I hope everyone will take time to look at the gun control bill that will be on the ballot this fall in Washington and that those opposing it will realize no one is trying to take your pistols or rifles away.

I have been studying the Second Amendment, which has been very controversial since it was first drafted in 1788, mainly because this new nation did not have a military to defend it and also for the people to protect themselves against a tyrannical government if needed. When implemented in 1791, it allowed “legal citizens” to be armed. Sadly, legal citizens in the 1700s until the 1900s were ONLY white men, 18 and older! That has changed with the times as other things should.

This Amendment has been in front of our courts many times. Here are comments from two of the Justices in recent years: Justice Steven in 2010, “A conclusion that the Second Amendment protects and individual right does not tell us anything about the scope of that right.” Justice Ginsburg in 2016 called the Second Amendment “outdated” then said, “If the Court had properly interpreted (it), the Court would have said that amendment was very important when the nation was new; it gave a qualified right to keep and bear arms, but it was for one purpose only, and that was the purpose of having militiamen who were able to fight to preserve the nation.”

We have the right to feel safe at public events and at our schools, but that is being been taken away from us with every shooting. The chaos has to stop … stress, guns and mental illness do not mix.

If you own a gun, be responsible with it, keep it safe from children and teenagers

It’s small steps to fix this, but making the legal age to buy automatic weapons from 18 to 21 could help – it’s not enough, but a start.

Please help stop the madness, the slaughter, the hate, the sickness. Vote from your heart.

Gail Toombs

Orcas Island