I will be voting “YES” on Initiative 594 November 4, and I hope you will join me.

It is patently obvious that we should require background checks before a citizen is allowed to purchase a firearm. I am a gun owner and a lover of the outdoors myself, and I have personally donated to support the initiative. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (@Yeson594), a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations working together to stand up for common-sense solutions, has sponsored I-594.

This isn’t about the right to bear arms. It is a small but important step toward reducing gun violence by requiring background checks on people who buy guns, regardless of where they buy them. The vast majority of Washingtonians agree that background checks should include all firearm sales. Currently, this is not the case. Why our legislature has not yet passed legislation to reflect the will of the people is curious, and incredibly disappointing.

Zillow had a much-loved software engineer named Justin Ferrari get caught in a crossfire at the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Cherry Avenue two years ago. He was driving his mini-van. His kids, who he’d just picked up from the community center pool, were in the car. So were his mom and dad. He died in his father’s lap. Gun violence is an epidemic, and I support making our citizenry safe in their own neighborhoods.

Thanks in large part to the honorable civic activism of Nick Hanauer (who has been instrumental in rallying people to support this initiative with votes and contributions), I-594 actually stands a chance of passing. But only if everyone else who supports responsible gun ownership gets out their vote.

I-594 is democracy at its best. It reflects the will of the people, makes common sense, and can save lives.

I hope my fellow citizens will join me in voting yes on I-594. Join the movement at http://wagunresponsibility.org/