Regarding Initiative I-594: Kitsap County Prosecutor Russell Hauge advocates for the initiative’s passage on television. Yet according to the Central Kitsap Reporter, Sept. 16, 2010, (www.centralkitsapreporter.com/news/103093614.html), it gets difficult to trust Mr. Hauge, as he has pursued legal action against the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club, repeatedly attempting to shut down that business. Kitsap County Superior Court has dismissed Hauge’s lawsuits on three separate occasions.

Hauge filed the suit again in Pierce County, which seems to be a desperate move. Still, the gun club he apparently hates remains open. His actions show that he is disinclined to appreciate firearms, the Second Amendment, or private citizens owning firearms.

I-594 is redundant. Purchasing a firearm at any sporting goods store, pawn shop, or gun shop requires the purchaser to fill out federal declarations which are submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). Immediately, the store salesperson must contact the BATF phone line and get approval to sell the firearm. If the purchaser has disqualifiers, there is no sale.

Furthermore, there are no gun show loopholes in Washington state. All state gun shows are organized by Washington Arms Collectors, a firearms and gun safety organization. To become a member, one must pass a background check through police data resources. A citizen may enter a WAC gun show, but may not buy or sell unless they are a member. Even current members must complete the appropriate BATF declarations.

Moreover, Craigslist does not allow firearms to be sold on its site. Nor does eBay. The Seattle Times will print ads for rifles and shotguns, but not for pistols. Even Internet sites like Guns America (www.gunsamerica.com) will sell guns, but will only ship to citizens who hold a federal firearms license. Those dealers are subject to the same rigorous BATF checks that any retail seller undergoes. All other online gun dealers must abide by these same rules.

Yes, it is possible for a few back-alley deals to go down, when stolen guns are sold to criminal types. I-594 will not stop those exchanges, nor will any other law.

Gun hater Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, spent $1 million in Washington state to support I-594. He has attempted controls on sodium content in food, ear-buds, Big Gulps, car idling, baby formula, alcohol, taxis and a plethora of other free choices Americans make.

I-594 is about gun control  and just another incremental step toward the disarming of private citizens.

Barry Clemons
Poulsbo