Letter to the editor: There should be a way to regulate weapons

Did you know that the word “GUN” is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution? The Second Amendment reads: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Arms, at that time, were muskets (flintlock or matchlock), dueling pistols and cannons. I am sure our Founding Fathers would be appalled by the type of weapons and magazine capacity we have now, and they would not have intended the people to keep and bear these type of arms.

The “well-regulated militia,” I guess, would have been something like our state National Guard. The militia, at that time, would have been residing in their homes until called up to serve. They certainly would have been armed and rightly so.

But we are living at a different time now. There will always be those individuals who resort to gun violence, and that cannot be stopped. I think that anyone who purchases a weapon and ammunition should be regulated by being registered and licensed, like our driver’s license, hunting license, fishing license. This should be the function of the individual states. Fees collected could go toward education. Gun dealers, who I understand are already licensed to sell arms, should be required to be more responsible.

Logically, there should be a way to regulate weapons. What do you think? Let our representatives know how you feel about this.

Tags: opinion, guns, letters