To the Editor of the Seattle P-I,
In response to your editorial: "Legislature must act for gun safety" Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000
Gun owners agree that with the Right to Keep And Bear Arms comes the
responsibility to do so safely. Most gun owners store their collections
securely and firearms safety is the primary concern of every gun owner I've
ever known. The fact is that the vast majority of those who choose to
exercise their Right to Keep And Bear Arms do so responsibly. It is also a
fact that incidents like the tragic death of Whitney Graves are exceedingly
rare. Nonetheless, it's hard to argue against the stated intent of a
proposal such as the Whitney Graves Bill, until one examines it more closely.
Under Washington's reckless endangerment laws a person can already be
prosecuted for engaging in behavior which "creates a substantial risk of
death or serious injury to another person." Leaving a loaded firearm where a
child can obtain easy access could certainly fall into this category of
behavior. As law, with regard to reckless endangerment, the Whitney Graves
Bill would be redundant.
The reality of this measure bears no relation to the stated intent of it's
proponents. The Whitney Graves Bill is not really intended to save lives,
nor reduce the risk of unintended firearm injuries to children. It's
designed to discourage firearms ownership. It is a Firearms Demonization
Bill, pure and simple.
Worse yet are it's unintended consequences. The Whitney Graves Bill, if
enacted into law, will result in more rapes, injuries and deaths of law
abiding citizens. The more people are discouraged from firearms ownership
the less inclined they will be to obtain the tools that may just save them
from assault, rape and/or murder. Those wise enough to exercise their Right
to Keep And Bear Arms, but who lock up their defensive tools because of
threat of prosecution, will experience a greater risk of injury or death at
the hands of an armed intruder as they fumble for access to their Life Saver.
There is something that could reduce the number of unintentional shootings
and other firearm related injury without demonizing guns or placing citizens
at risk. It's education. Firearms safety must become a part of K-12
education. If educated properly, children will know not to touch a firearm
unless under adult supervision. They can be shown the safe use and
destructive force of firearms in a secure environment. I can't imagine a
more fitting legacy for Whitney Graves.
Sincerely,
Robert H. Anderson Jr.