Must I get shot before Horry County acts on sensible gun laws?

The Horry County Council Safety Committee has declined to propose a new county ordinance to regulate the discharge of guns on private property in unincorporated areas. As a home owner’s association resident impacted by a neighbor not living within the boundaries of my HOA, I was told by the sheriffs department there was nothing I could do about the neighbor shooting into the back of the berm on my property unless my property or I were harmed.

Later, a bullet entered a neighbor’s window. The perpetrator was apprehended and adequately punished.

Now, I ask you. Is this reasonable? Is it reasonable that I should fear for my safety in my backyard without any legal recourse? Is it reasonable to fear a bullet could ricochet and travel in an unintended direction? Is it reasonable to believe all gun shooters are responsible, reasonable and sober? Is it reasonable to expect to walk in one’s neighborhood and not feel safe? Is it reasonable to expect the County Council to mandate gun safety laws for Horry County residents like me, as five other municipalities within Horry County have done, barring the discharge of weapons?

As an Horry County resident living on S.C. 90, I thank Councilman Johnny Vaught and the Infrastructure and Regulation Committee for listening to residents and directing an alternative site to the Solid Waste Authority property for an outdoor shooting range. Our voices were heard; thus, we respectfully request that County Council vigorously pursue a new ordinance to regulate the discharge of firearms on private property in unincorporated areas.

Our voices matter and our votes count. We the people must be heard and our views considered in determining meaningful, reasonable gun safety laws.

The writer lives in Conway.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Must I get shot before Horry County acts on sensible gun laws?."