The photo on the front page of the March 19 newspaper was most interesting and somewhat scary.

The article stated that tree cutters called the police when they saw the tattoo of a handgun on the belly of Michael Smith. Here’s the interesting part: Much more prominent on the bare upper body of Smith was the tattoo of a flame, much larger on the forearm than the tattoo of the gun on his belly. I’m just wondering, why didn’t the tree cutters call the fire department? Certainly it must have looked like Smith was on fire.

Now comes the scary part: The reaction of the police to the whole thing. Without even seeing a gun of any kind, the state police were taking full aim with an automatic assault rifle at Smith’s house. Had Smith walked out the door, would the very nervous state trooper have fired at him?

This incident reminded me of the Katherine Hegarty shooting in 1992. Seems that Hegarty, of Bingham, was awakened by Maine state troopers and Somerset County sheriffs and shot to death. Smith is a very lucky man indeed that history did not repeat itself.

I have often scoffed at the Second Amendment (right to have a gun) folks who seem paranoid about their guns being taken away. I’m beginning to understand them a little better, now.

Peter P. SiroisMadison


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