I GREW up with guns. My dad was raised in Montana, a war veteran and an avid hunter. We lived in what was then rural King County. A devoted fan of the TV show “Bonanza,” I sometimes would set out for the day on my pony. My lunch and BB gun lashed to the saddle, I ensured the safety of the Issaquah woods. My dad got me my first shotgun at age 10. I sat on the counter of Warshall’s Sporting Goods, feet dangling as they figured out how to cut down the stock. To many today, this seems unthinkable. But with that gun came lessons — key instruction about safely using, cleaning and storing any gun. If anyone in our family ignored those lessons, the consequences were swift and sure. The war and hunting taught my dad a certainty that he passed on …show more content…
Seven Mariners headed for free agency following the World Series 2 killed, 1 injured in Belltown shooting Funko stock plunges in 'worst first-day return for an IPO in 17 years' Unlimited Digital Access. $1 for 4 weeks. No single law and no one approach will change the course of violence. It requires efforts from all corners, and on many fronts. Gun violence is not just a law-enforcement matter, it is a public-health issue. We must do a better job educating people about guns and gun safety, we must examine and change the prevalence of violence in our culture, and we must better diagnose and treat mental illness. But we also need common-sense changes to our gun laws. The laws we have and the strategies we are using are not enough. Those who oppose additional gun laws frequently say, “Just use the laws already on the books.” In Western Washington, we are already doing that. As U.S. Attorney, I have made stemming the illegal flow and use of guns a key priority. Prosecutors in my office and our law-enforcement partners work hard to get guns out of the wrong hands and off the streets. We have targeted illegal gun-show sales, felons possessing and trafficking guns, and licensed gun dealers who fail to follow the