Two high-profile attacks on joggers in Seattle parks over the past couple of months, the most recent being Wednesday afternoon, underscore why gun rights organizations and five individual citizens challenged the City of Seattle’s attempt to ban firearms in park facilities, an illegal act under this state’s preemption statute.
Yesterday's attack occurred in Colman Park. The earlier incident happened in October in Seward Park, and in that attack, the unidentified perpetrator was armed with a knife, according to the on-line Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
The man, armed with a knife, then grabbed the woman from behind and threw her to the ground. Police said he punched her several times, but the woman fought back and he ran into the park
Seattle Police are reportedly looking into the possibility that the two attacks are related. In both cases, single female joggers were grabbed from behind and wrestled to the ground. Seward and Colman parks are both on the west shore of Lake Washington, south of I-90.
Last year, the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, National Rifle Association, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Washington Arms Collectors and five private citizens sued the city in King County Superior Court over the ban, initiated by former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that the ban violates state law.
Judge Catherine Shaffer ruled from the bench that the gun ban, adopted under former Mayor Greg Nickels, violates Washington’s law, which placed sole authority for regulating firearms in the hands of the State Legislature. That law was adopted in 1983 and amended in 1985, and has served as a model for similar laws across the country.
The city has appealed, and arguments should occur sometime early in 2011.
The city maintains that parks will be safer if legally-armed citizens are kept out, or at least their guns are kept out. This column is sure that makes sense to joggers at Colman and Seward parks. It would be just awful if some knife-wielding attacker got shot by his next intended victim.
A 44-year-old woman was jogging in the park when someone came up from behind and grabbed her clothing. She fell to the ground, and her attacker got on top of her. But she kicked and screamed, managing to break free.
If these attacks are the work of the same individual, he’s going to strike again, and if history tells us anything about such assaults, he is likely to ramp up the violence.
If the City of Seattle wants to strike a blow against crime, maybe they ought to drop the ridiculous “Sanctuary City” policy and go after illegal aliens. According to the Seattle Times, the armed man shot by a Seattle police officer Tuesday night near Pioneer Square had been deported in 2008 after being convicted of a drug charge. That makes him an illegal alien, and that guarantees that he was not legally carrying that Ruger semi-automatic .22-caliber pistol with the 6-inch bull barrel and target sights that was in his waistband, pictured on the Seattle Police website report. Illegal aliens can’t get concealed pistol licenses.
The Times has tentatively identified the man, but since he hasn’t been charged – he is still in the hospital – this column will not name him.
Reports indicate the pistol was not loaded, but how was the police officer, identified by the Times as 20-year-veteran Chris Myers, supposed to know that? A review board will look at the circumstances, but this has the earmarks of a justifiable shooting.
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Comments
Who was William H. Seward? President Lincoln's Park Director?
"...But there is a higher law than the Constitution, which regulates our authority over the domain, and devotes it to the same noble purposes. The territory is a part, no inconsiderable part, of the common heritage of mankind, bestowed upon them by the Creator if the universe. We are his stewards, and must so discharge our trust as to secure in the highest attainable degree their happiness. How momentous that trust is, we may learn from the instructions of the founder of modern philosophy:
"No man," says Bacon, "can by care-taking, as the Scripture saith, add a cubit to his stature in this little model of a man's body; but, in the great frame of kingdoms and commonwealths, it is in the power of princes or estates to add amplitude and greatness to their kingdoms. For, by introducing such ordinances, constitutions, and customs, as are wise, they may sow greatness to their posterity and successors. But these things are commonly not observed, but left to take their chance."
This is a state, and we are deliberating for it, just as our fathers deliberated in establishing the institutions we enjoy. Whatever superiority there is in our condition and hopes of those over any other "kingdom" or "estate," is due to the fortunate circumstance that our ancestors did not leave things to "take their chance," but that they "added amplitude and greatness" to our commonwealth "by introducing such ordinances, constitutions, and customs, as were wise." We in our term have succeeded to the same responsibilities, and we cannot approach the duty before us wisely or justly, except we raise ourselves to the great consideration of how we can most certainly "sow greatness to our posterity and successors."
LB:
Do you suppose you might try to remain on topic with these posts? It would be appreciated.
And yet just today (12/9/2010) I saw "No Firearms" signs at the Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave S. It was clearly labeled a "Park". I was troubled by this but not surprised.
I thought the subject matter Was Seward Park?
Speech on the New Kansas Bill, discussing the 2nd Amendment? July 2 1856
"...I stand now by my own bill, which I maintain to be preferable to the last bill of the Committee, as it was to the first. Some honor Senators seem to think that it is unreasonable that I do not give up my own bill, and come down and accept the new one, which they are inclined to treat as a compromise between my own bill for the immediate admission of Kansas, under the Topeka Constitution, and the first bill of the Committee on Territories. Why should I surrender my own bill? If it was wise, just, and necessary, when I presented it to the Senate, it is as just, wise, and necessary now. It was wise, just, and necessary then, if the circumstances under which the Constitution of Kansas was adopted were then truly stated and set forth by me, in my argument delivered in the Senate. In making that argument, I had to rely on probable evidence, for no other evidence then existed. Now, a Committee of the House of Representatives, after having diligently inquired on oath, have ascertained and confirmed the truth of the circumstances of Kansas which Ithen assumed. I state those circumstances anew, on the present occasion, in the moderate and guarded conclusions of the Committee of the House of Representatives:
"Spurious and pretended Legislative, Judicial, and Executive officers have been set over them, by whose usurped authority, sustained by the military power of the Government, tyrannical and unconstitutional laws have been enacted and enforced:
The rights of the people to keep and bear arms have been infringed..."
It was a Seward Family Tradition?
William Henry Seward Jr.
Seward, the son of Lincoln's Secretary of State, was born 18 June 1839 in Auburn, New York. He was educated at home and became interested in finance. He worked as a store clerk and as secretary to his father when the elder Seward was a US Senator. In 1861 the younger Seward, in partnership with Clinton McDougall, opened a private bank in Auburn. He abandoned banking in order to serve during the Civil War.
Seward joined the 138th New York Infantry regiment as a lieutenant colonel on 22 August 1862. The 138th mustered into US service on 6 September 1862 and left New York on 12 September and upon arriving in Washington was assigned to garrison duty in the Washington defenses. The regiment was re-designated the 9th New York Heavy Artillery on 9 December 1862. On 12 August 1863, four companies of the 9th NY under Seward's command were assigned to Fort Foote, a nearly completed water battery of eight 200-pounder Parrott rifles and two 15-inch guns situated to protect the water approach to Washington. It was located six miles below the city, on a commanding bluff 100 feet above the Maryland shore of the Potomac River.
The Secretary of State often visited his son at the fort, on one occasion, 20 August 1863, accompanied by President Lincoln and a number of high-ranking army officers. On 18 May 1864 Seward, along with the 9th NY, was relieved of garrison duty and ordered to report to the Army of the Potomac in the field. Seward fought at North Anna and Cold Harbor. He was promoted to colonel and given command of the regiment on 10 June 1864. He and his regiment were sent to delay Jubal Early's drive on Washington. Seward was slightly wounded at Monocacy and broke his leg when his horse fell. On 13 September 1864, while still recuperating, he was promoted to brigadier general. He returned to duty in West Virginia as the commander of the 1st brigade, 3rd division in the Department of West Virginia.
Seward resigned on 1 June 1865 and returned to Auburn and the banking industry. He was active in political, charitable, veterans', and historical organizations up until his death on 26 April 1920.
About two years ago I emailed the seattle city lawyer to complain that the signs in occidental park just S of pioneer square were a violation of ...300 he replied that licensed individuals were "an exception" and when I replied that there was no way to know that because it wasn't posted and that this violated ...300 the silence became deafening. I fwd'd to the mayors office and predictably got silence. I talked with Sen. Roach about it but didn't follow up because it was an election cycle for her and work was swamped for me. But they know they violate the law, the law is for us not them.
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