Loren Culp doesn’t understand state constitution

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 19, 2020

It was interesting that Loren Culp got into the governor’s race because he didn’t want to enforce the initiative passed by the majority of citizens that prohibited citizens under the age of 21 from buying semi-automatic rifles. Police Chief Culp, of the town of Republic, said it was “unconstitutional.”

He may think so, but, it is the will of the people, and state law, until the courts rule it unconstitutional. He cites Section 1 of the state constitution saying government is to protect individual rights, but he doesn’t include the reference in that section to “consent of the governed,” and in this case, the consent of the governed was given to limit those rifle sales to those over 21.

This is like so many years ago on my last visit to Republic when smoking in restaurants was finally prohibited statewide, and we went into one to eat, and many scofflaws were still smoking in violation without restriction or consequence. We left, as we had gotten used to eating in places where food didn’t taste like tobacco.

It appears that Chief Culp feels similarly about face masks as can be seen in pictures of his Leavenworth rally, people were free to breathe on others, who could then carry a virus home. He and Tim Eyman pointed out the governor of South Dakota did not mandate face masks, but remember Washington has a higher population density than South Dakota. Also note Ferry County, where Republic is, has low density.

The State of Washington needs bigger majority thinking for its large population sharing the land.

Bill Severson

Stanwood