Op-Ed Agrues I-1639 Effectively Criminalizes Self-Defense

By Tom Knighton

A ballot initiative in Washington state probably shouldn’t even be on there, but it is. Despite the questionable nature of it, Initiative 1639 is there and it needs to be defeated. Just why, though?

Well, as Alan Gottlieb notes, it basically makes self-defense impossible for many people.

I-1639 is not about so-called “assault weapons.” I-1639 targets all semi-automatic rifles, including commonly owned rifles used for self-defense, home protection, hunting and target shooting.

I-1639 places Washingtonians at risk by restricting access to firearms for lawful self-defense while doing nothing to increase security in schools or target violent criminals.

The strict mandated requirement of this initiative will force individuals to lock up their firearms and render them useless in a self-defense situation, or face criminal prosecution.

It goes even further to state that if an offender does break into your house, and they steal your unsecured firearm, you may be held liable for the criminal’s actions, victimizing you twice — once by the criminal and again by the state.

This initiative would also prohibit all of Washington’s law-abiding adults aged 18 to 20 from exercising their constitutional right to self-defense. Current law already restricts them from purchasing handguns, and Initiative 1639 would restrict them from …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms