As Will Rogers once said, “common sense ain’t common.” That’s clearly the case with our governor’s attempt at enacting new gun laws. Governor Inslee and Attorney General Ferguson spout “common sense gun laws” yet they say “follow the science” when it comes to anything else. I say to Inslee and Ferguson, how about applying that same scientific analysis to firearms safety than relying on that not-too-common phenomenon of common sense?

Let’s look at some “common sense gun laws” with unintended consequences.

Gun Free Zones: it sounds good. Let’s prohibit guns from certain areas. The problem with this line of thinking is that only the law abiding will abide by this law. Criminals and crazies don’t care. Look at just about every mass shooting that has taken place in the past twenty years – a majority of them are in Gun Free Zones (which should be renamed Soft Target Zones). Cleary, common sense didn’t apply to this rule.

Assault Weapons Ban: This was tried once. There was literally no difference in crime. Most gun crimes are committed with handguns. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, knives are used twice as often to kill than rifles.

Waiting periods: The idea behind this law was to give people a chance to cool off and not use a gun in anger. The reality is, it prevents those who need a firearm for immediate safety from getting one – often to the detriment of the person who becomes a violent crime victim. As the saying goes, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away (especially with the Defund the Police movement).

In an era where police response is diminished, why are magazine capacities reduced for Washington citizens, who directly face armed criminals, while the police can carry full-capacity magazine? There’s a reason law enforcement agencies went from six-shooter revolvers to pistols that could hold 15 or more rounds (along with another 30 or 45 rounds in spare full-capacity magazines). It’s so they wouldn’t be outgunned. Anything that is good enough for law enforcement should be good enough for all citizens.

Raising the age to own weapons: The government gives 18-year-olds machine guns in the military – along with 200 round linked ammunition belts and 30-round mags, and trust them not to do the wrong thing. Why does our state make the difference?

Charging victims when their guns are stolen: Where is the common sense here. This is akin to charging a rape victim because “provocative clothing” was worn. Nobody should be punished if their home or auto is burglarized. While I advocate safe firearm storage, not everyone is in the position to keep a gun locked up all the time.

One should treat the disease of violence, not the symptoms. Instead, Inslee and Ferguson in their anti-gun agenda, are treating the symptoms and acting like they’re treating the disease. Where is the science behind their proposed not-so-common sense gun laws? Short answer: there is none.

James S. Peet, PhD

Enumclaw