Police gun raffle still causes concerns

An Iowa group that opposes gun violence got some good news and some bad news this week. The board raising money for the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Memorial organized a raffle, with the prize an assault-type rifle. Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence and an Illinois group objected, saying the weapon’s bullets can pierce a cop’s protective vest and many officers killed in the line of duty are killed by assault weapons. In exchange for dropping the prize, the groups offered to give the board a hunting rifle or shotgun to raffle off in its place. Thursday they learned the board would not accept the offer — but has agreed to cancel a planned raffle of a second assault rifle, even though the tickets had already been printed. The anti-gun-violence group thanked organizers for their courteous handling of the offer.