Freedom requires responsibility

Dear lovers of the sound and smooth action of a well-oiled, clean gun. I always loved the sound of chambering a cartridge in a shotgun or a bolt-action rifle. My lever-action Winchester 218B hexagon-barreled rifle was particularly satisfying. With all that being said, I believe it is time to realize that we could lose that joy I felt and still feel about guns.

When the first U.S. census was taken, less than 4 percent lived in towns or villages and now 98 percent reside in crowded cities. With so many of us living so close to each other, we can’t justify everyone having a gun without being fully investigated and trained before purchase to use it safely.

The National Rifle Association and too many others believe the Second Amendment is the 11th Commandment. All of us talk about freedom and not enough about the responsibility that always comes with freedoms.

Vote carefully in the future for people who believe in responsible gun ownership or the vast majority at some point will come to believe the freedom to own a gun does not outweigh the thousands of deaths that occur each year from irresponsible owners of guns.

Jerry Hopkins

Spokane