(December 1, 2000) The last month has surely been a living hell for the family of Edward Toatley. Toatley, a veteran Maryland State Police Trooper who worked the street, was assassinated during an undercover assignment, making him a victim in the war on guns. You see, the probable shooter in this case is a poster child for Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy's new age crime fighting programs, that keeps known thugs on the streets instead of behind bars. Resources that could be spent on monitoring thugs and tracking down criminals are spent instead on monitoring gunowners and restricting the lawful trade in firearms. Neither Kennedy nor MSP leadership considered this known criminal and his record of violations to be a priority until he'd whacked a cop. This case will surely dog Kennedy in her gubernatorial bid.

As advocates our contention is with the politicians and desk pogues among MSP leadership who prosecute the war on lawful gun ownership. The troops on the street are another matter. They do a tough job we wouldn't want to do ourselves. More times than not, we find street cops are fellow enthusiasts and just as cynical about gun laws as we are. Toatley was indeed a street cop, and though he occasionally walked the halls in Annapolis, he was in town for labor issues, not gun control. We met him during legislative sessions past, and recall him as effective in that role.

The best memorial to Toatley would be a change in leadership, to let his brother officers focus not on gun owners but on known criminals before they do capital crime. That would make us all safer. In the meantime, we commend to you a fund that will help care for Toatley's family. Send a donation to "The Children of Edward Toatley Fund," (ATTN: Ms. Denise Frasier) c/o Advance Bank, 1405 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, Maryland 21239 .