Realistic about I-594

I am writing about I-594, the universal background check initiative. While I do wish that our country wasn’t infiltrated with so many handguns, I’m a realist, and, more importantly, I respect the rights and beliefs of Americans who disagree, including many of my friends, so I accept that privately owned guns are here to stay.

Please put away any fears of a systematic government weapon seizure; there are far too many registered gun owners for any agency to do so without the alarm sounding. And there are no plots to ban firearms.

I don’t think there is any solid reason to vote against the universal background checks called for by I-594. Any legal semantic problems with the initiative’s exact wording (preventing borrowing a weapon at a firing range, for example), would be quickly fixed through legislation. The intent of the initiative is clear.

The bottom line is: Regardless of the number of guns in criminal hands, or sold illegally to people who then commit crimes, universal background checks would prevent gun deaths without restricting the gun ownership rights of qualified Washington citizens or making anyone less safe. Please, please join me in voting I-594 into law.

Jeffrey Ellingson

Liberty Lake