A Question For Hagel About Guns

In his fine column about former Sen. Chuck Hagel, George Will asks a series of probing questions that might be posed by thoughtful senators at the upcoming hearings (“Question Hagel, Then Confirm,” Jan. 18).

Extending Will’s discussion a bit further into the civilian sphere, let me ask several questions that are also defense-related and . These concern military-type armaments and gun ownership in the U.S. Where and by what rationale does the government draw the line on a citizen’s acquisition of military or military-type weaponry? Put another way, does the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms” limit in any way the firepower or magnitude of the guns a citizen might obtain?

Certain recent letters to the editor imply a freedom from any restrictions as desirable, I look forward to a wide-ranging discussion on the issue of limits or lack thereof relative to citizen armaments, especially in terms of firepower.