I-1639 Notes From The Anacortes Ferry Line
During the maybe 60 hours over 14 days that I collected signatures for I-1639, I walked about 48 miles along the Anacortes and Guemes ferry lines and taking round trips on the Lopez-Orcas-Shaw and the Friday Harbor ferries.
Below are my notes from some of the conversations I had with people while they were signing:
The Orcas gun owner who read the text for 20 minutes, then explained the safe storage provisions to me and why they were a good idea.
The retired forest ranger who had been an NRA safety instructor for 25 years who said better gun safety is sorely needed.
The San Juan Police detective on his motorcycle waiting for the ferry who said he carried a semi-automatic weapon and would be much happier if the police were the only ones who did.
The woman who said “Give me that right away! Not a minute too soon! My nephew is 18 and he just bought an AK-47. There is no way that boy should have that gun!”
The gun-owner father of a young Everett policewoman who read the text for ten minutes to see how it would effect the police. He concluded it would be good for the police and he, his wife, and their policewoman daughter all signed.
The man who told me he was both retired military and retired police who signed and passed it to his wife so she could too.
The woman who told me her friend and neighbor had been shot and murdered last week.
The retired military officer who said semi-automatic weapons should only be used in a military setting with military training and supervision, as he signed.
The four separate public school teachers who told me they were terribly worried and uncomfortable and that they have been told they must be trained to “run, hide and fight.”
The elderly lady who softly said to her hesitating husband, “It’s just sensible.” They both signed.
The elderly gentleman parked in the ferry line who told me as he was signing he remembered taking the ferry in 1939 when it was the Black Ball line and left from the end of Commercial Avenue. (This just impressed me.)
The guy in the next line who overheard me explaining the initiative to a man quietly standing outside his car and started yelling, “Common sense! Common sense! It’s just common sense!” I asked the man I was talking to, “Do you know that guy?” and he said, “No.” I said, “Did he convince you?” He said, “Yes,” and signed.
The many, many people who told me they were gun owners and wanted safer gun laws.
The dozens of people who said “How about raising the age to 121?” And smiled like they were the first to think of it.
There were also people who couldn’t or didn’t sign:
The countless Canadians and many Brits, Germans and Australians who said they did not have this problem and did not understand why we do.
All of the out-of-staters including from Alabama, Florida, Texas, Missouri, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Colorado (that I can remember) who said they wished they could sign.
The Missouri couple who asked me if I knew how Wyatt Earp cleaned up Dodge City and said, “He took away the guns!” (I have no independent verification on this).
The NRA member and self-described Idaho survivalist who chose not to sign, but warmly and sincerely told me he respected me for caring enough to get out and work for something I believed in.
And then there were the unexpected presents:
The countless smiles, “Thank you’s!” “We’re with you’s!” “Good on You’s” and “Keep on going’s!” I heard all day long.
Two pieces of chocolate from two separate people (one dark, one milk).
A sugar donut
A stick of really good incense
And the guy who took out his wallet and wanted to give me $5 (which I did not take!)
And finally, only once did I hear an expletive directed at me. It shook me, though, and when a friendly woman two cars down motioned she wanted to sign, I told her, “I need a minute, the guy up ahead just said “blank you” to me.” She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Well, what’s the opposite of that? Love? I love you. I love you.”
NOTE: Kathleen is a member of Safe and Sane Skagit and was the top volunteer signature gatherer in Washington State for I-1639, ‘Safe Schools, Safe Communities’ and collected 888 signatures.
Below are my notes from some of the conversations I had with people while they were signing:
The Orcas gun owner who read the text for 20 minutes, then explained the safe storage provisions to me and why they were a good idea.
The retired forest ranger who had been an NRA safety instructor for 25 years who said better gun safety is sorely needed.
The San Juan Police detective on his motorcycle waiting for the ferry who said he carried a semi-automatic weapon and would be much happier if the police were the only ones who did.
The woman who said “Give me that right away! Not a minute too soon! My nephew is 18 and he just bought an AK-47. There is no way that boy should have that gun!”
The gun-owner father of a young Everett policewoman who read the text for ten minutes to see how it would effect the police. He concluded it would be good for the police and he, his wife, and their policewoman daughter all signed.
The man who told me he was both retired military and retired police who signed and passed it to his wife so she could too.
The woman who told me her friend and neighbor had been shot and murdered last week.
The retired military officer who said semi-automatic weapons should only be used in a military setting with military training and supervision, as he signed.
The four separate public school teachers who told me they were terribly worried and uncomfortable and that they have been told they must be trained to “run, hide and fight.”
The elderly lady who softly said to her hesitating husband, “It’s just sensible.” They both signed.
The elderly gentleman parked in the ferry line who told me as he was signing he remembered taking the ferry in 1939 when it was the Black Ball line and left from the end of Commercial Avenue. (This just impressed me.)
The guy in the next line who overheard me explaining the initiative to a man quietly standing outside his car and started yelling, “Common sense! Common sense! It’s just common sense!” I asked the man I was talking to, “Do you know that guy?” and he said, “No.” I said, “Did he convince you?” He said, “Yes,” and signed.
The many, many people who told me they were gun owners and wanted safer gun laws.
The dozens of people who said “How about raising the age to 121?” And smiled like they were the first to think of it.
There were also people who couldn’t or didn’t sign:
The countless Canadians and many Brits, Germans and Australians who said they did not have this problem and did not understand why we do.
All of the out-of-staters including from Alabama, Florida, Texas, Missouri, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Colorado (that I can remember) who said they wished they could sign.
The Missouri couple who asked me if I knew how Wyatt Earp cleaned up Dodge City and said, “He took away the guns!” (I have no independent verification on this).
The NRA member and self-described Idaho survivalist who chose not to sign, but warmly and sincerely told me he respected me for caring enough to get out and work for something I believed in.
And then there were the unexpected presents:
The countless smiles, “Thank you’s!” “We’re with you’s!” “Good on You’s” and “Keep on going’s!” I heard all day long.
Two pieces of chocolate from two separate people (one dark, one milk).
A sugar donut
A stick of really good incense
And the guy who took out his wallet and wanted to give me $5 (which I did not take!)
And finally, only once did I hear an expletive directed at me. It shook me, though, and when a friendly woman two cars down motioned she wanted to sign, I told her, “I need a minute, the guy up ahead just said “blank you” to me.” She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Well, what’s the opposite of that? Love? I love you. I love you.”
NOTE: Kathleen is a member of Safe and Sane Skagit and was the top volunteer signature gatherer in Washington State for I-1639, ‘Safe Schools, Safe Communities’ and collected 888 signatures.