Keep the Sunday ban

If the tables were turned and game hunting with weapons was allowed only one day a week, armed game hunters would be outraged and screaming and yelling about the unfairness and discrimination against them.

How dare the government outlaw hunting six out of seven days a week!

Well, fellow citizens, the truth is armed game hunters can legally hunt on public and private land six out of seven days a week.

It’s all the rest of us who have only one day a week, Sundays, to have peace and quiet and safe access to public and private lands.

The Virginia Constitution gives Virginians the right to hunt. It does not specify when, where, or the days of the week. It defers to the state legislature to enact rules and limitations on game hunting with arms. Currently, Virginia code bans armed game hunting on Sundays.

Only on Sundays do we have access to public and private land for enjoyment and sport, safe (allegedly) from bullets and arrows.

We taxpayers pay mandatory user fees to access certain public lands, e.g., wildlife management areas, and we generally use these public lands on Sundays, cautiously hopeful we won’t be shot by someone hunting illegally.

Revenue from these user fees would decrease should we not have safe access on Sundays.

But, don’t worry, be happy! The legislature has determined (method unknown) that Sunday hunting would draw huge numbers of out-of-state hunters, thus generating lots of revenue.

Wow. Think about it. Our legislature is blithely trumping us hardworking, taxpaying citizens with non-resident hunters.

Don’t forget that Sunday hunters will be on private land, too, disregarding posted signs just as they do now.

Think in terms of forfeiting your safe Sunday walks with family and pets, hiking, biking, bird watching, completing school assignments, or engaging in your preferred sport should the Sunday hunting ban be lifted or amended. Aren’t you glad you might be subsidizing someone else’s sport seven days a week while being denied relative safety one day a week to engage in your chosen sport or activity?

The inane reasons for lifting the Sunday hunting ban, e.g., we fish on Sundays (I’d like to know who fishes with high-powered rifles) are simply excuses to justify categorically denying taxpayers safe access to public and private land any day of the week during hunting season, possibly even 365 days a year.

Shouldn’t our legislators play fair and square on this and keep the current rule in place?

Let us keep our one day a week and the hunters can keep their six.

Contact your state delegate and senator and tell them not to lift or amend the current ban on Sunday hunting.

Nancy Treusch

Warrenton