American citizens should have a right to own Firearms unless they are a criminal or mentally unstable.

Gun ownership is a tradition in the United States, a tradition supported by the Constitution. While we do have a problem with gun violence in this country, we should not restrict individual rights of people who have not done anything wrong. We should focus on finding solutions to violence, not by restricting individual rights.

We should take practical steps to reduce gun violence. We should:

• Close the Gun Show loophole to make sure criminals do not gain access to weapons.
• Provide Universal Access to Health Care, to include Mental Health Care.
• Register weapons, as provided by Maryland law, to provide law enforcement with the information they need to track weapons used in crime.
• Focus effective law enforcement on violent criminals.
• Support aggressive anti-gang policies.

But we should not restrict the rights of people who have done nothing wrong. Some people want to focus on gun ownership for the purpose of hunting. Hunting is an important part of the cultural tradition in Western Maryland, and even an important food source for some families. But hunting is not the only reason for gun ownership. Some people own firearms for self-defense or even just as collectors.

I have spent 20 years in the military, and have experience with firearms. I can appreciate the quality of a good firearm. I understand what it means to have the right amount of trigger pull, not too soft and mushy, but not so stiff as to cause the weapon to jerk. I understand the appreciation for a weapon that fits the hand just right, and is perfectly balanced. Gun collectors appreciate firearms in the same way some people collect art, or baseball cards, or fine automobiles. It is more than just firearms for hunting purposes, some people collect firearms for their own sake.

I know many people who collect firearms of all sorts. I cannot support going to my friends and telling them we are going to restrict their hobby when they have done nothing wrong. We must deal with the real problem, and focus on violence and its causes.