I strongly support Initiative 594. I am concerned that there is so much misunderstanding and misrepresentation of what I-594 does. What it does not do is restrict Second Amendment rights; create a gun registry; change existing hunting laws; or take guns away from people.
I-594 is not created for any other reason but to protect citizens. It creates background checks where they are missing. Background checks work to decrease illegal trafficking and to protect people. Its purpose is to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people with a history of serious mental illness, as well as domestic abusers.
I-594 uses the same easy system of background checks that has worked well for gun dealers, owners, and law enforcement for decades. It simply closes the loophole in the law that makes it far too easy for a convicted felon or domestic abuser to buy a handgun from a stranger at a gun show or online with no questions asked.
We all want to feel safe. For some people that means owning a gun to protect their home or family. I respect this. I want to also feel protected from criminals and people with a history of violence by decreasing the ability of these people to buy firearms and threaten my safety.
