Dear Editor,
Every year our legislators gather in Olympia to consider new laws that govern us poor, old uneducated folks. With the great power we give them and their greater intellect, they desire to protect us from ourselves and others who would do us harm. Their first thought is to get those guns away from us so we don’t hurt ourselves or others!
Never mind what the 2nd Amendment says, after all, we have police protection here in Forks, even if it is only one officer on duty at various times during the day and night, with a lot more to do than sit around waiting on us to call at 2 a.m. when someone is prowling around our house looking for a way to get inside and cause us harm.
In my past letter in the Forks Forum, there could have been greater detail regarding the description of weapons. Last year’s HB1286. Sec.1,RCW9.41.010, page 6, line 3, item#30 addresses assault rifles, 3 pages of detail, make, model, etc. However, those bills are written by legal assistants and attorneys, which most untrained folks are inclined to misinterpret or miss those few added descriptions.
Be Careful! One line may say the “below listed”, then wander off on a relative definition until we lose interest, then show “as it fires a round then reloads automatically by pulling the trigger” is described as semi-automatic. Then continue on…” muzzle brakes, sound suppressors, both of which are available on legal firearms. Another line may read, however, threaded barrels, handles pointed down, and folding stocks are assault rifles, even if they are semi-automatic rifles. The catchall was they are all automatic re-loaders as my article stated. None of which were listed by the bill, yet are self loaders but they would have been covered (banned) if not for the entire bill being rejected.
You won’t find any of the 2019 list or the same hidden agenda in the bills being considered now. There were seven passed last session and 5 being considered this session, all have to do with various weapons.
There are folks in the legislature who respect and believe what the founders meant when they included the 2nd Amendment and I thank each and every one of them.
Had all of the amendments and language of HB1286 been passed into law, and no doubt approved by the AG and Governor, it would be on the books as a law of our state, as is 1639.
What has and is currently happening in Virginia would be what your present governor and attorney general are hoping for here!
Bear in mind, I could care less what political party or what some little green man who just touched down from outer space is responsible, I am not happy with what we are facing.
Are You?
Note: this bill, HB1286 was reintroduced January 13, 2020, in its original language and is currently in Judiciary Committee, January 30, 2020.
Phil Reed
Forks
