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the blaze orange issue has left the public with the impression that blaze orange is a panacea. Public discussion has shifted away from the very heart of the matter - a hunter must assume responsibility for the gun in his hand.
There is widespread agreement that the time for drastic improvement in hunter safety has long since passed. We may see a blaze orange bill of some sort passed by the General Assembly next year. But if we do, we must be absolutely sure that we don’t stop there. Human lives are too sacred for us to stand idly by. The situation calls for a more comprehensive approach than blaze orange atone would offer. Hunters need to be educated, and punished fairly yet firmly if they take the life of another.
I have again introduced my • hunter education bill. I will continue to work for its passage. And while I cannot speak for my colleagues, I believe that if the House is convinced that hunter safety reform will encompass other, more positive changes, some form of blaze orange may pass.
The problems associated with hunter safety are too complex to be addressed adequately by simply mandating blaze orange.
Our dilemma lies in effectively providing long term improvement without passing laws that we cannot enforce. Only a comprehensive program can provide the real, long term improvement that the sport needs.
DEL. A. VICTOR THOMAS,
17th District
89.9%