In his Feb. 14 column, Doug Clark properly criticized a Veteran’s Arena policy whereby Sheriff Knezovich had to disarm before he could enter the arena. Clark posed a hypothetical in which an extremist brandished a firearm at the arena and began shooting. Clark asked whether Spokanites would prefer to hide under a seat praying not to be shot, or have the sheriff in the audience with his firearm, presumably to fire back.
But what if the sheriff (or any other officer) isn’t in attendance, or is across the arena away from the bad guy? Shouldn’t Spokanites have a choice other than to cower, pray for a rescuer and die violently? After all, Washington’s Constitution guarantees that its citizens have an individual right to carry firearms “in defense of himself, or the State,” Article I, Section 24.
Perhaps the needed policy change is to allow Spokanites to exercise their constitutional right to defend themselves.
Mike Wolfe
Spokane
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