Editor,

I could only hope one would get their facts accurate before attempting to rebut another’s “misstatements and misunderstanding” concerning Initiative 594. This is in reference to Art Huffine’s Sept. 27 letter to the editor.

And please, don’t tell others how to vote.

I feel Gary Raster’s Sept. 10 letter to the editor in reference was spot on. It also seems to me that Michael McInerney, in his Sept. 24 letter to the editor, managed to sift through the 18 pages of I-594’s bureaucratic red tape to realize the extensive burdens it would place on law-abiding citizens utilizing firearms in a non-criminal fashion.

Not to mention, the initiative would shift already scarce law enforcement resources away from more serious needs and additional publicly funded personnel to manage the piles of background checks anticipated and to maintain the required database — entries of which are currently backlogged by a year.

Mr. Huffine addressed two of Mr. Raster’s “hysterical rantings”:

I-594 funding: He mentioned the Washington Allegiance for Gun Responsibility, or WAGR, as a supporter of this initiative, yet failed to mention Every Town for Gun Safety Action Fund, their main contributor, which is a Michael Bloomberg–funded organization out of New York City.

I hardly consider Michael Bloomberg a “Washington state leader” and/or “local civic leader,” nor a Washington citizen. Do we want out-of-state billionaires buying our votes?

Temporary gun transfers: Of course I-594 addresses the background checks for all gun sales. That is the point proponents are promoting to mislead voters.

It is the extensive, burdensome provisions for the transfers of firearms included in the initiative, despite the narrow exemptions, that will criminalize responsible gun owners, to which I take great exception. I urge everyone to research any issue prior to voting. Please don’t consider yourself an “informed” voter just because you’ve seen a few television commercials.

I’m all for background checks and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. Let’s get some intelligent legislation that won’t criminalize lawful citizens to deal with this. You can’t change criminal behavior by criminalizing lawful behavior.

Marty Marsolek
Oak Harbor