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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Former Medford Mayor Lou Hannum remembered as a 'hero' ... Crash kills Ashland man, Grants Pass woman ... Caretaker allegedly stole $69,000 from Eagle Point senior citizen ... Former Medford Mayor Lou Hannum remembered as a 'hero' ... Crash kills Ashland man, Grants Pass woman ... Caretaker allegedly stole $69,000 from Eagle Point senior citizen ... OUR VIEW Our View: Gun-law initiative would sidestep the Constitution Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Coos County voters will decide today whether to give their local sheriff the power to decide whether new gun laws are constitutional, and to block the use of county funds to enforce a background check law passed this year. Judging by the general attitude toward gun restrictions in most rural parts of Oregon, the proposed initiative may pass — but it shouldn't. Self-appointed defenders of constitutional rights are quick to accuse government of violating the Constitution when it does something they don't like, and they often call for a return to "constitutional government." But governing according to the Constitution means that deciding whether laws are constitutional is the job of the courts, not the local sheriff. Backers of the Coos County initiative are angry at the Legislature for passing a law this year requiring background checks for private, person-to-person gun sales. State law already requires background checks for sales from gun stores and for sales at gun shows. The chief petitioner for the Coos County measure says he filed it to "stop the erosion of our Second Amendment liberties," and the "liberty to protect ourselves against any harm and the liberty to hunt and own a gun." No one's liberty to protect themselves, to hunt or to own a gun is threatened here. The intent of background checks is to prevent those who should not have guns because of felony convictions or mental illness from obtaining them. Whether background checks accomplish this goal is debatable. But the question here is whether they are an unconstitutional infringement of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. If opponents of the new law believe it to be unconstitutional, they should file a lawsuit. That's the constitutional way to resolve that question. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501