Letter: What harassment is

Larry Albrecht of Lake in the Hills asks in his letter to the Daily Herald on Jan. 19 for an explanation of how the new gun law banning an AR-15 would be enforced. Like all other laws, by definition, a person is required to follow the law. It is enforced when you break the law and get caught.

For example, you are required to have a valid driver's license in order to legally operate a car on public roads and can be arrested if caught driving without one. But police do not stop every motorist and check for a license for no reason (nor would they go door to door looking for an unregistered AR15).

If you are stopped for traffic violation, then you will be also be checked for a valid license at that time.

The new gun law requires that current owners of an AR15 register their weapon with State Police before Jan. 1, 2024. After that if you are somehow caught with an unregistered AR-15, say in the commission of another crime, you will also be charged under the new gun law with a Class 2 felony. Penalty if convicted runs from probation to a 3- to 7-year jail sentence.

So if Mr. Albrecht thinks that registering an AR-15 is harassment, then so is the requirement to have a valid driver's license. The AR-15 law will be enforced like any other law and does not constitute harassment.

Mike Parmelee

Naperville