Gun regulation constitutional

The Second Amendment reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Let’s look at the two most important words. “Regulated”: To control or direct according to rule or law. “Infringed”: To wrongly limit or restrict.

The text of the Second Amendment itself calls for rules or laws to control its application. Therefore by definition, such rules and laws cannot be considered as having “wrongly limited or restricted” the right to bear arms.

Just as there are rules and laws governing ownership and use of nearly every other type of property, rules and laws governing the ownership and use of firearms of any type should and must be made and enforced.

I believe in the right to own firearms, but that right must also carry heavy responsibilities. Purchasers and owners of guns should go through required training and thorough background checks before being allowed to own a gun of any sort acquired by gun shop, gun show, private transfer, Internet or any other means.

Is this an immense task? Certainly, but are not our very lives and the lives of our loved ones worth it?

This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Gun regulation constitutional."