Editor,

Mr. Donald E. Bettner’s comments in his letter to the editor on “Repealing the Second Amendment” are fallacious on the face of them.

He repeatedly mentions amendments to amendments.

Useless hyperbole.

This is not about repealing anything. The progressives know that a repeal would never happen. They want to control, restrict and minimize firearms across this nation. They do that by regulation.

Did you catch that? “Regulation,” not law.

Executive orders are regulations which mean that no elected representative has any say about voting for or against the proposal.

On July 22 of this year, the State Department, yes, Hillary’s alma mater, passed rule 122.1 which defines most work that gunsmiths do as “manufacturing,” which puts them under the regulations of not only the Gun Control Act, but the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

To continue “gunsmithing” — cutting, drilling, machining or other things that might “improve” a firearm — the smith would have to pay an annual fee of $2,250 and register with the State Department as a manufacturer.

Small gun shops cannot afford this kind of extortion and very likely will go out of business. Would they do the same to small auto repair shops, boatyards and “handymen” who have to cut, drill or machine parts to fit correctly? Are they, too, manufacturers?

This is the control that the progressives want; not laws passed by our elected representatives, but regulations enforced by the Department of State! They have tried regulating real manufacturers by making them responsible for the bad behavior of others and our elected members of Congress stopped them cold.

Now they call the little guys manufacturers and put them out of business.

No, Mr. Bettner, no one will abolish the Second Amendment; they will just add exorbitant taxes to all purchases and prevent you from repairing or improving your existing gun because the progressives are afraid of them.

Problem solved. No amendment needed.

James Siggens

Oak Harbor