on the commute to get to a favorite public land in the first place.

By that logic, you would save more lives and enhance your personal pleasures of our public land by rationing drivers to a six-day-a-week allowance.

As far as noise goes, no successful hunter is noisy, and those who insist on making a racket soon pursue other activities like tennis, hockey or rodeos where noise is highly encouraged.

I urge you to not only support unlimited hunting in Virginia, but also to reach out to your local Virginians who hunt to understand us as neighbors, co-workers, friends and fellow Americans.

We love our freedoms and our natural resources just as passionately as you do, and we promote the pursuit of safe, ethical and legal activities.

In fact, we value these things so much that we are the largest private funding source for the state to acquire, maintain and police the public land we all enjoy.

Enjoy your activities on any day, and allow us to do the same. After all, times are tough and anything that we can do to smile just a little bit more is good for everyone, even on Sunday.

James G. Pinsky

Remington