Deaths by guns will finally surpass deaths by cars in the U.S. for the first time this year. This according to a new report released in December by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even in the face of such facts, the gun lobby has filed a lawsuit in federal court against our state’s Initiative 594 law, which requires for the first time background checks on all gun purchases in Washington. As a retired surgical trauma nurse, mother and taxpayer, I find this very disturbing.
I, along with many Washington citizens, worked diligently to pass I-594 this past November. With all our efforts and hard work, I-594 is now in effect. We are the first state in the nation where citizens voted into law a requirement for mandatory background checks for every gun sold in the state; at shops, gun shows, online and in personal sales. The majority of voters (59 percent statewide) voted for I-594. That is a wide margin of support in an otherwise divided nation.
Now, we citizens will have our tax dollars used to defend the new law in court. I-594 and universal background checks are the law of our state and the law needs to stand as is. We, the voting public, have spoken.
Joanne Pinelli
Camas
