044-ljncwtef Farming, Saturday, Octobe 22, 1994
Tom Ridge says “no”
to more gun bans
“Federal law goes far enough,” he says.
Crime laws should put focuson criminals, not guns, Tom Ridge told folks at clay
bird shoot in Northumberland county. Here he visits with Dr. Charles Bolgiano,
left, executive vice president of Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, and Vernon
Ross, Ridge sportsmen advisor.
by Keith Masser
The gun debate evaporated for
me a couple of Saturdays ago at
Martz Game Farm near Dalmatia.
Some sportsmen put on a shoot,
with guest of honor ex-infantryman
Tom Ridge.
This guy from Erie learned about
guns the hard way, as a mud slogging
noncom assigned to a rifle platoon
in Vietnam. His best friend was
a Ml 6 semi automatic rifle.
And it was in a firefight with the
Vietcong that Tom won his Bronze
Star for Valor.
Is he a gunner? You bet.
I like most of Ridge’s farm
policies. But that day at Martz’s
I wanted to talk firearms. Mine
and my neighbors.
So there I was, potato farmer
Keith Masser, shooting clay birds
with the Republican candidate for
governor.
How does he really stand on gun
control? I picked up his thinking in
bits and pieces.
1. We must take a tougher stance
on crime. Ridge says. That’s
basically why he voted for that
federal crime bill.
2. Ridge will veto any gun ban
that crosses his desk as governor.
Ag Coalition for
RIDGE/ SCSWEIKER
Fanners for Ridge, Dennis Grumbine, chairman.
Agribusiness for Ridge, Mike Brubaker, chairman.
Ad Authorized by Ridge for Governor Committee
Ad paid by Pennsylvania Ag Republicans
Dan Cook, chairman
“The federal law goes far enough,’*
Ridge told me. “I will not tolerate any
further control of the law-abiding citizens
right to own firearms. You have my
commitment on this.”
One Ridge priority as governor An
instantaneous check system to prevent
sale of firearms to criminals.
Both sportsmen and the National
Rifle Association support this.
And guess what? Ridge has the
strong support of Dr. Alan S. Krug,
NRA’s head man in Pennsylvania.
Krug has no time for Mark Singel.
“He’s the leader of anti-gun forces,”
Krug says.
Lou Hoffman, editor and publisher
of Pennsylvania Sportsman, also
supports Ridge. “If you hunt,” he says
in an editorial, “you must vote for Tom
Ridge - it’s that simple.”
And Ridge has won a ringing en
dorsement from Unified Sportsmen of
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Potato grower Keith Masser, Schuylkill
county, had chance to talk gun control
with Ridge at shoot
Pennsylvania with its 90,000 members.
Ridge can count on my support, too.
Here’s a guy who had an A rating from
NRA and voted against all anti-gun
bills in Congress for 12 years.
I’ll stick with Tom Ridge.