Gun Control

Three letters that say better than I can what I feel about gun control. This from Nigel Reynolds of Prescott: “The horrific shooting in Colorado will cause people to argue about the Second Amendment and to discuss whether gun control is too lenient or ir irrelevant. Unfortunately, things won’t change, whatever is concluded. Incidents like this will continue. Why do more children drown in backyard pools in Phoenix than in Minneapolis? Answer: There are more pools here than there. Why do these shootings occur in America nearly every year but are rare in Europe? Same conclusion: The number and availability of guns here vs. there. Unpleasant bottom line: Get used to it.”

And this from D. Richardson of Phoenix: “I am a gun owner. To be honest, I’m not even really sure how many guns I own—several, from pistols and shotguns to muzzleloaders. I have a loaded sawed-off shotgun right beside my bed. I call it my last line of defense. All that being said, I see no reason why your average citizen should have an AR-15 with a 100-round drum. Or a 9 mm Glock with a 30-round clip. Or any assault rifle. If you want to own one, have it registered and keep it in a safe at a gun range where you have to check it out and then back in after use. How many bullets do you need to defend your house? Or kill a deer? Or a rabbit? Hunting is legal and needed. When I hunted doves, the law said that I was only allowed to have my shotgun loaded with three shells at a time. Three was always enough. Let the military or the police have the heavy weapons. I’m fine with that. And I’m not afraid in the least that “liberals” are going to take my guns. What is going to cause our guns being taken away are idiots like the guy in Colorado who has such easy access to extreme firepower. Maybe possessing a weapon that shoots more than six times without being reloaded should be a crime drawing a minimum of one year in jail. No exceptions. Just a thought.”

And finally, this from Jeff Rovner of Tucson: “When the U.S. Constitution was written, our nation was bloody from battles and massacres. The government had no choice but to allow citizens the right to bear arms and fight for their lives. Today, fortunately but painfully, we have freak accidents and rare occurrences of homicide. I, a 19-year-old, can walk with bad intentions into a Walmart and walk out with a weapon and ammunition. To the United States government: Make it more difficult than that.”

Letter writers, well said.