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My family and I moved to Scotland for employment reasons in late 1995, a few months prior to the Dunblane Massacre, the worst mass shooting in British history, in which 17, 5- and 6-year-olds and an instructor were killed and 15 others injured by an individual with two handguns.

Without equivocation, British lawmakers reacted immediately enacting firearms control measures including licensing of all firearms, licensing requirements tiered to the type of firearm.

For example, pistols required a special license, restricting their storage and use to established gun clubs demonstrating security for these firearms. Rifle and repeating long-arm potential licensees had to show cause/need for the requested firearm, demonstrate firearm security, and were mostly associated with rural estates and gun club members.

Individuals could receive a shotgun permit for firearms kept in the home with a capacity of not more than two cartridges, based on an application, constabulary review, and inspection of a locked storage site.

These procedures seemed to be implemented quickly and without much moaning from gun-owners, given the horror of the precipitating incident and the outrage it provoked.

I lived in a small town outside Aberdeen, Scotland, which seemed to have no difficulty resourcing the administration of these procedures, and, frankly, though requiring some organization, I never felt they were overly constraining to my sporting activities.

I am encouraged to see the near passage of Measure 114, a measure that can finally make a real difference in the proliferation of high capacity semi-automatic weapons and the (now routine) mass shooting incidents, even in our midst.

It is disappointing that some of the local constabulary are dissenting to enforce this measure, a response that cannot be allowed to stand. This is a state measure and counties cannot have a prerogative of non-enforcement.

Clearly there are provisions of the measure that will require better definition and practical plans for implementation. The development of these plans, and the process for establishing funding is the opportunity for local officials to input their concerns and imprint their local needs.

The unprecedentedly close mid-term elections illustrate that governing processes and behaviors of officials will require change to better demonstrate recognition of diversity in stakeholder positions and to communicate outcomes in ways that assist consensus.

— Donald Fisher, Powell Butte