REGAN: Second Amendment should also be flexible

Brent Regan’s April 21 opinion column suggests protecting children is justification for First Amendment constraints. His reasons for flexible interpretation of the First Amendment are also reasons for flexible interpretation of the Second Amendment. “The first job of government, and by extension public libraries” (and schools), “is to defend and protect citizens. Traumatizing children violates that prime directive.” If children are traumatized by seeing a book then they are certainly traumatized by seeing firearms used to murder classmates.

“Children are humanity’s most precious resource. They literally are the future. For this reason alone it is imperative that we protect their innocence.” So if controlling access to library books is important to protect children’s’ innocence, then controlling access to firearms is even more important if it can help protect children’s lives. “It’s just common sense.”

GARY COFFMAN

Coeur d’Alene