I take issue with Paul Feiner's comments in his letter regarding the recent use of the Empire State Plaza Convention Center for a gun show ("Gun show sends wrong message," Feb. 1).
For the record, I didn't attend, but the writer's comments suggested New York is sending the wrong message to people attending the show.
What message? The convention center is a common-use facility, funded by taxpayers, those who own guns and those who do not. While I appreciate that not everyone enjoys or supports every activity that is held at a public facility, it seems ill-advised for one group to designate what others can legally do there.
If we start censoring the use of publicly funded facilities, it is a slippery slope. Soon we'll be saying that upstate auto dealers or monster trucks can't use the convention center because carbon monoxide is bad for the environment, or builders can't hold a home show because trees are cut down for lumber to build houses.
Why are hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts attending a gun show any different?
Where do we draw the line?
Part of the problem with recent, in some cases horrible, events is that more measured approaches should have been thoroughly considered rather than knee-jerk "fixes" being rushed through in the dark of night based on one-sided opinions.
RUSTY BASCOM
Guilderland