To the Editor:

First of all, I am appalled that the state of Ohio doesn't have stronger restrictions on hunting in townships throughout the state. In the article that appeared in The Post on Feb. 4, as I read it, Reinhardt was objecting to hunting in a neighborhood - not objecting to hunting itself as a letter-writer wrote in his letter to the editor titled "Personal opinions should not dictate hunting laws" in the Feb. 11 edition of The Post.

I also live in Montville Township and can assure you I would not have moved here had I known my neighbors could be out shooting off bow and arrows or guns right next door to me on our two-acre lots in my subdivision. Of the 20 or so houses on my street, 90 percent of them have small children.

Reinhardt was dead-on with asking the state to enact a minimum acreage for hunting. I agree that five acres should at least be the minimum, and 10 would be even better! I for one do not want to be outside with my family only to risk being hit by a stray bullet or arrow. Apparently the state has not reviewed laws since the wild west days and the letter-writer completely misread the point of the original article. The article was about safety in our neighborhoods where we have children and pets.

There was no mention in the original article about target shooting on your property or about a "personally unpleasant incident" that the letter-writer refers to, so I am not sure how he pulled that information from the original article. I went back and reread the original article because I had planned to write a letter to the paper in support of Reinhardt's efforts. Did I miss something that the letter-writer refers to? Perhaps he is a friend of the neighborhood hunter?

As for the letter-writer's assertions that Reinhardt should consider the rights of his neighbor, why aren't we all baffled by this? The right of someone in Rustic Hills or in Blue Heron Estates or Turnberry or others in Montville Township should be the right to live without the fear that you or your children are going to get shot and killed while playing outside on a beautiful fall morning.

What will it take for our state to review the laws and revise them to protect our rights to live in a neighborhood safely? Don't tell me we have to wait for someone else to get killed for our voices to be heard! After all, we can all recall the poor Amish child that was killed last year by a stray bullet that was shot off by a man cleaning his gun a mile away. Keep the hunting to where there is a safe distance from houses in a neighborhood. Don't continue to put human lives at risk.

There is one line from last week's letter that I actually agree with: "personal feelings should not a law make." I agree, laws should be made and enacted to protect the citizens of our wonderful state and keep us safe from harms way. Let's enact those laws!

Kelly Patton

Montville Township