An Accidental FelonyAn Accidental Felony

The possession of firearms by civilians in the United States has long been a controversial subject. The Second Amendment was adopted to protect such possession and ownership, although what some feel to be clear language remains subject to spirited debate. Recent tragic events underscore the importance of maintaining a dialogue about the responsible, accountable and safe possession and transfer of firearms in our country. 

Guns are common possessions and have been so throughout U.S. history. In 2002, James Lindgren and Justin L. Heather in their William and Mary Law Review article, “Counting Guns in Early America,”¹ wrote that in their study of probate databases in Colonial America, guns were found in the majority of male estates and in m...