How Far Does Right to Bear (Fire)Arms Go?

One Wildwood resident cited his U.S. Constitutional rights as a reason no further gun-related restrictions should be placed on the city's citizens at a held at Wildwood City Hall Tuesday evening. The so the municipality's staff and Administration/Public Works Committee members could hear various viewpoints about .

Changes about restricting the type of firearms that could be used east of Missouri Route 109 within were , a self-professed hunter.

"I'm a NRA (National Rifle Association) member, and I'm here (at the public hearing) because I believe in my Amendment rights to guns," said Jim O'Connor, a Wildwood resident who lives off Fox Mountain Road. "And I believe in the American heritage to hunt."

The "right to bear arms" comes from the enumeration that U.S. citizens have a personal right to firearms for individual use, and a collective right to bear arms in a militia. The phrase "right of the people to keep and bear Arms" was first used in the text of the United States Bill of Rights, which came into law as the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

O'Connor said there had been some shooting-related problems in the subdivision in which he lives. "My neighbor discharged his gun and damaged my property. He is not shooting from the required 450 feet distance away from another residence that's in Wildwood's codes.

"The police have not and will not enforce the rules. Why are you trying to propose additional regulations when they can't enforce what's on the books already?"

O'Connor said no one can truly predict how far a bullet will travel, so it's imperative that everyone be sure they are "shooting down" at the ground. "Most hunters know that," he said. "Guns are safe, just all depends on how you use them."

After nearly all people had left Tuesday's public hearing but before the overall committee meeting had adjourned, committee members asked Capt. Kenneth Williams about the incident referenced by O'Connor. Williams said the matter had been fully investigated.

"His property was struck, no doubt. But there were no witnesses and no way to substantiate the claims that it was done by his neighbor," said Williams. "We interviewed the neighbor, who denied any involvement."

Williams said there was an independent interaction about subdivision trustee issues between the two neighbors that led to lawsuits, which may have had some bearing on the matter.

Gun-related discussions in Wildwood come during the same week organizers will host the 141st National Rifle Association annual meeting in St. Louis. Registration for the convention and banquet begins Thursday afternoon. More than 500 exhibitors covering 340,000 square feet of exhibit hall space at America's Center will be available. Components of the meeting include educational seminars, celebrities and special events. Attendance is projected to be 70,000-plus. The meeting concludes at 5 p.m. Sunday.