Fishing & Hunting KY Constitutional Amendment
Constitutional Amendment: Boom or Trap?
On November 6 Kentuckians will have the opportunity to vote on what has been termed an amendment to protect hunting. Many believe that there are coming threats to hunting and fishing rights. Possibly they are right but that begs the question as to whether this amendment will provide the wall of protection they seek. Maybe not.
If one considers why we have a constitution it becomes clear that its main purpose is to control government and see that it does not become tyrannical. The language commonly used to protect rights usually reads like “the government shall not make any laws contrary to the right of ‘blank.” It does not say that the government provides the right, the right is assumed; therefore the language is to protect the public from its government. Now let’s consider the language of this amendment.
Here is how it will appear on the November ballot: “Are you in favor of amending the Kentucky Constitution to state that the citizens of Kentucky have the personal right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife, subject to laws and regulations that promote conservation and preserve the future of hunting and fishing, and to state that public hunting and fishing shall be preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife?”
That sentence sounds very benign but one has to look further. This amendment guarantees nothing except that there will be more laws and regulations. These laws and regulations could just as easily be used against Kentuckians as for Kentuckians. The use of the word conservation is entirely ambiguous and opens the door to radical control of our forests. As to the rights its purports to save, those rights are already in place, the licensing regulations are already in place, nothing more needs to be done. This amendment is a trap.
I agree with you Tim_T . . Vote in favor of this amendment
[QUOTE=Tim_T;501506]Sorry I am a little late to the discussion. I have talked about this with officials at KDFWR and with Mark Nethery, president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen. This amendment doesn't really change anything. IMO the biggest thing it does is to guarantee that KDFWR will be the agency responsible for managing the state's fish and wildlife and it makes it clear that hunting and fishing are the most important means of managing wildlife. I will definitely be voting in favor of this amendment.[/QUOTE]
I feel this vote should be in favor for or "yes" as it is on the ballot! It favors all sportsman under the current system. We need to protect our rights for the future. Fish and wildlife has no hidden aggenda here. Our state funds for this department is driven by the purchase of fishing & hunting licenses as well as taxes from our purchasing fishing and hunting equipement. I don't believe it would be benifical for any sportsman to vote "no." I too have spoke with reresentitves and I feel that the the only entent is to insure our rights for the future. We [I]holders of licenses are the customers[/I] of the KDFWR and have our League of Kentucky Sportsmen [I]that have our backs.[/I] This just firms up our and our childrens rights for the future. I feel this alone is important!
Let's not have individuals and other groups with other motives take our rights away from us! Vote "Yes"!