TWP OF RAISINS. — Local GOP members and their youth gathered Saturday morning at the Lenawee County Conservation League for a youth shooting event to have fun and learn about gun safety.
Last year, local Republican Ken Straup started the event as a way to reward kids who knock on doors and meet potential voters. Straup said that this year he opened the event to all children. Six children registered. Two appeared.
Tara Bowe, 12, of Blissfield came with her father, Daryl. She came to the event last year and had a great time. She said that she was looking forward to practicing a bit for when she goes hunting with her grandfather.
Clayton Thoroughman, 12, of Garden City also came last year. Clayton was a bit shy, but he nodded when asked if he was excited about the event. He came with his father, Joe.
Clayton is the grandson of Tim Watters, pastor of Bible Holiness Church in Blissfield and a member of the village council. Joe is Watters’ son-in-law.
Watters said he feels the GOP has had some solid victories at the local level, but he doesn’t like the direction the country is heading under the Biden administration. Watters said he voted for Kevon Martis, R-Riga, for the District 7 Lenawee County Commission seat. There will be a recount in that race because there was a difference of just four votes between incumbent Jim Goetz, R-Blissfield and Martins.
“Locally, I feel like we’re bringing in some folks who I think will be fiscally responsible, and of course believe in what we’re doing here today, our Second Amendment,” Watters said. “We realize there is a huge attack on our Second Amendment rights as citizens and we are just here to help our young people learn how to use a firearm and teach them safety.”
The sergeant of the Police Department of the municipality of raisins. Dan Hall emphasized that safety was of the utmost importance when coming into contact with weapons.
“It seems that there are fewer children involved in hunting activities and firearms with the family. So they lack the training on what a firearm can do and how to handle a firearm safely, and I think that leads directly to these accidental shootings that we’ve seen with kids,” Hall said.
County Commissioner Dustin Krasny, R-Cambridge Twp., was also in attendance. Krasny was appointed to fill the vacancy left by John Lapham last year and was unopposed in the District 2 Republican primary. He has thus far been unchallenged in his race for a full term. District 2 covers the townships of Cambridge, Rome, and Woodstock.
Krasny said he is an avid outdoorsman and hunter and fully supports the Second Amendment. He remembered going deer and squirrel hunting with his father when he was a child.
“It is one of the great gifts that we have been blessed with in the state of Michigan which is to have one of the most outstanding outdoor areas, and for this event to bring kids to show them our hunting and fishing heritage, it is a special morning. Krasny said, noting that he felt Second Amendment rights were under attack. “To show these kids the proper and safe handling and form of firearms… It’s great to be here and thanks to the Lenawee Republican Party for putting on this event.”