Re: “Lawmakers’ inertia on youth gun possession is indefensible” (March 5, Opinion):
Kudos to the editorial board on the subject of Washington state’s insipid legal guidelines that don’t shield the general public from juveniles who threaten malicious habits dedicated with a firearm, with doubtlessly deadly penalties.
As described, our legislation mainly permits for a five-strikes-you’re-out course of. Principally, it promotes 4 firearm encounters which are met with solely a “dangerous boy/woman” slap on the wrist. Solely on the fifth infraction is there a major, albeit tepid, repercussion. It’s the epitome of hypocrisy for any legislator who claims to be a proponent of gun security to tolerate this established order. Whether or not a juvenile or grownup, a gun inflicts the identical trauma. Penalties needs to be commensurate to the act.
State Rep. David Hackney launched laws to deal with our flawed authorized atmosphere that promotes gun violence. It died and not using a listening to. We must always encourage him, and his cohorts, to move significant laws that protects his constituents and all Washingtonians.
Mark Flanery, Auburn