A REAL HEAD SCRATCHER

Reading the news about North Dakota’s Legislative body from leading N.D. newspapers across the state is what provokes anyone to stare off into space, shake your head and wonder “what in the sam hill are they thinking?” Or more to the point, what world do these one hundred year century code old decision makers actually live in? Or, more to the point, do these people working on legislation, supposedly for the benefit of North Dakota tax payers, believe whatever they decide will be respected and accepted by the people who pay their salaries and elect them to their positions of representing them? Granted for much of North Dakota’s history that I’ve witnessed in over thirty years, much of that has happened. But that was before state wide radio talk shows with educated and aggressive talk show hosts who bring these absurd, pre 1970’s “morality” based legislative whims to the forefront for all their listeners and voters to hear about and ask themselves “is this what I really believe or agree with?” And that’s not even taking into account all the social media and bloggers and freelance editorials written and discussed over the internet.

In the last month the North Dakota Legislature has brought about more than one totally inane piece of legislature after another. Beginning with the most offensive and egregious, (at least in the opinion of this writer) the “we’ll show the feds” House Bill 1183. This is a bill that poses every law enforcement officer in the entire state of North Dakota at odds, to say the least, with any federal officer, law enforcement agent or authority by not allowing North Dakota law enforcement personnel to assist the feds in enforcing federal firearm laws passed after 2013.

So once again, the legislators of North Dakota have decided to “take on” a national entity –but this time it isn’t about nick- naming rights for a university. No—this time it’s putting all your police officers, state troopers, state security officers, administrative officers, you name it, if they wear a badge and are employed by the state of North Dakota the legislature wants them to ignore all Federal law enforcement agencies they work hand in hand with, count of for grants and monies needed to hire more North Dakota officers, continue community based policing, share data bases to find and arrest criminals, as well as an assortment of cooperative and needed assistance from those who work within the Federal government.

Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney as well as Fargo City Police Chief Keith Ternes have both gone before this body of ultra conservative, NRA die-hards and told them this is NOT a bill either support. Now, ask yourself: does anyone believe either of these men—both well respected and lauded by their officers, as well as those they protect— the CITIZENS in their communities,

is in favor of anyone losing their “constitutional right” to buy, own and use guns or the 2nd Amendment? OF COURSE NOT.

As for Rep. Jim Kasper, a republican from Fargo and Republican Senator Joe Miller of Park River a tiny ice berg village in northern North Dakota have been the loudest and apparent mouth pieces for this anti-federal piece of legislative idiocy who are also backing House Bill 1224, repealing several sections of N.D. state laws dealing with concealed weapons, I have a question for each of you. You, Mr. Miller and Mr. Kasper and Republican Chair Al Carlson among others in the N.D. Legislature fought how long against the NCAA’s mandate to change the “Fighting Sioux” moniker, spending enough of the taxpayers money to feed all of Haiti for years in litigation all to finally realize that just because you live in some ego inflated fantasy world you all seemingly have envisioned for North Dakota you each so fervently profess to love and “serve,” that long, expensive battle with the NCAA didn’t work out so well for you, did it? And now you think you can win against the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT when your very own law enforcement professional do not agree with the bills you brought forward?

Until three years ago, over half the people living outside of the Midwest but within the remaining forty or so states had never so much as considered North Dakota as a place they would vacation never mind move to. The oil patch boom and magnitude of the explosion of new people moving to ND for jobs, bringing with them the possibilities of new beginnings and permanency to enable the state to regenerate the small as well as larger towns has brought hope and new prosperity to the entire state, primarily in the western half of North Dakota. While at the same time, these same places are experiencing growth at such an enormous pace and with an influx of people who have spent much of their lives not necessarily on the “right side” of the law. Most have guns. Many have past criminal histories and alcohol abuse is not just a bad habit, it’s a way of life. To describe Williston and Dickinson and most of the smaller communities surrounding both these two cities as anything but “the wild west revived” would be to misjudge what is really happening every day and night out there. No one, not Sheriff Laney, Chief Ternes, President Obama or any one serving within an agency of the Federal government, or me wants to nullify or eliminate anyone’s right to own a gun for protection or hunting or even just because they think they need or want one. But to tie the hands of North Dakota’s law enforcement people in any manner that will effectively hamper all of North Dakota’s law enforcement officers and administrators, not to mention position an officer from arresting a criminal or preventing an officer from possibly being shot due to a few extremists who will fight against anything related to “liberals,” or the re-elected President is not only ill advised and totally wrong it smacks of lunacy. And it would seem to me, when crazy, irrational legislators make and pass laws that hurt but do not enhance the lives of the people they aim to serve while at the same time putting at risk any law enforcement person, regardless what agency they work for, it’s time the citizens seriously rethink their choice of people to represent them.

In the interest of “full disclosure” I freely admit in having more than a passing interest in why North Dakota House Bills 1183 and 1224. We have a child who serves as a police officer in an area that has seen more action and much of it violent in nature the last three years. I have always backed our local police and sheriff department officers. Unfortunately, they don’t make policy, but instead are reliant on elected officials who have an understanding about what they do, who and what they face every day on the job. A job they all risk their own lives to do. The least the public can do is elect people into office who care enough to find out just what these people who do protect the majority of us and who risk their lives for all of us and are the professionals on the street who understand what is really happening before allowing unaware, arm-chair “constitutionalists’” who simply sit in a chamber every two years thumping their chests and passing laws that can and will have life and death repercussions.

I can’t help but wonder when was the last time Jim Kasper, Joe Miller or any of the others who felt a need to confirm HB 1183 or 1224 spent any time riding with a police officer in Williston or Dickinson? Go ride with the officers in these towns for a week. You might actually learn a lot more than you apparently know now.

Comments & questions can be sent to: sooasheim@aol.com or Soo Asheim, P.O.Box 123, Fargo, ND., 58107. Letters to the editor can be sent to Tammy Finney at tfinney@ncppub.com