Existing states laws control the legal use, possession, purchase and disposition of guns available for personal protection. Many have charged their Second Amendment rights have been infringed.

Though not widely publicized, there were incidents of guns confiscated without legal justification. The National Rifle Association responded and some unwarranted laws and procedures were questioned with some procedures corrected and amended.

Recognizing that "universal background checks" opens unlimited doors without constraint, negating the Second Amendment and the Constitution in general.

The horrendous "gun-free zone" killings alarmed America. "Never letting a serious crisis go to waste." Guns were blamed as the culprit and legislation immediately proposed calling for "universal" background checks and gun registration.

Some gun owners do not realize that gun registration could effectively transfer the ownership information to government control and "universal" background checks will make all medical and/or military records available to restrict gun ownership.

Personal information could also be used to control individual possession or purchase of a firearm. It is presently required that information be posted by the medical dispenser and forwarded to the Justice Department. If the present proposed actions are instituted, and without constitutional constraints, we cannot maintain our Constitutional rights or our freedoms.

FRANK E. VINCENT, Hermiston