Posted
8/19/2004 05:29:00 PM
by Douglas
Why do game wardens need fully-automatic military rifles? They just
do, and why are you asking so many questions?
Texas game wardens are about to get some new weapons - surplus M-16s from the military.
Col. James Stinebaugh, director of the Texas Wildlife and Parks Department, said the federal government decided to donate the surplus rifles to law enforcement agencies.
The state will have to pay for training for the game wardens. All of the more than 400 game wardens in the state are expected to receive the rifles within the next few weeks.
The M-16s will replace mini M-14 rifles wardens now have.
"The only difference is it has selector on it, which would allow it to be fired full automatic instead of semiautomatic," Stinebaugh said.
A TWPD official in the Rio Grande Valley said the weapons will help game wardens along the coast who encounter people who are well-armed.
Obviously I have no idea what a game warden does, because I can't possibly imagine a situation where a warden enforcing fishing and/or hunting laws would need that much firepower. And even if they did, one warden with an M-16 isn't going to out-gun your average East-Texas hunting excursion, which typically carries more weapons and ammo than a 19th century militia.
But if the Army
truly wants to be charitable, why not give surplus weapons to those that could actually use them? Say, for example, public school teachers?