Comment on FR Doc # 2026-09159

I know that the preference is to read the Second Amendment broadly instead of narrowly. Let's face it, when the 2nd Amendment was written, the US wanted its citizens to have the muskets they would need in State militias. We now have a strong federal and state military for security purposes. They have sophisticaed assault weapons not contemplated in the 18th century. So, I write to express my strong opposition to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ “Defining Willfully for Firearm Violations” notice of proposed rulemaking (RIN 1140-AA88). It is important that gun shop owners and their employees know about and adhere to the laws on how to safely sell firearms to only those who should have them, with the larger goal of keeping us all safe. No small business owner should have to jump through hoops to keep their business open; however, there is a reasonable responsibility when people are selling guns that they know the laws and know how to adhere to them. This rule would allow shady dealers to break the law and claim it wasn’t willful, despite there being no effort to ensure the law is known and followed. The ATF should be working to keep Americans safe, not turning the other cheek when bad dealers break the law and allow firearms to be accessed by those who would do us harm. We need to keep deadly weapons of mass killing out of the hands of people who should not be allowed to purchase such weapons. Gun dealers surely must see the harm such weapons can cause in the hands of those who should not have access to them.