December 31, 2002
Have Gun, Will Party
As part of the ongoing efforts to make the annual New Year's Eve celebration in Pioneer Courthouse Square a "family-friendly" affair, those in charge have cleared the way for residents to bring their firearms:
Good news for Second Amendment absolutists: It's OK to pack your pistola to the New Year's Eve Party at Pioneer Courthouse Square, provided you have a concealed-weapons permit. Still, Joel Miller of the Oregon Firearms Federation was not happy with the way he learned this news, which came in a voicemail from Deputy City Attorney Harry Auerbach. Auerbach said a reveler would have to be either "insane," "evil" or "nutty" to bring a handgun to the New Year's bash, according to a tetchy letter Miller fired off to city commissioners.
I don't know about the "evil" part, but at the risk of sparking a Web-based onslaught of gun supporters, I'll back the "insane" and "nutty" characterizations.