Letters to Editor
Gun Control
From Issue: Volume XX - Number 15
7/27/2012
Editor:
Gail Collins of the New York Times recently wrote an article titled “Have gun, will travel may soon be law of the land everywhere”. She expressed her concern about gun violence and the need to restrict gun ownership and the fact that some of our representatives are suggesting a concealed weapon if legal in your state should be valid in another state.
I do not own a gun, but I have absolutely no problem with those who do and I am very happy I have the right to purchase a gun should I wish.
Ms Collins states “Whenever there is a terrible shooting incident somewhere in America, our politicians talk about everything except whether the tragedy could have been avoided if the gunman had not been allowed to carry a firearm.” Her column seems to indicate she was motivated to write due to the recent and tragic shooting of Trayon Martin.
In referring to a bill sponsored by Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, his bill would allow you to take your Florida gun permit and your loaded handgun and travel any place in the country. She men-tioned a quote by Dan Gross, who is president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, stating “If this law existed today, George Zimmerman could carry a loaded hidden handgun in Times Square. Today”.
If we are all honest and not in the “denial” mode, there is certainly no way we can restrict a person from taking possession of a firearm if they so desire and take it anywhere. Assuming a law was passed to prohibit gun ownership, we should all acknowledge that anyone who wants to obtain a gun illegally can and will do it.
Think back to the terrible shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others who were shot at nearly point blank range allegedly by Jared Lee Loughner. Does anyone really think that a person bent on committing such a heinous act would consider whether the law allowed him to carry a gun?
Gun violence has nothing to do with whether we can own a gun. It has everything to do with people making decisions. Actually when you think about it, it is quite foolish to allow only the law breakers to have guns, which is what would happen if the government passed laws restricting gun ownership to the police and similar personnel mandated to protect us.
Ms. Collins also suggests that our politicians are afraid of the National Rifle Association which results in the proliferation of handguns. She could not be more wrong. The NRA promotes the education of all gun owners to use their guns in a legal, responsible and safe manner. I doubt the guy shooting patrons in a Colorado theater was paying dues to the NRA and adhering to the NRA’s code of conduct.
Fact: Gun ownership will never be taken away from those bent on using a gun for illegal purposes, no matter what laws are on the books.
Laws for background checks and making guns more safe and traceable are fine, but creating laws to remove our right to own a handgun or rifle are wrong and completely worthless.
Taylor Ramsey
Lakewood
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