The right to bear arms

Most of us are familiar with the Second Amendment's "Shall Not Be Infringed" clause, but Article 1 Section 24 of the Washington State Constitution is not as well known. It states, "RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men."

Therefore it is already unlawful for any government agency to confiscate guns or other firearms from citizens without due process and it is already unlawful for any government agency to require background checks on the recipient of a firearm.

The clause in proposed Initiative 591 that states "unless a uniform national standard is required" weakens the laws we already have on the books in the State of Washington.

Calvin Coolidge summed up his philosophy as a legislator thusly: "It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones, and better to spend your time on your own committee work than to be bothering with any bills of your own...See that the bills you recommend from your committee are so worded that they will do just what they intend and not a great deal more that is undesirable. Most bills can't stand that kind of test."

It is my opinion, and that of many, that both initiatives (591 and 594) should be rejected. Vote "NO" on both!

Susan Freeman

Moses Lake