I’m a lifelong gun owner and a registered Republican. I support Measure 114.
I was perturbed by a recent letter. (“Readers respond: Measure 114′s unequal impact,” Oct. 16) There’s been a shift in how the responsibility of owning and handling a firearm is viewed over the last many years. That concerns me as it should concern everyone.
A friend of mine, a former Marine and an NRA weapons instructor, was totally frustrated after a class a number of years ago. He told me that while all his students have the right to own a gun, the majority do not have the level of personal responsibility to have it in their hands.
My father taught us that level of responsibility. The current lack of responsibility of people with firearms has turned me to a pro-gun control voter. Those who support the NRA do not (or choose not to) understand that this organization has done a 180 degree turn on what it means to own a weapon. When I was a kid, the NRA was about gun handling and gun safety and respect. Today they are about putting automatic weapons and cop killer ammo in the hands of irresponsible people. I cannot support that.
Too many people who have guns haven’t had someone to mentor them in weapons handling. Guns aren’t toys; they’re tools designed to kill. That’s the be all and end all. If you don’t understand that, you shouldn’t be allowed to own a gun.
I urge you to support Measure 114.
Rick Meis, Halfway