I have been shooting for 64 years including target, hunting and army service. As a shooter, I have no problem with background checks. However, guns will still be available through illegal channels. I will vote for I-591 because it is better in protecting my rights as a citizen and prevents confiscation of my firearms without due process.

I will not vote for I-594 because I do not trust of the people supporting the initiative and its’ ambiguous wording. Many of the billionaires and millionaires supporting I-594 openly oppose the private ownership of firearms even though they say they support the Second Amendment. I also question of the use of the word “transfer” in the initiative.

In Washington state we don’t register firearms. I have no way of proving that I own any of my firearms without a bill of sale. Some of my firearms were given to me as gifts and I don’t have that. The word “transfer” implies the transfer of ownership and proof of ownership like a car registration. I have lent my guns to others on the range or in the field and had them return to me. Will I-594 end this practice of lending? Will I-594 force the registration of firearms in our state? If so how, large would the bureaucracy grow to administer the registration process and who pays for its operations?

I have other questions about the I-594, but they are too numerous to raise in this letter. In my judgement I-591 is better is solution to the problem than I-594 and protects the rights honest citizen.

Allan Schneider, Bellevue