OPINION:
I respond with particular interest to the article ’Onerous ATF rules threaten to put gun dealers out of business’ (Web, Sept. 18).
The article highlights petty paperwork oversight that can have devastating ramifications for gun dealers, the corollary of which can be the suppression of the right to exercise one’s Second Amendment rights.
This is no conservative hype, as I personally witnessed a dealership rejection of my background application, three times no less, a couple of years ago for no reason other than my admittedly poor handwriting. The dealership was apologetic and explained it could lose its license if an inspector from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had trouble reading my handwriting.
After slowly, meticulously and painfully filling out the application for the fourth time, I finally got my gun.
I couldn’t help but wonder, however, whether this hyperregulation was a form of harassment designed to discourage gun ownership. After reading the aforementioned article, I have my answer.
While we no longer have literacy tests to deter voting, we do have handwriting tests to deter gun ownership.
D.A. SAMS
West Jefferson, Ohio
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