Kenneth Oke, in his letter in the Saturday, Aug. 24 Alpena News, claims “Citizens should not own weapons of war.” He states that citizen-owned weapons should be limited to one shot at a time and registered.

Using that inference, he should also agree that the First Amendment would not allow typewriters, modern printing presses, computers and printers, smart phones, radio, television, or the internet. You cannot maintain that advances in technology can be allowed for one freedom but not allowed for others.

As far as allowing weapons of war, Oke should also agree that we should not be allowed to possess lever-action rifles or bolt-action rifles, that are commonly used for hunting, as they were all at one time military arms. At the time of the Revolutionary War, many of our citizens were armed with rifles that were superior to the common arms used by militaries of the time, smoothbore muskets. Our founders acknowledged in the Second Amendment for our new country that the right to defend ourselves against all threats, including government, was an inherent right to mankind, and was not a privilege granted by government. Indeed, they acknowledged that the right to self defense by keeping and bearing arms should NOT BE INFRINGED, something that many in our government are now trying to do in so many ways.

MIKE LEOW,

Rogers City