State ban on bump stocks is reasonable

Your editorial in the wake of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, that took the lives of 17 innocent boys and girls, hit the mark. There are reasonable firearm restrictions that can be imposed that do not violate the Second Amendment or infringe on an individual's basic right to own a firearm.

Tougher background checks make sense. Tougher enforcement of laws and regulations make sense. It is essential that weapons of mass casualty be kept out of the hands of those intending to do harm. You mentioned "bump stocks" in your editorial, and I want to bring your attention to House Bill 4880. It is a bill that I introduced earlier this month. It is a straightforward and simple bill that would ban bump stocks in Illinois.

It has been four months since 58 people were gunned down by a madman using a bump-stock device. Yet at the federal and state level, no action has been taken to ban bump stocks. That is a disgraceful neglect of public safety.

I am a retired military officer. I own firearms. I enjoy trap and skeet shooting. I am very familiar with weapons of all kinds, and I can tell you that one does not need a bump stock to hunt deer or duck. Bump stocks have a single purpose, to cause a semi-automatic weapon to fire like an automatic weapon. The main use of automatic weapons is to kill people. Those weapons have been banned for many decades in our country. It is now time to ban bump stock devices, too.

Banning bump stocks is a reasonable prohibition. No one's rights are being infringed. Hunters and sportsmen can still enjoy shooting. HB 4880 would keep a dangerous product, meant to inflict great bodily harm and death, out of this great state.

State Rep. David Harris

Arlington Heights