LETTER: Taking guns from law abiding citizens wrong
Politicians in high places are taking this as an opportunity to push their anti-gun agendas with the help of the largely liberal news media outlets.By: Leonard Heckel , Ethan
To the Editor:
There were two letters to the editor on the gun control issue in the Jan. 26 issue of The Daily Republic.
One called for background checks, bans on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, etc., and the other letter was about wasting money on more gun control when the problem is about behavior.
The gun control debate is about common sense and here are some things to consider.
Emotions are running high since the Newtown shooting where 20 school children and six or seven adults were murdered. Politicians in high places are taking this as an opportunity to push their anti-gun agendas with the help of the largely liberal news media outlets who may be biased against gun ownership. It is more about demonizing the NRA and law-abiding gun owners who do not go out and commit firearm violence. We already have background checks and other gun control laws. And there was a ban on assault weapons during the Clinton administration. It was ineffective. Bans on high-capacity magazines can be circumvented by carrying extra 10-round magazines or extra magazines.
People, not guns, cause crimes of gun violence, and criminals do not obey laws. Firearms in the hands of law-abiding people have prevented many crimes and saved many lives. Firearms in the hands of good people are a good thing. When bad people have more firepower than good people in a crime situation, the bad people gain control and good people lose — the very reason many good people are opposed to limitations on ammo magazines. Remember, criminals don’t obey laws.
We need to do a better job of enforcing the gun laws we already have and focusing more on the mental health issue, violent video games and controlling behavior. We need effective policies, not meaningless quibbling over pistol grips, barrel shrouds, flash suppressors and telescopic gun stocks. And law-abiding gun owners need not feel guilty nor be blamed for the actions of criminals who use firearms in crimes of violence.
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