Burt was on the mark in gun column

Burt Constable is right on the mark when he argues for the common sense that would allow states to legislate rules and restrictions as conditions for firearm ownership. I can't imagine any responsible gun or rifle owner objecting to a background check, supervised training and a competency test as a prerequisite for firearms ownership.

No range master worth their salt would think of allowing an individual to discharge a weapon who didn't understand range safety rules and demonstrate acceptable control and basic skills in firing their weapon. I don't believe that any of the plaintiffs arguing their case for gun ownership before the Supreme Court would object to licensing as a precondition.

Why shouldn't there be an Illinois DFR, a Department of Firearm Regulation, comparable in function to the DMV, which would be partially funded from licensing and ownership fees? Keep in mind that while the Second Amendment ostensibly prohibits infringing on the people's right to bear arms, it also requires that its armed citizens be considered as part of a well-regulated militia, and as gun and rifle owners, who are protecting ourselves and the state, we are all, by default and purpose, members of that regulated militia.

David Werdegar

Naperville